prophecy – Page 33

abel, blood, good shepherd, prophecy, shepherd

The First Blood and the Last Blood

Posted on December 24, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

The first human blood shed in the Bible was a shepherd’s blood, shed by one who rejected God in jealousy and anger.

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. (Genesis 4:2b)
And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)

The Death of Abel – Gustave Doré (1832-83)

The last blood needed for sin’s atonement was the blood of Jesus.

and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:12-14)

But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

Chris Powers, fullofeyes.com

The Last Blood. Listen to it entirely. It builds to a devastating climax.

archaeology, jesus, miracle, prophecy

Major archaeological find at the Sea of Galilee

Posted on December 23, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Arutz Sheva (Israel National News) reports a major find at the sea of Galilee. The archaeologist does a good job explaining why it’s such an unusual and exciting find.

Breitbart reports:

Evidence has been uncovered corroborating the site of one of Jesus’ most powerful and dramatic miracles: the casting out of demons into a herd of swine in the land of the Gadarenes (or Gerasenes).

Israeli archaeologists have unearthed a 1,500-year-old marble slab with Hebrew inscriptions near Kursi, the spot traditionally associated with the miracle of Christ’s banishment of demons into a herd of swine.

Archaeologists believe the slab to be a commemoration tablet dating from around 500 AD. The inscription in Hebrew begins with the words “Remembered for good.”

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

MacArthur says the pigs took a “swine dive” lol.

Jesus really performed miracles. He authorized his Apostles to perform miracles also (for a period of time, then the miracles ceased). Jesus is Lord of the earth, of time, of physical matter. He really lived and He really did the miracles. This record of the demons being sent into the pigs is but one of them. The Bible records actual history, which archaeology confirms again and again.

This fact has implications for the pagan, the atheist, the doubter. Jesus lived and taught and did miracles to confirm His Lordship over the earth. If He really lived, and really taught and did miracles, then it’s also true as the Bible states that He came to warn sinners to repent.

This is because He is also holy and is angry at sinners every day. He came to earth to bring peace to men, through reconciliation with God. One must recognize their sins are keeping them from peace with God, ask Jesus to forgive them, and turn from sin and pursue holy living according to the standards God has laid out. The swine begged to be sent into the pigs rather than the abyss, (Mark 5:12) a deep pit or jail from which they knew they would never be released and to which they are already destined (Mt 25:41).

How much more so is man to be punished for his sin and rebellion against God, as the demons are destined? Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. The Bible is true, and every word Jesus said and His prophets said and His apostles said is true. Repent during the Age of Grace and know that promised peace and freedom from sin’s bondage.

Breitbart

isaac, Lamb, old testament, prophecy, sacrifice

Sacrifice of Isaac prefigures Christ: the grace of Old Testament symbols and acts

Posted on December 17, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Genesis 22 has the story of the great test of faith of Abraham. God called to Abraham one day, and Abraham answered “Here I am!” God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, his only son, who Abraham loves. Abraham was to do this on Mt Moriah, a place God initially told Abraham would be a place I will tell you. Not even initially knowing where, Abraham hastened to obey, and the two hiked to the fateful spot.

Theologians have examined this scene and compared it to Christ’s sacrifice so I am certainly not plowing new ground. I have no deeper insights. But in this day and age, with fears and tribulations, and griefs and apostasy, it is always refreshing to keep our eyes on Christ. It is always edifying to see how in the word, the LORD God has it all under control and His plan is unfolding from that day to this in magnificent fashion, and will continue to do so.

Italian Renaissance painter Caravaggio’s depiction of the sacrifice of Isaac.

Comparison of Old Testament texts with New Testament texts. Isaac pre-figures Christ.

click to enlarge

Preparing for Christ’s death

The cross is the epitome of redemptive truth, foreshadowed in the acceptable sacrifice of Abel, foreshadowed in the ark of safety that saved Noah, foreshadowed in the sacrifice provided on Mount Moriah–a ram in the place of Isaac, prefigured in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, where Moses said, “The Lord is my strength, and my song, and He has become my salvation.” We see the cross foreshadowed in the smitten rock in the wilderness that brought forth water to quench the thirsty people. We see the cross foreshadowed in the Levitical ceremonies, sacrifices and offerings. We see it foreshadowed in the serpent lifted up in the desert for healing. We see it even in Boaz, the kinsman redeemer. We see the cross detailed in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. We see the pierced and wounded Savior in Zechariah, chapter 12–all the way through Scripture. J. MacArthur

