theology

Prata Potpourri: Work, Eschatology, Discernment, the Universe, Ladies who teach…more

Posted on October 18, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Fall is here, the season I wait for all year. In New England where I’d lived for 46 years, fall was fleeting. Two weeks of vivid leaves and nice temperatures, then after Columbus Day the wind and rain came and washed it all away. You were left with cold, dark, drizzly remainder of fall then struggled all wintr to stay warm, to not drive off the icy road, and to shovel, shovel, shovel.

In Georgia fall lasts longer. The break from summer heat is a joy, and though the leaves are not as vivid, at least you can go outdoors and not freeze while you’re looking at them.

Fall also means the thoughts turn to Reformation Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! It’s a great season. The only struggle I have is to resist turning on the heat. How long can I go? The buffer month between paying for air conditioning and paying for heat is one I like to stretch, paying for nothing. Now, where is my sweatshirt?

Here are some interesting links I’ve rounded up for you this week. Enjoy!

I love thinking about work and God. He gives us work to do and in it we can minister to others, praise Him, and sustain ourselves so we can eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10). I found this short series out of The Master’s Seminary called Thinking Biblically. The series is called Thinking Biblically About Business and Work by Dr. John Beck. Two ten-minute videos help shape our thinking about our vocation, job, or employment. Even if you are not in a job that is personally fulfilling, career-oriented, or even well paying, we still can and do praise God for it, because we don’t just work for the weekend, we work for God.

Thinking Biblically About Business and Work

What did Jacob see? What was this ladder? The guys from G3 have an interesting article about this fascinating scene from the Old Testament:

But the most important part of this vision is not the ladder or even the angels, but the fact that God himself stands at the top of the ladder, as stated in verse 13. This indicates that God is the source of the connection between heaven and earth. He alone is the one who bridges the gap, not human effort or works.

What was Jacob’s Ladder?

I love language, words, and expressing one’s self in writing. I enjoyed tis to-the-point essay from Cody Libolt on the evolution away from pointed phrases to acceptance of the watered down version. He does a clear job explaining the real meaning behind these phrases and shows what we have lost when we adopt them: Six Bad Catch-phrases Explained

“Discernment Ministries” love ’em or hate ’em, they certainly generate a lot of ink on both sides. I do a lot of discernment (in addition to historical living essays and encouragement). But I do not apologize for doing discernment, nor am I embarrassed. However, there is always the danger of becoming unbalanced. I wrote about that here, especially in reference to eschatology. Eschatological ministries usually tend to go off-center, followed closely by discernment ministries.

In this 55 minute video, Midwest Christian Outreach Inc. led by Don Veinot and Don Henzel with guest Rudolph Boshoff from Ad Lucem Ministries, the men discuss “Guarding the flock was given as instructions to the pastors and elders in the First Century. Jesus warned us to beware of false prophets. All of the New Testament, with the exception of Philemon, addresses heresy and false teachers. Apologetics and defense of the faith are biblical, but all of those were part and parcel of church life with accountability. The call for discernment seems to have birthed a sort of apologetics industrial complex of discernment ministries. But are they servants or cowboys?“

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestchristianoutreach/videos/434269662813632

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/d6pyIXpP0yg?si=bPaTe6N6ATht2zgQ

And speaking of discernment, and speaking of solid ministries. Todd Friel of Wretched interviewed Justin Peters recently. 10-min, enticingly titled, If You Want to Have Better Discernment, Watch THIS

I enjoyed this from Allen Nelson IV, and if you aren’t following him on Twitter why aren’t you?

Ken Ham @aigkenham of Answers in Genesis wrote this on Twitter (X) on 6:54 AM · Oct 10, 2024 but if you do not have Twitter I am posting it here.

Over the 40 years I’ve been involved in the Answers in Genesis ministry, I’ve had many Christians/Christian leaders accuse me of saying a person had to believe in six literal days of creation and a young earth to be saved. Such an accusation is simply not true and can be documented as false from my many talks and articles I’ve written over the years clearly showing I have never equated salvation with believing in a young earth and literal creation days. What my accusers don’t like is the fact I speak with authority on what Genesis clearly says. They want me to allow other views. But there’s only one view, God’s Word as written. Now salvation is conditioned upon faith in Christ, not what a person believes about the age of the earth or days of creation. People respond saying it’s not an important issue then. But, even though it’s not a salvation issue, it’s a very important matter indeed, as it’s one of authority. It’s a biblical authority issue—and that’s a first order issue! They are putting man’s word over God’s Word and making man the authority, not God. Sadly, many pastors and Christian academics have taught generations of young people this. In doing so, they’ve unlocked a door that one can take man’s word over God’s Word. So if you can take millions of years and reinterpret God’s Word, why not take man’s word on marriage and gender and reinterpret God’s Word to allow gay “marriage,” etc. And this is happening. Over the years because so many Christian leaders have compromised God’s Word in Genesis, many have been led to doubt God’s Word, and that doubt leads to compromise and unbelief. We can and should speak with authority on Genesis, just as we can with the rest of Scripture because it is the infallible Word of God! “By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”” (Romans 3:4)

If you’re confused, curious, or concerned about which eschatological stance to beleive/follow/adopt, here is Mike Vlach, a noted theologian of eschatology, with a video titled “3 Millennial Views Compared and Contrasted: Premillennialism, Amillennialism, and Postmillennialism“. It’s 28 minutes.

