Category: theology

By Elizabeth Prata

Here is an excerpt from a sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon, Delivered On Lord’s-Day Morning, June 26, 1870, By C. H. Spurgeon,  At The Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.  

We have become used to the ‘you’re enough God is love, no judgments, flowers and rainbows’ kind of Christianity that once in a while I feel it’s important to push back against that by reminding us that Christians are at war until the day we die. We war against our sin, we war against temptation of sinning with others, we war against the principalities and powers of the dark prince of the air. War. Here’s Spurgeon, then I’ll have a comment at the end.

CHARLES SPURGEON-

“A good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 2 Timothy 2:2,3.

“Paul does not appear to have pictured true Believers as sluggards sound asleep upon the downiest beds. His description of a Christian in the text is that of a soldier. And that means something far different either from a religious fop, whose best delight is music and millinery, or a theological critic who makes a man an offender for a word. Or a spiritual glutton who cares for nothing but a lifelong enjoyment of the fat things full of marrow. Or an ecclesiastical slumberer who longs only for peace for himself. Paul represents him as a soldier and that, I say, is quite another thing.

For what is a soldier? A soldier is a practical man, a man who has work to do, and hard, stern work. He may sometimes, when he is at his ease, wear the fineries of war, but when he comes to real warfare he cares little enough for them. The dust and the smoke, and the garments rolled in blood—these are for those who go soldiering. And swords all hacked, and dented armor, and bruised shields—these are the things that mark the good, the practical, soldier. Truly to serve God, really to exhibit Christian graces, fully to achieve a lifework for Christ, actually to win souls—this is to bear fruit worthy of a Christian

A soldier is a man of deeds, and not of words. He has to contend and fight. In war times his life knows little of luxurious ease. In the dead of night, perhaps, the trumpet sounds to boot and saddle—just at the time when he is most weary—and he must hurry to the attack just when he would best prefer to take his rest in sleep. The Christian is a soldier in an enemy’s country always needing to stand on his watchtower, constantly to be contending, though not with flesh and blood—with far worse foes—namely, with spiritual wickedness in high places.

The Christian is a self-sacrificing man as the soldier must be. To protect his country, the soldier must expose his own bosom. To serve his King, he must be ready to lay down his life. Surely he is no Christian who never felt the spirit of self-sacrifice. If I live unto myself I am living unto the flesh, and of the flesh I shall reap corruption. Only he who lives to his God, to Christ, to the Truth of God, to the Church, and to the good old cause—only he is the man who can reckon himself at all to be a soldier of Jesus Christ.

A soldier is a serving man. He does not follow his own pleasure. He is under law and rule. Each hour of the day has its prescribed duty. And he must be obedient to the word of another and not to his own will and whim. Such is the Christian. We serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Though no longer the slaves of man so as to dread his frown, we are servants of Christ who has loosed our bonds.

The soldier is full often a suffering man. There are wounds, there are toils, there are frequent stays in the hospitals— there may be ghastly cuts which let the soul out with the blood. Such the Christian soldier must be ready to suffer, enduring hardship, not looking for pleasure of a worldly kind in this life, but counting it his pleasure to renounce his pleasure for Christ’s sake. Once again, the true soldier is an ambitious being. He pants for honor, seeks for glory. On the field of strife he gathers his laurels, and amidst a thousand dangers he reaps renown.

Paul does not exhort Timothy to be a common, or ordinary soldier, but to be a “good soldier of Jesus Christ.” For all soldiers, and all true soldiers may not be good soldiers. There are men who are but just soldiers and nothing more. They only need sufficient temptation and they readily become cowardly, idle, useless and worthless. But he is the good soldier who is bravest of the brave, courageous at all times. He is zealous, does his duty with heart and earnestness. He is the good soldier of Jesus Christ who, through Divine Grace, aims to make himself as able to serve his Lord as shall be possible.