Scripture is amazing and wonderful. Read your Bible today.

false religion, ISIS, islam, muslim, prophecy

Islam is not a religion, it is a government

Posted on December 13, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Shah’s official portrait. Wikipedia

I remember the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in 1979. Shah is another name for king. As world events went, it was right up there in terms of impact and import, even to my then college-aged sensibilities. Wikipedia says

A secular Muslim, Mohammad Reza gradually lost support from the Shi’a clergy of Iran as well as the working class, particularly due to his strong policy of modernization, secularization, conflict with the traditional class of merchants known as bazaari, relations with Israel, and corruption issues surrounding himself, his family, and the ruling elite. … By 1979, political unrest had transformed into a revolution which, on 17 January, forced him to leave Iran. Soon thereafter, the Iranian monarchy was formally abolished, and Iran was declared an Islamic republic led by Ruhollah Khomeini. (source)

The revolution was considered a surprise to most Western observers. Unlike in other revolutionary situations, there had not been an extended period of demonstrations or protests, nor did unrest seem to have permeated the kingdom to any threatening extent. Yet between September 1978 and February 1979, Iran was transformed.

Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini known in the Western world as Ayatollah Khomeini, was an Iranian Shia Muslim religious leader, revolutionary, politician, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. Following the revolution, Khomeini became the country’s Supreme Leader, a position created in the constitution of the Islamic Republic as the highest-ranking political and religious authority of the nation, which he held until his death. He was succeeded by Ali Khamenei. Khomeini was a marja (“source of emulation”) in Twelver Shi’a Islam, a Mujtahid or faqih (an expert in Islamic law) and author of more than 40 books. (source)

The Ottoman Empire was in existence from 1299 to 1923, yet we forget the power, force, violence, Mohammedans” if they mentioned Muslims at all, apart from the oil.

Ayatollah Khomeini

and duration of the historical Islamic kingdom. That’s one reason why the Iranian Revolution was such a shock, at least to us lay people. The tectonic shift in the balance of power and stability in the Middle East with the coming of the revolution in the Middle East cannot be overstated. Prior to the Ayatollah Khomeini’s appearance and elevation to power, mostly we were only familiar with Islam when we saw flashes and clips on the news of desert people wearing turbans and the announcer was speaking of oil. We were not familiar with Islam, and indeed many of the Western religious leaders of the times prior to the 1970s simply referred to the adherents as “

Then came the Ayatollah Khomeini. His influence and power was another thing that was underestimated.

He was named Man of the Year in 1979 by American news magazine TIME for his international influence, and has been described as the “virtual face of Islam in Western popular culture” where he remains a controversial figure. He was known for his support of the hostage takers during the Iran hostage crisis, his fatwa calling for the death of British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, and for referring to the United States as the “Great Satan”. Khomeini has been criticized for these acts and for human rights violations of Iranians (including his ordering of execution of thousands of political prisoners), and the pursuit of victory in the Iran–Iraq war that ultimately proved futile.

He has also been lauded as a “charismatic leader of immense popularity”, a “champion of Islamic revival” by Shia scholars, who attempted to establish good relations between Sunnis and Shias, and a major innovator in political theory and religious-oriented populist political strategy. (source)

All this to set the foundation for what I’m writing next. The above quote mentioned that Ayatollah Khomeini wrote 40 books. He was a revered figure in Islam, who lectured often. One series of those lectures was made into a book and is the foundation for the political attitude of his and succeeding generations of Iranians.

In Iran, the Revolution was not merely an outgrowth of economic unrest or instability. It was not merely dissatisfaction with political status quo. Islam is not a religion. It is a government.

One of the books that Ayatullah Sayyid Imam Ruhallah Musawi Khomeini wrote was, Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist. From the website Al-Islam.org, we read the Ayatollah’s works. Remember, the concepts contained in the Khomeini lectures a mere 8 years later formed the basis for the government that Iran governs itself still today. In the Introduction of the book,

This book originated in a series of lectures given at Najaf between January 21 and February 8, 1970. Three major points emerge from the lectures. The first is the necessity for the establishment and maintenance of Islamic political power for Islamic goals, precepts, and criteria. The second is the duty of the religious scholars (the fuqahā) to bring about an Islamic state. Third, a program of action for the establishment of an Islamic state, including various measures for self-reform by the religious establishment.

