God – Page 7

barack obama, God, ISIL, ISIS, middle east, prophecy

Does submitting to governing authorities mean ones like ISIS or Obama?

Posted on August 21, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1)

That can’t mean submit to … Obama, could it? I can’t stand ~~Obama~~ [Nero, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, Herod, Pharaoh, Nimrod, Saddam Hussein, Mao Tse-Tung, Genghis Khan, Stalin, Nebuchadnezzar, Vlad Tepes…]

Why yes. Yes it does.

Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:2)

The events taking place with ISIS in the old Assyria region of Nineveh/Mosul, Babylon/Baghdad are truly horrific.

Babylon is home to the deepest, longest lasting origin of evil on earth. (Genesis 11:4, Revelation 17:18), Babylon was first in evil religion and it will be the last. The angel of the Prince of the kingdom of Persia was strong enough to prevent the angel dispatched from God in reaching earth to bring the message to Daniel. (Daniel 10:13). That’s a strong, evil angel.

Nineveh was so evil God threatened to wipe it out, and eventually He did, so thoroughly that the city wasn’t even discovered until the mid-1800s! This area of the world is so evil that Revelation 9:14-15 says there are four evil angels bound in the Euphrates River who will be released during the Tribulation. When they are, they will immediately kill a third of mankind!

That ISIS is spawned from that area of the world is no surprise. That they are so vicious is also no surprise. Every man has that evil in him, the potential for it exists in all of us. While not all of us are as bad as we can be, the evil in us does run deep and some leaders are deeply evil. They are NOT an anomaly.

In addition, the area between Iran-Iraq-Syria (Assyria) has always had an evil government. Cain built a city (Genesis 4:17) and Nimrod was first dictator in the world, in addition, he founded Babylon, the very symbol for deceit, evil, and rebellion. (Genesis 10:8-10). The very first man-made government mentioned in the bible had a dictator and a false religion! In that same spot that there is still such evil happening!

From that perspective, the evil in the governments of the land of Assyria should not surprise us. Compared to ISIS, which is not just a terror group but a government, maybe old Saddam Hussein is looking kind of good right now! (in comparison)

So what good can some from submitting to such evil? Did God really mean to submit to governments like that? Who kill children and suspend the rule of law and torture and oppress?

Yes.

God makes good come out of it.

Like this:

In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them.

And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:19-25)

In the Millennium kingdom, God will BLESS them! They will convert and worship the one True God! There is no higher good than that! What good can possibly come from ISIS terrorists chopping off heads? That area of the world will be personally blessed by the LORD!

I love this prophecy so much. It brings tears to my eyes every time. They are the only three nations mentioned for such blessings. I also love the verse because it says, Assyria, Egypt and Israel will be blessed and the verse explains why. Egypt is His people, they hosted & protected His Son. (Hosea 11:1)

Assyria, the area ISIS is brutalizing, …Gill’s Exposition says of the prophecy regarding Assyria,

“Assyria the work of my hands; not as creatures only, but new creatures, having the good work of grace wrought in their hearts, of which God is the author; and therefore are called his workmanship, Ephesians 2:10 and who must be blessed, because, by this work of grace upon them, they appear to be the chosen of God, and precious, to be his children, and dear unto him, whom he will not forsake, and who are formed for himself, and for heaven, and happiness:”

The ISIS peoples, will be His children? Yes!

We have the advantage of knowing this great work of God is ahead, no matter how many dams are booby trapped, no matter how many heads are chopped off, no matter how many children are killed. God has a purpose, and we know what it is.

What a blessing to know the future. What a blessing to know their future redemption. What a blessing to know His holiness, even in wrath, then He will save.

It’s terrible what is happening now in and around Iraq, but the worse things get the better things will be later, because God will show Himself holy and righteous and merciful to Egypt, Israel and Assyria.

Patriarch (a parallel position to Pope)
Anton II of Georgia

Let’s say that there are Christians in the Middle East. Many of the people who are called “Christians” are not- they are Eastern Orthodox. EO is a mirror of Catholicism, so if they adhere to the doctrines of EO they are not real Christians.

But for the sake of argument, let’s say there are some, because there probably are.

Let’s say that they decide for their own self, that though the bible says to subject themselves to ruling authorities, they say, “ISIS is killing children. That’s heinous. I will not pay jizya taxes which will support that government, in any way. I will wait for a better government and I will pay taxes then.”

But, that is the short view. God has the long view. He said to store up treasures in heaven. As a citizen of heaven, I want to invest in heaven. In the essay above I’d shared the Isaiah 19 passage, in which God says He will bless Assyria, Egypt, and Israel.

In subjecting myself to the ruling authorities on earth (as long as I’m not denying Christ and converting to Islam), I am investing in His blessed government that is to come. I am trusting the LORD to fulfill His promise to bring peace in Assyria, conversion in Assyrian hearts, and the Good ruling authority- Jesus.

The short view is selfish and myopic. Who am I to say, rebel against this government because they’re bad? They’re ALL bad! There is none Good except Jesus! But in following the bible and subjecting myself to ruling governments, whether they be Queen Elizabeth or ISIS, or Saddam Hussein or George Washington, I am simply waiting for the REAL government to come, investing in it, and storing up treasure. No, I don’t want my taxes to go toward the bad things that are happening in the US nor in Iraq, but God will take care of the leaders who deal falsely. My taxes, my submission, my Christian participation, is an investment as a shareholder of the great government to come.