Before I proceed fully to open up this metaphor, let me say that though we shall use military terms this morning, and stirring speech, it should ever be remembered that we have no war against persons, and that the weapons which we use are not such as are forged for the deadly conflicts of mankind. The wars of a Christian are against principles, against sins, against the miseries of mankind, against that Evil One who has led man astray from his Maker. Our wars are against the iniquity which keeps man an enemy to himself. The weapons that we use are holy arguments and consecrated lives, devotion and prayer to God, teaching and example among the sons of men.

——————————end Spurgeon————————–

Spurgeon then goes on for 12 pages, lol, and he begins his conclusion this way;

“A crown is prepared for that head though it is now made to ache with care for the cause. There is a palm branch for that hand which now toils in the fight. There are silver sandals for those feet which have now to march over weary miles for Christ’s sake. Honor and immortality not to be imagined till they are enjoyed await every faithful soldier of the Cross!”

“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” 2 Timothy 2:4

My dear sisters who are reading this or listening to this, we are not civilians anyway, we’re not like unbelieving humanity. We are a peculiar people, dressed in battle gear, wielding the sword of the spirit and enacting the weapon of prayer. We are holy islands fighting to maintain the ground on which we stand- salvation, This blood-soaked ground on which Jesus died.

Now, I love flowers as much as anybody, but when it comes to women’s ministries, the flower covered Bibles, journals, bookmarks, etc are fine, but what about a sword, or a shield, or depictions of the struggle with sin, or armor? We are in a war: war against sin, war against principalities and demons, war against encroaching world views trying to capture us. It does us good to be reminded of that once in a while. Hence, today’s blog.

By Elizabeth Prata

I subscribe to Sheehan Quirke The Cultural Tutor’s newsletter called Areopagus. (What a perfect name for a Cultural Tutor, isn’t it!). His free newsletter contains short tidbits on the following subjects: Historical Figure • Art • Classical Music • Architecture • Rhetoric • Writing • Historical Anecdote. I love it becuase the newsletter is so well written, and interesting. You had me at well written.

The Number X Edition (or 10 for Roman Numeral innumerate folk 😉 contained the following paragraphs on the topic of Writing:

Words as Thoughts

The importance of writing cannot be understated. And while its usefulness as a life skill is obvious, I think there is something of much profounder importance to writing than effective communication or academic and professional success.

Thinking is difficult – really difficult. Thoughts appear in your mind seemingly at random sometimes, and constructing coherent patterns of thought requires a great deal of effort. Even when you manage to think clearly and thrash out a few conclusions, they’re easily forgotten. And most of the rest of the time our thoughts are contradictory because we’ve barely had the chance to analyse and understand them. No wonder are all so prone to saying stupid things!

That’s where writing comes in: the practice of putting your thoughts into words. Or, more tellingly, the act of taking those thoughts out of your head. You can write a few words, read them, leave them, come back to them, and reconsider them. It’s much harder to do with that with thoughts, which are intangible and changeful.

But if you take those tangled, complex thoughts out of your head and write them down, you’ll see them much more clearly. And you can see the contradictions and inconsistencies, you can find out where you’re stuck and where you’re certain – you can deal with them, edit them, reword them, and make things clear. In the end, you’ll figure out what you actually think.

All of this to say that writing is an effective way of thinking. So when you’re faced with a problem – it could be professional or personal, a complex project at work or a struggling relationship – writing down your thoughts will inevitably help to solve that problem. (By Sheehan Quirke The Cultural Tutor at Areopagus).

I thought about what I had just read about writing for a long time. My first thoughts went to the children I teach. I’m a Literacy Interventionist and reading instructor at a public school. I’ve taught writing for a long time. I love seeing children develop skills. The process is beautiful to watch.

Then I thought about how hard it is, really hard for young children to not only acquire language, then use it to express themselves, but then to engage in the process Sheehan the Cultural Tutor outlined. I vowed to be extra patient with young writers.

Next I thought about me and my writing. I’ve been a writer for a long time. My first memory of writing something was when I was about 7 and I wrote quotes from song lyrics on my little cork bulletin board. Jimmy Buffett, “If we couldn’t laugh we’d all go insane”, and the Beatles, “And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me, shine until tomorrow”. And such like that.