The faith branch of Islam is the mechanism by which citizens of the Caliphate learn about how to live their lives under the Law- Sharia law. The faith IS the government, because the Quran is their constitution given by Allah through Mohammad. The mosque is where they go to learn about how to govern themselves, according to Allah’s dictates, which again, is contained in the Quran. I will quote from Ayatollah Khomeini’s book, Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist. This is from the chapter, The Form of Islamic Government–

Islamic government is neither tyrannical nor absolute, but constitutional. It is not constitutional in the current sense of the word, i.e., based on the approval of laws in accordance with the opinion of the majority. It is constitutional in the sense that the rulers are subject to a certain set of conditions in governing and administering the country, conditions that are set forth in the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Most Noble Messenger (s). It is the laws and ordinances of Islam comprising this set of conditions that must be observed and practiced. Islamic government may therefore be defined as the rule of divine law over men.

You are beginning to see that Muslim faith and Muslim governance are intertwined and never shall an adherent reject one or the other. He would not be a Muslim if he did. To continue with quotes from the Ayatollah’s book, the chapter on The Necessity for Islamic Government,

A body of laws alone is not sufficient for a society to be reformed. In order for law to ensure the reform and happiness of man, there must be an executive power and an executor. For this reason, God Almighty, in addition to revealing a body of law (i.e., the ordinances of the sharī‘ah), has laid down a particular form of government together with executive and administrative institution. The Most Noble Messenger (s) headed the executive and administrative institutions of Muslim society. In addition to conveying the revelation and expounding and interpreting the articles of faith and the ordinances and institutions of Islam, he undertook the implementation of law and the establishment of the ordinances of Islam, thereby, bringing into being the Islamic state.

He did not content himself with the promulgation of law; rather, he implemented it at the same time, cutting off hands and administering lashings, and stonings. After the Most Noble Messenger (s), his successor had the same duty and function. When the Prophet (s) appointed a successor, it was not only for the purpose of expounding articles of faith and law; it was for the implementation of law and the execution of God’s ordinances.

The precepts are not for a previous time, with only the faith portion of Islam to be followed by the faithful Muslim. No, the intertwining of with and government is inextricable and permanent. Islamic government includes performing all the typical tasks as, say the United States Government does. I’d remind us all again that these quotes are from the book which formed the foundation for the successful revolution of the nation of Iran and is their basis for governance today. They are not cherry-picked quotes from an obscure Imam or from a discredited segment of Islam.

According to one of the noble verses of the Qur’an, the ordinances of Islam are not limited with respect to time or place; they are permanent and must be enacted until the end of time. They were not revealed merely for the time of the Prophet, only to be abandoned thereafter, with retribution and the penal code no longer be enacted, or the taxes prescribed by Islam no longer collected, and the defense of the lands and people of Islam suspended. The claim that the laws of Islam may remain in abeyance or are restricted to a particular time or place is contrary to the essential creedal bases of Islam.

Therefore as the Ayatollah outlined the Necessity of Islamic Government, and then the Form of Islamic Government, he instructs on the Program for the Establishment of Islamic Government. Here is how to get the job done, and remember, he actually did:

You teach the people matters relating to worship, of course, but more important are the political, economic, and legal aspects of Islam. [underline mine] These are, or should be, the focus of our concern. It is our duty to begin exerting ourselves now in order to establish a truly Islamic government. We must propagate our cause to the people, instruct them in it, and convince them of its validity. We must generate a wave of intellectual awakening, to emerge as a current throughout society, and gradually, to take shape as organized Islamic movement made up of the awakened, committed, and religious masses who will rise up and establish an Islamic government.

It worked in Iran, and it is working in the rest of the coming caliphate with al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Source NBC

The major point here is that the religion aspect of Islam is NOT the important aspect. It is only the important aspect in that it teaches the men who attend mosque as to the duties and rules regarding ‘Allah’s’ divine command for establishing an Islamic government. Here is the Ayatollah again-

Propagation and instruction, then, are our two fundamental and most important activities. It is the duty of the fuqahā to promulgate religion and instruct the people in the creed, ordinances, and institutions of Islam, in order to pave the way in society for the implementation of Islamic law and the establishment of Islamic institutions. [underline mine] In one of the traditions we have cited, you will have noticed that the successors of the Most Noble Messenger (s) are described as “teaching the people”—that is, instructing them in religion.