The long view. It’s important.

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

Hannah who loved and Peninnah who thundered

Posted on July 20, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Hannah and Peninnah…two women married to the same man (Elkanah) all living in the same house. This never really goes very well- and in Hannah and Peninnah’s case we shall see that it didn’t. The Hebrew word tsarah means ‘one who vexes’ and its synonym is ‘a rival wife’.

Polygamy was started by Lamech, son of Methuselah and father to Noah. The world was so corrupt in Genesis 4 that Lamech’s two wives, Adah and Zillah I’m sure were a bundle of envies and jealousies too. We know that Rachel was jealous of her sister Leah (Genesis 30:1). Two or more wives for one man at the same time is not God’s will.

In Hannah’s case we read that indeed Peninnah was torturing Hannah because Hannah had not produced a child. In the days of the Hebrews, it was tantamount to keep the race going and to keep it ethnically pure. Hannah had failed at what women were supposed to do, bear progeny. What Hannah did not know is that God closed her womb. (1 Samuel 1:5). God had a purpose in mind. Anyway, Peninnah had been successful at giving Elkanah an heir, and she never let Hannah forget it.

He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. (1 Samuel 1:2)

Hannah was barren, for the LORD had closed her womb. CC photo

Now see this:

And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. (1 Samuel 1:6-7)

Look at the words provoke, grievously, and irritate. The word for ‘irritate’ is a denominative verb from raam meaning thunder, or roar). Remember this. Peninnah ‘thundered’. It seems there was a lot of sinning on Peninnah’s part and it certainly must have been a stress for Hannah to live under those conditions.

It’s like, but worse than when you go to Thanksgiving at your mother-in-law’s house, and you know your cousin will be there, and she always lobs those loaded barbs at you.

“That’s a nice outfit, for the selections available in your size.”

“Your daughter seems to be doing well at her piano lessons, though Julliard is obviously out of the question.”

“Now that we’re moving to our new house, be sure to visit us, it won’t be as cramped as when we come to your house.”

“It’s so nice you’re not embarrassed driving a big car in these days of expensive gas.”

The Thanksgiving meal seems like it’ll go on forever with all the provocations coming out her mouth. All you want to do after ten minutes is throw the gravy at her. Hannah’s provocations were worse because they were intentional with malice. Peninnah was loud and proud about her provocations. They struck at Hannah’s very womanhood, and raison d’etre of a woman in those days. They cast salt on a wound, for what woman who wants children isn’t mournful when she doesn’t have them. Peninnah heaping salt on the wound was just insensitive and hard-hearted. Peninnah must have made life very hard for Hannah. This went on every day, “year by year.“

Alma-Tadem, Unconscious Rivals 1893

As we see how upset Hannah was-

Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. (1 Samuel 1:7b)
She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. (1 Samuel 1:10)

But Hannah had a choice.

–She could succumb to Peninnah’s level and lob some barbs back,
–She could become demanding like Rachel did in the face of Leah’s fruitful child-bearing,

“When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” (Genesis 30:1).

Note Jacob’s response to Rachel in the next verse, “Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Genesis 30:2)

Becoming demanding and angry and petulant only perpetuates anger and strife in the home. Elkanah remained loving and supportive of his wife Hannah. Hannah gave Elkanah no cause to kindle his anger against her.

Elkanah loved Hannah so much. 1 Samuel 1:5 says “But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.”

Elkanah was publicly showing his love for Hannah by giving her the best portion, double, to illustrate to one and all that though she bore no children, he loved her anyway, and loved her best. Would he have loved her if she had succumbed to bitterness and rivalry with Peninnah, trading barbs and making more strife in the home? Hard to say. But Hannah’s attitude of obedience the LORD and love for her husband went a long way to maintaining a loving relationship with both her husband and her God.

So Hannah did not succumb to the temptation to rival Peninnah back. Instead, she did what she did,

–seek the LORD,
–remain humble,
–love her husband

Ultimately the LORD rewarded Hannah, not Peninnah. Though Peninnah was given children first, and after a while Hannah was too, Hannah’s child became Samuel, the great prophet of God and Judge of Israel.

But Hannah’s patience, self-control and intercession prevailed and she became the mother of Samuel who was “more than a prophet” Source

Hannah’s patience, forbearance, loving and submissive attitude is pleasing to God. God heard Hannah’s prayer and answered it.

Hannah prayed a beautiful prayer of thanks to the LORD. It is long and sensitive and humble. In verse 10, you note Hannah said the following:

The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:10)

Remember above, Peninnah thundered against her rival, Hannah? Well, all the while God thundered against Peninnah from heaven! Yes, the word ‘thunder’ in Penninah’s verse and in Hannah’s thanksgiving verse are the same, raam.

Illuminated manuscript of Elkanah and his two wives, c.1430

Whatever you are going through, God knows, He hears, He sees, and He remembers. He thunders at our rivals in heaven. Our job is to remain submissive to His will, be loving to our family and friends and even our rivals. We should pray like Hannah did. Whether we pray bitterly or we pray joyfully like Hannah did, she prayed honestly. She poured herself out before the LORD and sought Him at all times.