In reorganizing my closet a few years ago I came across my travel journal, my first one. My senior class in High School had an end of year trip to London. I kept a journal of the trip and made notes about what I had seen along with opinions. My entry for the first time I flew above the clouds gushed with awe and contained lots of exclamation marks.

I’ve been writing ever since. Imagine my joy when the internet came along, then blogs that allowed a writer to just write then press ‘publish’! I didn’t care if anyone read it, even, I was just as happy to simply write.

I was saved at around age 42. Now I understood that the talent and drive the Lord gave me was to be used for the glory of the Lord. He had been honing me all those years. My thoughts then turned from my writing in general to writing on theological topics, with Jesus at the center of the goal. This is a totally different animal than just writing a chatty blog.

Anything I write must be theologically accurate, the word must be rightly divided. (2 Timothy 2:15). It must be well written, I do not want to serve up a sloppy joe to Christ when it should be a filet mignon. It should be helpful to the faith, and I don’t mean only ‘positive’ as our finite minds calculate.

I saw this tweet on an education topic.

I am in my head a lot, thinking. I can absolutely relate to that girl.

Even before we are saved by grace through faith, He prepares us for His future use for the kingdom. He gets all the glory, all the time. What talents did God give you that when you became saved, you turned and used for His glory?

By Elizabeth Prata

Psalm 23

The LORD, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd,
I will not be in need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,
And my dwelling will be in the house of the LORD forever.

This is a most familiar Psalm to many people. It’s beautiful poetry and solid comfort, too.

As with any scripture, just asking a simple question of the scripture will lead you on a path deeper and deeper into God’s truth. The question today is, What IS the valley of the shadow of death? How can I describe it?

The phrase is familiar to us and it makes sense- at first. The valley of the shadow of death is understandable both on a cognitive level and a poetic level. But when you really try to grasp what it is, then suddenly it seems as if we are standing on the precipice of a light-filled mountain so tall we cannot see the top. What is it exactly?

Did you know the phrase ‘shadow of death’ was a common Hebrew poetic phrase? As such, one might expect to find it in numerous scriptures besides the well-known 23. And it is. It’s in Psalm 107:10, Luke 1:79 (repeating it from Ps 107:10), Isaiah 9:2, Job 38:17, and others.

There were those who lived in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Prisoners in misery and chains, (Ps 107:10)

To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:79)

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2, KJV)

This is the best explanation I could find about that exactly the shadow of death means. It is from Barnes’ Notes on Isaiah 9:2-

In the land of the shadow of death – This is a most beautiful expression, and is special to the Hebrew poets. The word צלמות tsalmâveth, is exceedingly poetical. The idea is that of death, as a dark substance or being, casting a long and chilly shade over the land – standing between the land and the light – and thus becoming the image of ignorance, misery, and calamity. It is often used, in the Scriptures, to describe those regions that were lying as it were in the penumbra of this gloomy object, and exposed to all the chills and sorrows of this melancholy darkness. Death, by the Hebrews, was especially represented as extending his long and baleful shadow ever the regions of departed spirits; Job 38:17

By the way, the definition of penumbra is – the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object.

In Job 3:1-5 we read

Job Laments his Birth: After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. (KJV).

Barnes again explains the phrase ‘shadow of death’,

It occurs frequently in the sacred Scriptures; compare Job 10:21-22; Psalm 23:4; Job 12:22; Job 16:16; Job 24:17; Job 34:22; Job 38:17; Amos 5:8; Jeremiah 2:6. It is used to denote the abode of departed spirits, described by Job as “a land of darkness, as darkness itself; of the shadow of death without any order, and where the light is as darkness;” Job 10:21-22. The idea seems to have been, that “death” was a dark and gloomy object that obstructed all light, and threw a baleful shade afar, and that that melancholy shade was thrown afar over the regions of the dead. The sense here is, that Job wished the deepest conceivable darkness to rest upon it.

I can’t read Hebrews (or Greek) 2 of the original languages the Bible was written in (the others being Aramaic and a few words in Ugaritic). Knowing the verses in the original language would indeed illuminate the poetic qualities of our Lord who is the author and the Spirit who inspired it. But just knowing the phrase’s origin, its use in many verses, and reading Barnes’ explanation of the phrase, is enough to make me praise the Lord, author of the written, eternal word.