Many of the ordinances of Islam that refer to worship also pertain to social and political functions. The forms of worship practiced in Islam are usually linked to politics and the gestation of society. For example, congregational prayer, the gathering on the occasion of hajj, and Friday prayer, for all their spirituality, exert a political as well as moral and doctrinal influence.

Ayatollah Khomeini was not simply a religious figure, as some biographies put it. For a decade he was formerly the Supreme Leader of Iran, a nation with borders and a population of 40 million people at the time. Islam is a government, and they want and are aiming for global theocratic rule by Islamic jurists.

The Ayatollah and Iran itself are Shia Muslim, one of two branches that comprise the major points of Islam. However Shia Muslims comprise only 15% of all Islam, Sunni Muslims make up the rest. The Iranian Revolution was an empowering event for Shias, which make up most of Syria also.

There are a few differences between Shia and Sunni but they are not major in terms of how non-Muslims are to be treated, nor do they wildly differ in terms of Sharia Law.

The important thing about Sharia law is that it is perfect and sacred. Law based upon democratic process is offensive to Islam because such law is based upon people. Sharia law is based upon the Koran and Mohammed, the only perfect guidance. Therefore, it is an offence to Islam for Muslims to have to live under democratic constitutional law. (source)

Because Islam is a political institution which rejects government by democracy, Islam and a Constitutional Republic are incompatible. A Muslim who lives under a democracy and not Sharia is living treasonously to Islam and if they are a Muslim living under Sharia Law in the US (or working toward that end) they are living treasonously to the Republic.

In my own opinion we can safely say that to deny a Muslim’s practice of his religion is not a violation of the Second Amendment protection of religion, because it is not a religion- it is a government. A divided government cannot stand. Just as Jesus said that one cannot live divided between the world governance of satan and the kingdom of God, so our democracy and a Sharia enclave of Muslims cannot live peacably together (as we have repeatedly seen in Beirut, Baghdad, Paris, San Bernardino CA and elsewhere).

And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:25-26)

Our spiritual loyalties are with the One True God, but in our earthly life as Christians we submit to government. Ours in America happens to be a Constitutional Republic. We look forward to the day when we will become not only full citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven as we are now, but are physically present in our homeland. Until then, if you are an American as I am, it is sad to see our once-great nation and our once-strong country succumb to divided loyalties and self-indulgence and outright sin.

EPrata photo

Due to America’s continued rebellion against God, I fully expect His wrath to be poured out on us as Romans 1:18-32 states. The Wrath of Abandonment is a difficult thing to watch, and I am sorrowful that God may indeed decide to use Islam as the hammer against which He will render His verdict against us here in America. It seems that in coming months or years, it may be a bloody time, a difficult time, and a sorrowful time. The flood of false religion will not be stopped,because it is prophesied that apostasy will rise (Matthew 24:10, 1 Timothy 4:1, 1 John 4:3) until the Great Apostasy takes over and the world staggers under the sin of its one world religion. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

We have hope, a secure and a glorious hope. We cling to the promises of His soon return, His everlasting kingdom, and the TRUE theocracy under which we Christians are subject. The Lamb reigns!

And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16)

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"and the books were opened…"

Posted on December 11, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Even in these casual, pagan, secular days, there are still a few places which engender a gravitas and causes proper behavior to be displayed and proper clothing to be worn: funerals, and court.

The somber scene where the anticipation of the gallery, the nerves of the plaintiff and defendant, the busyness of the defense and prosecuting lawyers as they bustle to their seats and open attache cased and extract papers and files…then the bailiff comes and says ALL RISE! and the gravity of the scene deepens as the Judge enters. You stand before the judge, you don’t lounge, sit, squirm, or are in any way inattentive. He commands the courtroom! Then He opens his file and the proceedings begin. It is a somber and serious scene.

Imagine, then, the exponentially deeper gravity of that scene when the JUDGE comes to hear the cases of each and every person who ever lived.

“He told me all I ever did!” (John 4:39).

Jesus will judge each person and the proceedings will be the most serious, the most grave that were ever conducted anywhere ever. Here is from Daniel 7:9-10. Please read it slowly and ask the Spirit to impress the scene upon your heart. There is little attention paid to prophecy, judgment and accountability these days. This scene will happen for the hundreds of millions of people who do not know Christ. Is your colleague, friend, loved one going to be among them?