Stay strong! In Hannah’s case she was strong in devotion to God. She continued to love her God, her husband, and her life. She was unhappy, but the more she was unhappy, the more she sought God. It’s hard to stay loving when you’re sad, heartbroken, and bitter. But Hannah remained consistent in her attitude. That’s strong.

O, take heart! Your rival will come to naught, our God hears! He thunders against our enemies, He loves His children.

For the director of music. A psalm of David. The king rejoices in your strength, LORD. How great is his joy in the victories you give! (Psalm 21:1)

discernment, false teachers, God, joel osteen, spirit

Joel Osteen talked about Jesus how many times?

Posted on July 18, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

In a recent blog essay I’d mused,

“I used to wonder why it is that so many of the false teachers tend to speak freely of God but not so much of Jesus. They rarely say the name of Jesus when they are teaching but instead they often say “God.“

Joel Osteen

You’ve seen it too, I’m sure. So many pastors, teachers, lay-people will freely say God but not Jesus. Well, someone else was wondering that too, and he quantified it. Here are his results:

Joel Osteen Likes God…He just doesn’t like Jesus [A Twitter Survey of @JoelOsteen]

I often talk about the Christ-less Gospel of Joel Osteen. Whenever people ask me what I mean by that, I always tell them this; Joel Osteen does not talk about the Christian Gospel.

That being said, there is something very important to understand about Joel Osteen: He does talk about God. A lot. You cannot accuse the man of not mentioning him because he’s all over that. Here’s the thing though- Its never really in a personal sense. Joel talk about God, but its always in a vague amorphous sense. There is certainly nothing distinctly Christian or Biblical about it. There’s nothing doctrinal or theological about the way he talks about God. Rather is an ethereal, shapeless, formless, customizable, singular being thing that is out there called God that functions like a cosmic vending machine whose sole purpose is seemingly to bless you and make your life better. Even when he mentions God, it’s not ABOUT God, but it’s about what God can do for YOU.

Why do I say “singular being”? Simple. While mention of a “God” may be plastered all over his twitter feed, Jesus is Not. Joel Osteen rarely, if ever, mentioned Jesus. He rarely, if ever, mentions Christ. This is true when you listen to his sermons, read his tweets, and listen to him on whatever talk show he’s touring. Let me give you some basic numbers

Just for kicks I did a quick survey of all Joel Osteen tweets in the last year. I can’t go further back, so we’ll stick with going back to July 8, 2013, which is a little more than a year ago. Out of Joel Osteens 806 tweets, not including any of his replies to other people, he mentions “God”…

Go to the link to read the numerical results. In my essay, I’d proposed a reason why so many of the false teachers speak of God but not of Jesus when they are teaching,

“Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)

If they don’t have the Holy Spirit they can’t teach Jesus is Lord because they can’t say it. Like when Jesus said at the Last Supper that one of them will betray Him, all 11 of the Disciples said Is it I, Lord? but Judas could not say that because he was apostate and he said “Is it I, Rabbi?” (Matthew 26:21-25)”

Here is John MacArthur explaining part b in the 1 Corinthians 12:3 verse I’d put above,

Now let’s go to the positive in verse 3. I was going to get through verse 11. Can you believe that? Verse 3… yes, you can believe that. Verse 3, And the other side…here’s the positive test…”That no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.” This is the positive. When somebody comes into your midst with all of his faculties, and with all of his mind, and with all of his heart, and with all of his being, says, “Jesus is Lord,” you know that’s of the Holy Spirit. Now it isn’t simply the words, it’s the commitment. No man can say…and the word say here doesn’t just mean to pair. A skeptic can say, “Jesus is Lord.” You can pay a guy ten dollars and say, “Would you say Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord. Here’s your ten dollars.” That isn’t the point. It’s not quite that simplistic. No man can truly say, no man can truly confess, no man can truly acknowledge, “Jesus is the Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. When that deep conviction of genuine understanding about who He is comes forth it is of the Spirit. … So the Spirit prompted confession is distinguished from the counterfeit, by the acknowledgement that Jesus, the Man, is, in fact, God.

Just food for thought. As a person who loves to quantify things I appreciated the Twitter survey! In discernment it is not only what a person says, but what he doesn’t say. And noticing an absence takes time and skill. Listen for what a person fails to speak of as much as you’re listening to what they do say.

beach, creation, creator, God, sea

The Beach, The Sea, The Ocean

Posted on June 28, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

This is a holiday week where many people take a vacation at the beach. I grew up in “The Ocean State”, the beach was never far. Nor the Bay, or the Cove, or the Inlet. I was always at some beach or other. I grew to detect and love the ocean’s moods, the weather in all its forms. The beach is such a relaxing vacation. The ocean is beautiful, mysterious, dangerous, life-sustaining, and at sunset, the beach displays the Creator’s artistry in the sky for its backdrop.

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. (Genesis 1:21-23)

When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed. (Acts 21:5)

There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. (Acts 27:6, 8)

For he takes up the drops from the sea; he sends them through his mist as rain (Job 36:27)

Our mighty God has created all that we see and all that we don’t see. He is our Creator, and as for the sea, what a wondrous gift it is.

elijah, encouragement, God, hagar, tender

Tender moments in the bible

Posted on June 12, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

There are so many powerful moments in the bible. Where does one begin? Genesis 1, God creates everything, are verses that are awesome to ponder. The resurrection, when Jesus emerged from the tomb alive. God is all-powerful.