By Elizabeth Prata

I was reading Genesis 16 & 21, Hagar. I love the Hagar scenes. I admit that the Woman at the well and the Hagar scenes are dear to me and I love those passages. I am amazed with how wonderful the Savior is.

Two of my favorite scenes in the Bible are the Woman at the Well, and Hagar in the Wilderness. In the former, the Lord ministered to a marginalized woman whose sins had given her an illustrious reputation which preceded her wherever she went.

Hagar was Abraham’s slave and her sin was forced upon her: Sarah (Sarai) concocted a plan to hurry-up God’s plan to get the promised child. She convinced Abram to use Hagar as the maternal vessel. When Hagar became pregnant, Sarah’s jealousy grew, and Sarah death harshly with Hagar.

“But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” (Genesis 16:6-8).

The Angel of the LORD is interpreted to be Jesus, pre-incarnate. He told Hagar to go back and to submit, and she did. Genesis 16 has the full account.

The child born to Abraham and Hagar was Ishmael, but as Ishmael grew, Sarah became jealous again. Dissension came up between the two women. Sarah expelled Hagar from the community and with her child, Hagar fled to the desert.

The wilderness is a harsh place and when the water in her pouch ran out, Hagar knew that death would soon come. She placed the boy down near bushes and went to die herself a little ways off, not bearing to see the death of her child.

Again The LORD came to Hagar, this time by voice, and comforted her.

“Then 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.” (Genesis 21:16-19)

Can you imagine? Being a slave? The owner taking you sexually? The wife mistreating you? Preparing to die in the desert? Worst, preparing to watch your son die in the desert? And you thought you had a bad day!

Both times Hagar was in the wilderness, God immediately heard the plea of her heart and the piteous lonely cries from her mouth. He asked her a similar question as He had asked Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9, Genesis 16:8). Both times Jesus was dispatched to provide life to her, with water. Jesus is the Living Water. He gives life and He sustains life.

Our God is mighty. He is sovereign. He has His plan, which none can thwart. Yet He is tender, and caring, and gentle with His people. I hope the beauty of the painting and the even greater beauty of the Word comforts you today. Cast all your cares upon Jesus, who is the Living Water.

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38)

By Elizabeth Prata

Though I write every day on the blog, on Sundays over the years I’ve rested and did not write much. I’ve also presented content that is more aligned with a day of rest and reflection on Christ and His word. I’ve posted Kay Cude’s poetry. I’m currently doing a series on God’s Attributes. In the past I posted excerpts from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

Sundays are a good time to think about those who preceded us in death for the cause of Christ.

Here are a few links to some of those essays

Sunday Martyr Moment: Sanctus, Blandina, and Ponticus

Sunday Martyr Moment: Justin Martyr, Felicitatis, others

Sunday Martyr moment: Germanicus and Polycarp

Sunday Martyr Moment: John Huss, “The goose is cooked”

Sunday Martyr Moment: Apostle John

Sunday Martyr Moment: James, Timon, Parmenas, Philip

There are other entries in the Sunday Martyr Moment in the series. Just search using the title I just named and search bar above at the right. After you read enough of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, your heart clenches and you gain perspectives about Christ’s power in dire circumstances to give courage, about the dedication of those who died, and of man’s inhumanity to man. I pray-

Lord, we know that the unregenerate heart and unsanctified mind can devise horror after horror. The Holocaust showed us the depths of man’s inhumanity to man and the future Tribulation will exceed even those horrors. It’s unimaginable what the Christians who preceded us went through, but thank You for your grace and comfort to them while they were under trial. I know that many hearts were converted upon seeing their courage, which was the strength of the Holy Spirit in them. As this time at the end of the Age of Grace draws to a close, I pray You deliver the same strength and courage to today’s martyrs. So that once more, many hearts are converted as they see dark evil of hate and torture against Your light of holy eternity in pure hearts proclaiming Your name even as they die under the sword.