Is the name of your friend, loved one or colleague’s name in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Or is their name in the Books that recount all they ever did, which was sin against our Holy God unto everlasting judgment. Share the Gospel and the reason for the season today. Jesus our Savior, Hallelujah, the Lamb has come!

“As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened…
Daniel 7:9-10

EPrata photo

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Will any people be saved after the rapture, during the tribulation?

Posted on December 7, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

A friend on Facebook asked me a question. I like questions. They send me searching the Bible for a Spirit-led answer. I enjoy studying for a purpose. Here is the question:

How it can be that the bible states that most people will go to hell, yet in the tribulation, so many are saved they can’t be counted? Is the dynamic different in the Tribulation?

As for most people going to hell, yes that’s true. The Bible says that Jesus promised-

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)

A specific answer as to how many will be saved during the wrath known as the Tribulation period can’t be given, because we cannot quantify “many” and “few”. We know for example, that many people died in the Flood (most actually). Few were on the narrow way, (only 8 people actually. Noah and his family). We know that most were sent to destruction when four of the five cities of the plain were destroyed. Admah, Zeboiim, Sodom and Gomorrah were thriving cities full of people, and most were sent to destruction when the angels came to destroy them with brimstone. (Genesis 19:13, 24-25; Deuteronomy 29:23). Only a few were saved (4 actually, and one of those turned out to be a false convert).

Over the course of world history we can’t know how many means few and how many means many. But we notice the fact that as soon as Jesus began teaching the hard truths, most left him. (John 6:60, 66). If we look at the scene in context as a microcosm of the world population, most people throughout history have either rejected Him outright or left the faith showing they never were of Him at all.

Therefore I believe the dynamic in the Tribulation is different. I base this on the verse in Matthew where Jesus said the Tribulation will be a unique time in world history. (Matthew 24:21,

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

As for why so many would be saved, it is because the Tribulation is the fulfillment of the Bible’s promises. John MacArthur says in his sermon “Tribulation Saints part 1”,

“We have prayed that some day there would be a sweeping revival across the world that would bring millions of souls into the Kingdom. It has been the prayers of God’s people through the centuries that God would bring a great harvest of souls. And He will. One day it will come. It will be the greatest movement of God’s saving power in terms of sheer numbers that the world has ever known. Now that anticipation of that should not shock us because God longs to save…”

Revival is something we always pray for, but we don’t often realize that the revival that comes might look very different than the revival we envision in our head. Usually we envision a peaceful, joyful revival that sparks cultural change and personal peace. Yet the revival ahead in the Tribulation will be in a time of blood and war and grief and widespread martyrdom.

The reasons so many will be saved are found in Romans 11:26, that all Israel will be saved, and in Genesis 12, the fulfillment of Abraham’s covenant that all (pagan) nations through Abraham will be blessed.

If you’re interested, you can hear about salvation during the Tribulation explained more fully in John MacArthur’s sermon “Tribulation Saints” parts 1 and 2, expositing these verses from Revelation 7 under discussion.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10).

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:13-14)

Praise the Lord who saves!!

encouragement, jesus, john bunyan, lion, pilgrim's progress, prophecy

Lunging Lions along the Way

Posted on December 6, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a tremendous book. It’s an allegory of the Christian’s life from salvation to heaven (“The Celestial City”). In the book, there is a scene where Christian Pilgrim is attempting to climb the way to Porter’s Lodge Up ahead he can see two lions crouching at the edge of the path. What Pilgrim doesn’t know is that the lions are chained, and if Pilgrim stays in the middle of the path, he will not be harmed by the lunging lions. Here is the excerpt:

Now before he had gone far, he entered into a very narrow passage, which was about a furlong off the Porter’s lodge, and looking very narrowly before him as he went, he espied two lions in the way. Now, thought he, I see the dangers that Mistrust and Timorous were driven back by. (The lions were chained, but he saw not the chains.) Then he was afraid, and thought also himself to go back after them; for he thought nothing but death was before him. But the Porter at the lodge, whose name is Watchful, perceiving that Christian made a halt, as if he would go back, cried unto him, saying, Is thy strength so small? Mark 4:40. Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and are placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery of those that have none: keep in the midst of the path, and no hurt shall come unto thee.

We ourselves are pilgrims in a strange land. Our way is clear because, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105). The way is lit by His word and it is made clear, but it is a narrow way. Take care to stay on the middle line of that Way, dear friend, as I strive to do myself. And look, see what good promises are ahead for His people the Jews and those of us grafted in!!