There are thunderous moments too. When Mt Sinai trembles, when God was in the earthquake, when He split the ground under Korah and closed it back up again. God is to be feared.

But there are tender moments too. The God of thunder and wrath and all-power is so tender!! I’m not one of these who believes the wrathful God is the Old Testament turned into the sensitive (“boyfriend”) Jesus of the New Testament. Read Revelation and you see it is the same God of wrath and anger against unrighteousness and sin. In the Old Testament (as well as the New), there are very tender moments which show us our Holy God is everything. He is simply everything good- including tenderness.

In Genesis 21:15-19, slave girl Hagar had been misused by Sarah (and Abraham). She and her son Ismael ran away to the wilderness, and there, thirsty, alone, and weak, they prepared to die.

When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

“God heard“, “The Angel of God” [Jesus] called to her from heaven. He assured her. He made promises to her. He opened her eyes so she could drink. What direct, intimate ministration from Holy God in heaven!

In 1 Kings 19:4-8, we see tender ministrations again. Poor Elijah, downcast, alone, and fearing for his life. He, like Hagar, ran to the desert and wanted to die.

Elijah in the wilderness, by Washington Allston, 1817

But did God let Elijah stay that way? No

Ferdinandus Bol, 1660, Elijah Fed By An Angel

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

The angel touched Elijah! He had prepared food for Elijah! He comforted Elijah, and gave him direction and hope. God is so good to us. He does that for us today.

In Matthew 4 we read that Jesus was in the desert 40 days and nights, alone, fasting, and tempted by satan. At the end of the trial, it says in Matthew 4:11,

“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”

One might say, ‘Well, of course God would send angels to minister to His Son!’ but perhaps the ministering angels who ministered to Jesus are also some of the same ones who minister to us? Just think on it! Overall, it is to His glory that he is so involved with His people, that ministration is a regular part of His interaction with us!

His ministration with sinful man began at the Garden after the Fall. He personally covered Adam and Eve

Genesis 3:21 says, “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”

The God who had just made the Universe, and upholds it by power of His will and His voice, personally made garments for his rebellious children, and wrapped them. I picture a child throwing a tantrum, and saying all sorts of things to his father, including, “No! I don’t wanna! I hate you!” But after the storm is over and the timeout is finished, the father gives the boy a bath, wipes his tear-stained face, and wraps him in a towel. He holds him close to herself, his sniffles diminishing as the very heartbeat of the one who created him him and feeds him and cares for him saturates the boy’s heart and mind, and eventually his brow unfurrows and his face becomes angelic, and he drifts off to sleep, still in his father’s arms.

That is our God. Holy and Fearful, but a caring Father, holding us in His arms until the storm passes by and our rebellion subsides. He is tender. One day, there will be no more tantrums, and no more rebellion. We will love our Father perfectly and completely, just as He loves us now. What a day that will be.

God, hail, storms

Hail’s destructive path in the Midwest

Posted on June 5, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Severe storms rolled through Iowa and Nebraska yesterday. Unfortunately, more are forecast for today. I was amazed at the hail damage in Nebraska from the violent storms that rolled through. I have seen hail dent cars many times, but I’ve never seen hail puncture them!

Storms hit Midwest, ‘dangerous evening’ forecast
Homes and cars in parts of Nebraska and Iowa were pummeled Tuesday by baseball-sized hail and damaging winds as potentially dangerous storms targeted a swath of the Midwest, including the Omaha area, where flooding left dozens of drivers stranded and prompted home evacuations. The National Weather Service said reports of extensive hail damage and flooding had trickled in as storms pushed into Nebraska and moved into neighboring Iowa, where winds of up to 85 mph were recorded. Up to 4 inches of rain was expected in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

Weather Center Live meteorologist Shawn Reynolds tweeted yesterday at the height of the storms: “It’s the day from #hail: More than 130 storm reports of hail today”

Thunderstorms leave wake of destruction in Council Bluffs, southwest Iowa

@nonpareilonline: A floating car in #CouncilBluffs (Iowa
sent in by @melaniexyz & others

In Blair Nebraska, there were injuries from hail at
Walmart parking lot, 12 taken to hospital, conditions unknown.

Above photo was tweeted on Shawn Reynolds’ stream,: “RT @AdamPeters: Hail damage in Blair, NE via @Michaeldkrueger’s cousin #newx“

In Treynor Iowa, hail damages a house

Above photo tweeted from Shawn Reynolds’ stream: “This is just nuts RT @KWWLSchnack: Hail damage in #Treynor from storms Tuesday afternoon. #iawx“

driftwood1963 Instagram, “Wickedness falling from the sky!
#iowa #storms #crazy #wicked #hail #thunderstorms”

Here is a collage of damage from yesterday’s weather put together by The Weather Channel

I’m not a weather expert by any means but it seems to me that though we had a few years of rising tornadoes and worse damage from them, that this year tornadoes haven’t been the bid bad mama of weather. There are fewer tornadoes, while hail storms seems to be the weather destroyer in 2014. Here is a graph that seems to confirm that there are fewer tornadoes this year: (thank goodness!)

You notice that unusually, there were no tornadoes in January or February. It is a fact that 2014 is the slowest start to tornado season ever, and gratefully, no fatalities.

I searched insurance websites to see what the claims from weather damage have been for the last few years.

The Rocky Mountain Independent Insurance Agents bulletin reported that “The nation has experienced severe storms (wind, tornado, hail) that are occurring with more intensity and affecting more areas of the country. While scientists debate why these storms occur, no one argues with their effects—extensive property damage and, many times, loss of life.

Fast Fact: National Hail Statistics: Damage caused by wind and hail cost State Farm and its policyholders more than $3.9 billion in 2012, according to an April 2013 analysis by the insurer. Texas was the state with the most wind/hail losses, followed by Illinois, New York, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Indiana, New Jersey, Kentucky and Colorado. (source)

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports that “Hail Damage Claims in the United States, between 2010-2012, more Frequent, Severe Storms Drive 84 Percent Claims Increase.” In Montana, it is reported that the year 2013 was a record-setter for hail damage.

Here is some information from the National Weather Service regarding hail safety tips:

“Imagine a baseball dropped from an airplane flying at 30,000 feet … imagine that baseball reaching speeds of 120 MPH as it falls to the ground … and imagine you’re under it! Imagine you’re driving along at 70 MPH…or your crops are under the hail producing thunderstorm…or your home is under the thunderstorm… Hail causes $1 billion dollars in damage to crops and property each year.”

The article discusses how hail forms, how to size hail, why some hailstones are irregularly formed, the largest hailstone ever recorded in the US, and more.

Whenever I read of a hail storm I can’t help but think of the 100 pound hail that will pound men during the Tribulation. Revelation 16:21 says

“And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.”

One hundred pound hailstones are not normal. It is not natural. The Weather Underground reports that “The largest officially recognized hailstone on record to have been ‘captured’ in the U.S. was that which fell near Vivian, South Dakota last summer (2010) on July 23rd. It measured 8.0” in diameter, 18 ½” in circumference, and weighed in at 1.9375 pounds.”

So when the 100 lb hailstones fall men will know that it is God, because such large hailstones have never fallen in the world to date. These hailstones will be larger by a factor of ten.

Give glory to the God in heaven now, for His restraining hand, for His blanket of mercy and common grace He delivers to the Godly and the ungodly every day. We have air to breathe, a creation to live upon, blessed rain in season, food to eat. We have the knowledge of the Gospel and for those who don’t, the opportunity to share it. His grace and mercies are manifold. There is much to praise.

When the large hail falls upon the city during the Tribulation, and men curse God, it shows us just how depraved we are. When faced with irrefutable proof of His existence, in creating such large plagues of hailstones, man in his pride still will not bow down.

Bow now to the Comforter, the Prince of Peace, the Loving Son, and Great Shepherd. Or you will bow later, Romans 14:11 says. Excerpt then, you would bow before God as His enemy. Bow now in grace as His friend. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.

For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:30-31)

false religion, God, jesus, mary worship, worship

"All to Jesus through … Mary?" Catholics are taught to worship Mary as God

Posted on June 3, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

A friend was walking in the Italian-Catholic neighborhood of Boston’s North End. He wrote that he passed by an impromptu shrine. He took a photo of it. I read the statement on the bottom of the shrine, which was dedicated to and all about Mary, and it sounded like a creed to me. It was also blasphemy. I decided to look it up.

Why blasphemy? The word of God does not say to “all to Mary” nor does it say to get to Jesus by going through Mary. James 4:7 says submit yourselves to God. Exodus 20:5 says not to bow down to another [besides the one true God]. Ephesians 5:23-24 says Christ is the head of the church and the church submits to Him.

The most successful false teachings are almost the truth. False teachings are like a Peanut M&M. There is an attractive, bright candy coating. There is a layer of velvety chocolate. But buried deep inside is a nut. Picture that nut as the false teaching. False teaching is layer upon layer of goodness with a hidden poison pill buried deep inside.

So often, attention is given to religions that seem like they so far away from Christianity, like atheism and Islam. But all false religions are spiritually the same, because they originate from the same source. However, some false religions seem almost true, because they claim Jesus, they use scriptures so well, and they have a seeming logic to them. But these are the most dangerous of all. For example, int eh Garden of Eden, satan disguised as a serpent didn’t approach the woman by saying, “God is wrong! Don’t listen to Him!” He approached the women by asking questions, insinuating, and blending half truths with lies.

When I searched for “all to Jesus through Mary” I found the following. It is brilliant in its false logic, evilly deadly in its blending of half-truths and full-on lies, you would see if you read the piece in its entirety. It is a Catholic piece written by a Catholic-educated man named Jayson Brunelle, and one of his many books that he has written is titled “The Blessed Mother’s Plan to Save Humanity.” This essay about how Mary is Co-Redemptrix with Jesus appeared in the Homiletical and Pastoral Review last year.

To Jesus, Through Mary, In the Spirit of St. Joseph: The Wheat, the Rose, and the Lily
“St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximillian Kolbe, … have consistently taught that the most appropriate response on our part to Mary’s role as spiritual mother is filial entrustment, or “total consecration” to her. This perfect devotion of total consecration to Jesus through Mary is truly the most sanctifying of all devotions.”

That was the sub-hed, or the article summary. Let’s take a moment to look at the word ‘consecration” and what it means. It is a word that has a concept that’s wide-ranging, but Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains the basic meaning–

“The devoting or setting apart of anything to the worship or service of God. The race of Abraham and the tribe of Levi were thus consecrated (Exodus 13:2, 12, 15; Numbers 3:12). The Hebrews devoted their fields and cattle, and sometimes the spoils of war, to the Lord (Leviticus 27:28, 29). According to the Mosaic law the first-born both of man and beast were consecrated to God. In the New Testament, Christians are regarded as consecrated to the Lord (1 Peter 2:9).