Isaiah 35:1-9

The Ransomed Shall Return

1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
2it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.

Pink flowers bloom after a rare rain ignited seeds
that had lain dormant in the desert for years.

3Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”

5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

Rushes thriving by a pond. EPrata photo

8And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
9No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.

The redeemed shall walk there. A promise we can cling to, hope on, and await expectantly. How beautiful the feet…

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” (Isaiah 52:7)

Lamb, prophecy, sacrifice

Did Jesus perform sacrifices at the Temple?

Posted on December 5, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I was asked a good question by a friend. I like questions. They send me searching into the Bible and I spend happy moments or hours delving into the mysteries of God in the Bible to unearth a Spirit-filled answer. The question was, did Jesus offer animal sacrifices at the Temple, even though HE was going to be the sacrifice? And was sinless?

After some thought and biblical research, this was my answer. As for Jesus offering animal sacrifices, I am not personally aware of any scene in the Bible that depicts this, but I am pretty sure that He did. How can I be pretty sure?

First, Jesus lived the Law perfectly–

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Mt 5:17)

Though the Bible does not offer extensive information about the early or childhood life of Jesus, there are a few glimpses of Jesus and His keeping of the Law. We know his parents Joseph and Mary kept the Law, and they taught Jesus to do the same. The pair came to the temple on the 8th day after Jesus birth to fulfill the Law of Moses (Luke 2:21-22).

Skip forward to a few years, we know the family went up to Jerusalem to fulfill the Law concerning the festivals. (Luke 2:41-42). And Jesus was submissive to his parents in all things [according to the Commandment honor thy parents]. (Luke 2:51)

Jesus was baptized, certainly He did not need to go through a ritual that represented repentance and cleansing from sin! But He did.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21).

This means that God treated Jesus AS a sinner, even though He was not.

So therefore we can extrapolate that He likely also performed sacrifices when He came to the proper age. If He didn’t do sacrifices, He would not have fulfilled the Law as Matthew recorded Jesus statement. Animal sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf and Jesus performing the sacrifices was still a picture of that, until the cross and the torn veil in the Temple.

“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b).

courage, overcomers, prophecy, strong

America is raising fragile kids traumatized by words, supporting coddled youths with snowflake spirit

Posted on December 1, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

The above photo was on Twitter and I liked it. There has been a brouhaha these last few weeks over the sensitivity of college aged youth and their tolerance levels. I’ve watched this thing unfold, with different articles coming out, different opinions on social media…and I’ve been thinking.

The National Review published an article titled:
Campus Commotions Show We’re Raising Fragile Kids

It seems like every week there’s a new horror story of political correctness run amok at some college campus. A warning not to wear culturally insensitive Halloween costumes sparked an imbroglio at Yale, which went viral over the weekend. A lecturer asked in an e-mail, “Is there no room anymore for a child to be a little bit obnoxious . . . a little bit inappropriate or provocative or, yes, offensive?” Students went ballistic. When an administrator (who is the lecturer’s spouse) defended free speech, some students wanted his head. One student wrote in a Yale Herald op-ed (now taken down): “He doesn’t get it. And I don’t want to debate. I want to talk about my pain.”

Their pain. Their pain is king. ‘All I want to do is talk about meeeee.’ There is a new movement afoot on colleges to allow students to ‘opt-out’ of an assignment if it is too sensitive for them to handle and causes too much pain.

Some colleges are now instituting a ‘trigger warning’ that some material may be sensitive for students who have experienced trauma. In the article below, notice some of the listed content that may trigger a warning: “colonialism”. Depictions of colonialism are deemed sensitive material, enough so that students are warned about it prior, so they can opt out? In my day material covering colonialism was called “history.” [Ed. Note: in the following article the professor quoted is this author’s sister].

Warning: This education might trigger trauma. Are we coddling college students?
A “trigger warning” informs readers who have experienced trauma — be it war or sexual assault — that content in an article or book may “trigger” them and cause them to re-experience that trauma

That doesn’t sound too threatening, but a September article in the The Atlantic magazine argues the use of these content advisories, taken to the extreme on college campuses, effectively “coddles” students by shielding them from ideas and words they may find unpleasant. Oberlin College in Ohio, for example, had recommended that professors include an advisory when assigning Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” because students may be triggered by its depictions of “racism, colonialism, religious persecution, violence [and] suicide.”