When something is set apart for holy use, whether a priest of the Old Testament, cattle, or a New Testament modern believer, it means set apart for the Lord’s use, in worship and devotion to Him. To continue with the article “To Jesus through Mary”,

So very few persons, pious Catholic Christians included, realize the tremendous role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the sanctification of souls. Being spiritual mother of the Mystical Body, she, along with the Holy Spirit, has the tasks of forming Christ in souls, and nourishing her children with the milk of divine grace.

In that passage, the author is putting a sinner, Mary, in equal position with the Holy Spirit, whose ministry it is to point to Christ in souls. (1 Corinthians 2:14). Yes, Mary was a sinner like you and me, in need of a savior. She said as much in Luke 1:27. She is a servant of God, certainly not equal with God, and said so in Luke 1:48. The One who upholds the universe by the word of His power does not make a sinner co-equal in His work! (Hebrews 1:3)

Mary does not dispense divine grace. Only our Trinitarian God does that. As Charles Spurgeon said, “It is the chief office of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ.” Yet Catholics are taught that Mary sanctifies souls, is our ‘spiritual mother’, and delivers divine grace.

When you speak of these things to a Catholic, they will deny they worship Mary, claiming that ‘venerating’ her is only giving her respect, but this lesson taught by a Catholic theologian destroys that stance in just a few sentences.

Remember, Catholics are not Christians, any more than Muslims are Christians or Atheists are Christians. Their spiritual father is the devil, (John 8:44), while all who believe the true Gospel has a spiritual Father in Jesus.

In this next passage, the author explains how Mary is the Church’s “Spiritual Mother”:

Mary, in giving birth to Christ the Head, also gave birth to the body connected to that Head, which is the Church. Thus, Mary, in giving birth to the source of all grace, can rightly be called “Spiritual Mother” of all who benefit from that grace.

It sounds logical, doesn’t it. We understand the biology of conception, gestation, birth, and nurturing. Jesus used those analogies many times and Paul & Peter both spoke of spiritual nourishment as milk. Yet, it falls apart when we remember that first and foremost, the virgin birth was a supernatural event unlike any other in history ever before or since. And secondly, it denies the Holy Spirit’s role in forming the Church, which occurred at Pentecost, by His indwelling of the believers there (Acts 2:4) who had been appointed to believe since before the foundation of the world. (cf Acts 13:48). Mary had nothing to do with it. She was a vessel being used by God (Luke 1:38).

Continuing with the article, we come to the next section, which the author has titled:

Mary, Mediatrix of all Grace
To understand the logic of total consecration to Jesus through Mary, we must first grasp Mary’s role as Mediatrix of all graces. This is the Church’s doctrine that every grace that comes to us from God comes through the willed intercession of Mary. But this role of Mary as Mediatrix of all grace is really the completion of her role as Spiritual Mother, and follows from her unique cooperation in the redemption of humanity with Christ on Calvary. … But Mary most fully became our mother at the foot of the cross where she, in a completely singular way, participated in the redemption of humanity with Christ. That is why some theologians are wont to ascribe to Mary the title Co-Redemptrix. De Montfort said: “the more a soul is consecrated to Mary, the more it is consecrated to Jesus”

I hope your discernment and knowledge of the Word allowed you to understand that what is being taught in that Catholic Doctrine above, is that Mary is really God, or is above God. If “every grace that comes to us through God” is through Mary’s will, then it is God who is taking the subservient role. In this Catholic doctrine Her will trumps His. But it is not so! It is Christ who pours out graces. (Acts 2:33). Further, this doctrine teaches that Mary is the Intercessor, not Jesus. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25).

So in just a few short sentences, or in one essay if you read it at the link, we see that Catholics are taught that Mary has a role that trumps all three roles of our Trinitarian God. As dispenser of grace and mother of the church she edges out the Holy Spirit. As intercessor she bumps out Jesus. And as giver of all graces via her own will through God she takes over His role there as well. This is why Catholicism is false. They have another god: Mary.

The Crowning of the Virgin by the Trinity. Velázquez, 1645

I bring these things up so you can be prepared when speaking with a Catholic person. I did a rudimentary and very clumsy job of apologetics here, but I hope it gave you food for thought. The creed adorning the Marian shrine in Boston’s North End is emblazoned with lights and candles, but is in fact bringing a doctrine of darkness. Here is part of the author’s conclusion:

Having established the irrefutable validity of Mary’s role as Mediatrix of all graces, we can now understand the reason for entrusting ourselves to her, which is the essence of Marian consecration.

O, how satan loves to take our eyes off the true Rock, the only Bread, the source of the Living Water, Jesus Christ! We do NOT consecrate ourselves to a sinner named Mary whom God used as a biological vessel. We give ourselves wholly and totally to Jesus, the only worthy one in the universe.

Our church has a mission team heading to Peru next month to witness to the lost, many of them Catholics, and these doctrines saturate the Peruvian hearts and poison their minds away from the beauty and clarity of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please, pray for missionaries in the Catholic regions. Pray for the Light of grace from our true God to be delivered to hearts and minds wrongly focused on Mary, so they may be lifted from the bondage of sin and darkness under which they are laboring.

Mary’s Magnificat was a hymn of praise and joy. Here as Charles Spurgeon explains Mary’s joy at the news of the coming of the Lord, not as Mother of God, but as a sinner graciously saved, in his sermon delivered on Christmas Day 1864, on this text, “And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46, 47″

“I must close by observing that while her song was all this, yet how very humble it was, and how full of gratitude. The Papist calls her, “Mother of God,” but she never whispers such a thing in her song. No, it is “God my Savior,” just such words as the sinner who is speaking to you might use, and such expressions as you sinners who are hearing me can use, too. She needs a Savior, she feels it; her soul rejoices because there is a Savior for her. She does not talk as though she could commend herself to Him, but she hopes to stand accepted in the Beloved. Let us, then, take care that our familiarity has always blended with it the lowliest prostration of spirit when we remember that He is God Over All, blessed forever, and we are nothing but dust and ashes; He fills all things, and we are less than nothing and vanity.”

Will you sing of His tremendous grace, in joy at how He releases sinners from bondage? Pray for those in bondage to Mary to be released, so they also might sing of how their soul magnifies the Lord and their spirit also may rejoice in the Savior.

creation, creator, creator of the universe, galaxy, God, stars

How many stars are there in the Milky Way?

Posted on June 1, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Space.com has an interesting discussion about how many stars there may be in the Milky Way galaxy. They wrote that it is “surprisingly difficult” to determine an answer to the question. The short article describes the counting methods and the problems with each method. In the end, the article concludes,

So is there any way to figure out how many stars are for sure? In the end, it comes down to an estimate. In one calculation, the Milky Way has a mass of about 100 billion solar masses, so it is easiest to translate that to 100 billion stars. This accounts for the stars that would be bigger or smaller than our sun, and averages them out. Other mass estimates bring the number up to 400 billion. The caveat, Kornreich said, is that these numbers are approximations. More advanced models can make the approximation more accurate, but it would be very difficult to count the stars one by one and tell you for sure how many are in the galaxy.

Below, Night sky photographer Amit Ashok Kamble captured this amazing panorama of the Milky Way over Pakiri Beach, New Zealand by stitching 10 images together into a complete mosaic. credit: Amit Ashok Kamble:

Universe Today writes about how many stars there could be in the entire universe, “And so, if you multiply the number of stars in our galaxy by the number of galaxies in the Universe, you get approximately 10²⁴ stars. That’s a 1 followed by twenty-four zeros. That’s a septillion stars. But there could be more than that.”

If we go with the septillion number, Adam Ford, AKA Adam 4D has this free-to-use graphic to ponder:

Let’s take a moment to give praise and honor to our Creator! He made the stars. He numbered the stars. He named the stars. What man cannot comprehend, God did in a day. He is high and lifted up!

He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. (Psalm 147:4)

To him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; (Psalm 136:7)

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

Indeed, in all His awesome majesty, He created Man, to have a relationship with. God loves us, Jesus is praying for us and the Spirit is helping us.

This great God who stretched out His hand and created a septillion stars by the power of His will, also loves each and every one of His called sheep. He loves you, nurtures you, protects you, disciplines you. Our great Yahweh, the One True God, Creator and Sustainer…

… Father.

chaos, control, creation, eruption, God, volcano

Major eruption in southern hemisphere at Sangeang Api

Posted on May 31, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Some Geo-news:

Explosive Eruption at Sangeang Api in Indonesia, “New reports from Indonesia tell of an sizable explosive eruption that occurred ~~today~~ yesterday at Sangeang Api.”

Ash cloud chaos may go on for days with volcano still erupting
FLIGHTS across Australia may be affected by a vast ash cloud from an Indonesian volcano, which has shut down Darwin airport and affected services to Bali. Three separate plumes are billowing from Sangeang Api, which is now erupting continuously after an initial blast yesterday afternoon. The cloud is now sweeping southeast over the west side of the Northern Territory as far south as Alice Springs, according to Tim Birch, a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin.

Here is some information about the volcano:
Sangeang Api is an active complex volcano on the island of Sangeang in Indonesia. It consists of two volcanic cones, Doro Api at 6,394 ft, and Doro Mantoi 5,889 ft. Sangeang Api is one of the most active volcanoes in the Lesser Sunda Islands. It erupted in 1988 and the island’s inhabitants were evacuated. Between its first recorded eruption in 1512 and 1989 it erupted 17 times. It erupted again during December 2012 and May 2014.

The Australian’s headline is of interest to me. When they write ‘ash cloud chaos’ it bespeaks of man’s illusion that he controls nature. As in, ‘Aw, rats. Just when we had everything organized, this ash cloud is going to interrupt our orderly jet flights, picnics, ball games, and tanning.’ If they think one volcano erupting is ‘chaos’ then I wonder what they will think when all the world’s volcanoes are erupting during the Tribulation?

Here is a headline from the ever excitable UK Daily Mail, but their photos cannot be beat:

Pictured from a passenger plane: Menacing 12-mile-high ash cloud looms over Indonesia’s ‘Mountain of Spirits’ after volcano erupts

That does look quite ominous, doesn’t it? Here is another view, retweeted by Volcano expert Professor Erik Klemetti:

MT @teideano The view of the #Sangeang eruption from the sea. Impressive #eruption column. #volcano #indonesia

Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down:
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. (Psalms 144:5)

Whenever God’s power is expressed so visibly, I ponder His attribute as Creator, King over His creation. I also think about what it will be like during the Tribulation, when God UNcreates the earth.