Todd Friel has some information about the coddling of America in this 7 minute video.

I was amused by a viral video of a mom of a school-aged student ranting about the elementary school car rider line. Some parents who choose to drive their children to school rather than put them on the bus are also choosing to be a traffic hazard and endanger others so that they can drop off their children at the closest door rather than have their child walk an extra 50 feet. Then I was reminded of the documentary called On the Way To School, where children in four different countries are chronicled getting to school and overcoming hazards way worse than walking an extra 50 after being personally driven by mommy- like avoiding being eaten by lions, or pushing your brother in a wheelchair over dirt and miry clay 10 miles, or walking up and down whole MOUNTAIN RANGES. The documentary shows kids from South America, India, Africa and Morocco walking to school in extreme conditions- just for the privilege of being educated.

And the American children who are driven to school and dropped off in the car rider line grow up to be the wimps who opt out of a college level assignment because they are allegedly traumatized by colonialism.

The sensitive college students problem has also infiltrated Christian universities. These same sentiments are appearing in Christian schools and becoming a problem for Christians outside universities, as noted by Friel in the video above and in Dr. Piper’s message below. Those who are offended by colonialism, or, words, will certainly be offended by the Gospel! Yet there has been some push-back regarding the hot house flower sensitivity of these American college students at a Christian University, by President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University wrote,

This is Not a Day Care. It’s a University!
Dr. Everett Piper, President
Oklahoma Wesleyan University

This past week, I actually had a student come forward after a university chapel service and complain because he felt “victimized” by a sermon on the topic of 1 Corinthians 13. It appears that this young scholar felt offended because a homily on love made him feel bad for not showing love. In his mind, the speaker was wrong for making him, and his peers, feel uncomfortable.

I’m not making this up. Our culture has actually taught our kids to be this self-absorbed and narcissistic. Any time their feelings are hurt, they are the victims. Anyone who dares challenge them and, thus, makes them “feel bad” about themselves, is a “hater,” a “bigot,” an “oppressor,” and a “victimizer.”

I have a message for this young man and all others who care to listen. That feeling of discomfort you have after listening to a sermon is called a conscience. An altar call is supposed to make you feel bad. It is supposed to make you feel guilty. The goal of many a good sermon is to get you to confess your sins—not coddle you in your selfishness. The primary objective of the Church and the Christian faith is your confession, not your self-actualization.

So here’s my advice:

Read the rest of his message for his advice. So what does this mean for Christians? The most basic and literal meaning is that when we proclaim the Gospel, the FULL Gospel, which includes discussion of sin and judgment, it will not be tolerated. At all. The article above says caving in to trigger warnings and opting out ‘effectively “coddles” students by shielding them from ideas and words they may find unpleasant.’ And the Gospel is the most unpleasant news there can be until the Good News is added to it. If they find mere college content unpleasant, how will it be when a Christian tells them they are sinners, angering God every day and headed for judgment and hell? It won’t be tolerated, at all, and not just from cultural pressure or outcry. By law.

Secondly and more symbolically, since leak-over occurs from the world to the faith all the time and our Christian youth will be affected, it means we have wimpy soldiers of the faith to look forward to. I think of the youth in the Bible and wonder where our stalwart soldiers of the faith are going to come from. The Lord our God is always raising up youth for His name, but it seems to me they are becoming scarcer, these brave and strong men and women of the faith.

David was a young man, a boy really, and he was a shepherd. What that means is he was in the rugged outdoors all day and all night. He watched over the sheep and protected them from bears and wolves and lions at the risk of his own life, with only a rod and a slingshot for a weapon. He walked miles and miles leading them to different pastures because grass was scarce. He was alone, out in the open, and had a great responsibility. It is estimated David was between 13 and 15 years old when he was anointed. (1Sam 16:12-13). And then, David slew Goliath. And some youth today are upset because words hurt their feelings.

Timothy was young. Paul admonished Timothy not to let anyone despise him because of his youth. Timothy was pastor and leader of a church with all that entailed, especially the honor of preaching the everlasting Gospel. Timothy was urged despite his relative youth to be so Godly that his life would be a pattern for others to imitate.

Mary was young, maybe 14 or 15, when the angel Gabriel told her she was going to be pregnant. This is normally an event that destroys lives. Yet she humbly said ‘Let it be done to me as God wills’, then at 9 month gestation, got on a donkey and rode to Bethlehem, then fled to Egypt.

Daniel was young, very young when he was taken in Babylonian captivity. Those taken were being groomed for service, these young moldable youths. Except Daniel was not moldable. He refused the wine and foods because ingesting them would have defiled him. hHe brought his complaint respectfully to the authority, politely asking to be excused from eating and drinking it, but still, in the face of enormous pressure to cave in, Daniel rejected the training and stood for God. (Daniel 1:8). And some youths these days are upset at a sermon on love because it pricked their conscience. Some young men say all they want to do is talk about their pain. Their thoughts go no higher than their own navel gazing.

In reading widely about this trigger warning and trauma pain the sensitive snowflakes are going on about, I notice that when professors tend to use trigger warnings it is due to graphic sexual content. They assign novels that contain sexual violence or graphic sexual scenes among lesbians or homosexuals. In my opinion, the problem is not that trigger warnings are necessary, it is that the trauma-triggering material is even being presented in the first place. For those who are traumatized by violence, then learning about the Civil War, or the Cambodian Killing Fields should be a problem. Yet most professors do not use trigger warnings for that content. But assigning novels to impressionable youth containing multiple rape scenes is OK? I don’t think so.

The prophecy says,

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:2)

Below is where we are headed. This is a very true and chilling preview of what American higher education is coming to. And for all that, we who have the holy and pure Spirit inside of us, rest assured He will strengthen us and make us stand, just as He did with David and Mary and Timothy and David. Our home is not on earth but in heaven. We have an opportunity to be like Timothy, live a life that others would want to pattern after us, a noble, upright, strong life- In Christ. While the rest of the world sinks into a victim mentality, let us be overcomers displaying a victor mentality. Through God, we truly can do anything.

The video below is 7 minutes and I recommend seeing it.

Modern Educayshun
Neel Kolhatkar’s “Modern Educayshan” gives us a glimpse into the future of American education if things keep going on their present course. If you watch the first 1:20, you’ll see why this video is striking a chord among citizens who fear what our schools and universities are becoming.

government, jesus, prophecy

Christ is Prince of Governments

Posted on November 29, 2015May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32).
tot he
During this long Thanksgiving Break, I’ve listened to many sermons. i Heard a good sermon on the aspect of Jesus as Prince. On Expositor.fm my usual morning line-up to which I dedicate some time in the AM includes wonderful sermons from Barnhouse, Boice, MacArthur, or Lloyd-Jones. A sermon from Acts 5:29-32 delivered by Martyn Lloyd-Jones struck me. Two Lines of History, looked at Jesus as Prince over governments.

The following represents my personal interpretation & spiritual absorption of the Acts verses and the exposition of them.

We must obey God rather than men is not a license to run amok and freely break the law and become rebellious, of course. God instituted Governments. He is sovereign over them. What is meant here is that where a choice comes to obey God OR man, we obey God. That was the choice given to Peter and he chose wisely.

The concept is, Jesus is savior but also Prince- Governor of nations! He is the Prince of the Universe, thee only one who can govern, the only one who has a right to govern, the only one who is going to govern. But the world rejects this. It needs to be convinced of this, convicted of it.

Of man’s history, man’s government, what are the characteristics of this? It is quite clear in history and in the bible is that government has been appropriated by man who rejects the voice Divine. Despite all of man’s efforts to produce order, the jungle is always encroaching. Man sweats, labors, cuts back the jungle of immorality and yet strife, lawlessness, dictatorships, wars always encroach.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon is a monumental work. He listed five reasons why civilizations decline and fall.

1. The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.

2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.

3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports are becoming more and more exciting and brutal every year.

4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within the decadence of the people.

5. The decay of religion–faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, and becoming impotent to warn and guide the people.

(Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1787).

Geographically, Paul was a resident of Jerusalem but a citizen of Rome. Spiritually we are residents of Georgia (or Kentucky or Washington) but our citizenry is in heaven. We owe respect and allegiance to those whom God has set over us in government, but our highest loyalty is toward the Prince of Governments.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7)

Let us sort out out our loyalties and allegiances. Let us look inward in order to prepare for a moment which may come to us as it did to Peter, and make our decisions regarding God and man.Will we obey man, or will we obey the Prince of Government?

A polling station, with watchful Jesus over the government…EPrata photo