He created the perfect world, (Genesis 1-2); sin came and He cursed the ground, (Genesis 3:17); He judged the world through the flood and mountains came up, (Genesis 6-9); and He will judge the world again and through that judgment, will reverse the curse. Mountains will fall, (Isaiah 34:9-10, Micah 1:4 ); the earth will crack, (Isaiah 24:1, 19, Nahum 1:5); rivers will dry (Revelation 7:2, Revelation 16:12), and more. The LORD controls the earth. If chaos ensues when one volcano erupts the chaos will be incomprehensible when all of them go off. Read about the power of God in His divine Judgment of the Flood, and think about the coming judgment that awaits the unbelieving world left behind after the Bride is taken up to heaven:

The Power of Divine Judgment in the Global Flood
All we know is God split open the earth and blew what amounts to volcanic eruptions all over the planet that created the mountains, created the valleys,…

…[Y]ou can do some reading on the Mount St. Helens explosion back in 1980. The steam explosion released energy equivalent to 20 millions tons of TNT when that mountain blew its lid. It toppled 150 square miles of forest in six minutes. Really, talk about reshaping the surface of the earth.

Well, just imagine that going on all over the planet. Spirit Lake nearby, north of the volcano…created an enormous wave just because of the tremendous explosion. It created what amounted to a tidal wave, and it stripped slopes of trees 850 feet above the lake’s level. Total energy output, according to what I read, was equivalent, listen to this, to 40 million tons of TNT from that one mountain. Or 20,000 Hiroshima A-bombs. And that’s just one volcano. And when God broke up the planet and reshaped it, it would be that multiplied almost an infinite number of times. The face of the land was changed by steam blasts, landslides, water waves, hot pumice ash, mud floes. Six hundred feet of strata was formed in a handful of minutes.

God’s power is incredible. His attribute of Creator is so often overlooked in pondering His equally wonderful attributes of love, healing, restoration, reconciliation, grace, mercy … but we met God in chapter 1, page 1 of His revelation the bible, as Creator. His power is incredible, speaking the worlds into existence with just a word. Speaking all life into existence in just 6 days, all its myriad manifestations as a ready adult, with complicated reproductive systems, eco systems and habitats. He is amazing!

He will crumble it all away, this time through another global judgment, (The Tribulation) and then after the 1000 years Millennial reign is over, by a fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10). In thinking about God’s power in creation and UNcreation, please also think about the people who will endure His wrath.

Though the heavenly abode will be literally flooded with redeemed saints (Revelation 7:9-17), hell will also have to enlarge its mouth to receive the myriads of hell-bound sinners who will die during the UNcration that happens in the Tribulation. Please be sensitive to that fact, and witness with your mouth and your life. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by HIM. Proclaim Jesus, be sure to be clear WHICH Jesus you are proclaiming, and stand in awe of His power when you see such events as a volcanic eruption, and earthquake, or any other powerful earth or solar storm.

I’m so glad I know that God is on the throne. When volcanoes explode or earthquakes happen, I don’t have to believe in any such thing as ‘chaos.’ God’s world is orderly, His plan is unfolding in perfect timing. We may not always know why these things happen, but we do know that chaos is not in control. God is in control.

encouragement, God, israel, old testament, repentance

Repentance is more than just "turning".

Posted on May 29, 2014 by elizabethprata

As one reads through Hosea, particularly chapter 7, it is amazing the number of metaphors God uses to show Israel’s perfidy. They were separated from their God and Protector through their own actions. God hadn’t gone anywhere, Israel had. They needed to repent and turn to Him.

However there is turning and there is turning. God was angry that Israel turned to idols. They turned to Egypt. They turned to Assyria. They turned to themselves, in their own beds crying and wailing. (“They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds”; Hosea 7:14) They turned a lot. They didn’t turn the right way.

They turn, but not upward, (Hosea 7:16a)

Turn upward!

Judas turned. In the KJV of Matthew 27:3 it says, “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,”

Did Judas repent? No. He turned, he felt grief, he refused to look at his sin… but he didn’t turn upward.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary says there are several words for repent used in the bible. In the case of Judas the verb is “metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3).

The other word for repentance according to Easton’s is “Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.”

In Judas’ case, his turning was not upward.

In your grief over sin, in your restlessness in finding peace, in your agitation, turn, not from one worldly thing to another, but upward!

The lessons of Hosea 7 are many. One is, that God is looking down upon His elect. He is looking. Look upward! See Him! Our holy Savior as High Priest is looking at us, loving us, calling to us to repent. Repentance is a matter of turning, but turning in the right direction, and it is having a right heart condition. Judas’ heart wasn’t right. Ephraim’s heart wasn’t right. They cried but it wasn’t from the heart. Judas cried, but it wasn’t from the heart. If you cry over your sins, is it from the heart? If you turn from your sin, is it in the right direction? We have learned that a horizontal turning is not the right direction because the only thing in our horizontal field of vision is the world. The world doesn’t forgive. God in heaven forgives. Upward is the right direction and having the right heart attitude is important too.

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9).