And because the harvest super moon, aurora northern lights, and the visible comet are all in the news, here is more about our fantastic universe that God created and Jesus sustains! Did you know the Red Planet has blue rocks?

Yes, the Mars Rover is still roving: Perseverance Rover Spies Incredible Blue Rocks on Mars and Makes Incredible Discovery

If you’re of a mind to delve into UK country life, here is a video from the UK’s magazine Country life showing the world’s most amazing theater. And it’s seaside. AND it’s made by hand by a lady who decided to, well, carve a theater into the Cornish cliffs next to her home.

https://content.jwplatform.com/previews/berzrNKJ

theology

What a comfort the Psalms are!

Posted on October 17, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The Psalms are personal, warm, and human. As Joni Eareckson Tada said, “The Psalms wrap nouns and verbs around our pain better than any other book.“

Here is Psalm 32:10, one verse out of the 2,461 verses in all of the Psalms.

The sorrows of the wicked are many, But the one who trusts in the LORD, goodness will surround him.

Charles Spurgeon in his commentary on the Psalms called The Treasury of David, wrote of Ps 32:10,

Faith is here placed as the opposite of wickedness, since it is the source of virtue. Faith in God is the great charmer of life’s cares, and he who possesses it, dwells in an atmosphere of grace, surrounded with a body-guard of mercies.

As Robert Godfrey said in his book Learning to Love the Psalms (teaching series and workbook available at Ligonier)

“In the Reformation, the recovery of the Bible for all in the church meant also a recovery of the Psalms. Luther had learned the Psalms early as a monk and continued to love them. He called the Psalter “a little Bible,” saying, “The Psalter ought to be a precious and beloved book, if for no other reason than this: it promises Christ’s death and resurrection so clearly and pictures his kingdom and the condition and nature of all Christendom-that it might well be called a little Bible.”

The value of the Psalms (aside from being God’s perfect word, of course) is that “…the Psalter explained the life they lived in relation to both the wicked who opposed them and to the God who sustained them,” said Godfrey.

As we are living in such a turbulent period of our human history here on earth, and as it is likely to become more turbulent in the days and months ahead, remember the Psalms. All of God’s word is sufficient for reproof, teaching, correcting, training in righteousness, but the Psalms allow us to sink into comfort like no other book. Stand firm on where to turn for help and comfort.

Martin Luther loved the Psalms. He said, “The human heart is like a ship on a stormy sea driven about by winds blowing from all four corners of heaven. The Book of Psalms is full of heartfelt utterances made during storms of this kind. Where can one find nobler words to express joy than in the Psalms of praise or gratitude? In them you can see into the hearts of saints as if you were looking at a lovely pleasure-garden, or were gazing into heaven. How fair and charming and delightful and the flowers you will find there.“

‘Heartfelt utterances’, Luther said. Do we sometimes forget that the Bible is populated with real people who endured real pain, trials, and successes? We will meet them one day. Until then, we can ‘meet’ them in the pages of God’s holy word, to see their humanity and perhaps to see ourselves in it too; and to learn how they turned to God for help in of trouble. Our God is a very present help.

Troubles don’t change, because sinners don’t change. Life in Luther’s time, life in Paul’s time, life now, all the same. They dealt with wicked rulers and leaders, injustice, apathy, rejection, atheism, idolatry, beatings, wars, famine…the list is endless of the troubles humans endure on this earth. The Psalms give us a taste of our union with former believers and the view of God’s help in them.

As Spurgeon wisely said,

May it be given to us of the Lord at all times to believe in the mercy of God, even when we cannot see traces of its working, for to the believer, mercy is as all-surrounding as omniscience, and every thought and act of God is perfumed with it. The wicked have a hive of wasps around them, many sorrows; but we have a swarm of bees storing honey for us.

Remember that in the days ahead.

theology

Spiritual accounting that counts for nothing

Posted on October 16, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I often take stock. Taking stock is something we do ‘to
review or make an overall assessment of a particular situation, typically as a prelude to making a decision‘ as it’s defined.

Sometimes the process is called “personal inventory,” when we go through some self-examination to reflect on one’s thoughts, actions, motivations, and other aspects of yourself. In other words, How’m I doing in life?

People go through a spiritual accounting as well. I used to do that before I was saved, and of course, after I was saved too. But though the process is the same, the outcome is totally different.

The main difference is the pronoun. Before salvation if one takes stock, every item in the spiritual inventory will begin with “I”, as in I did this or I did that. Afterwards, it focuses on “You” as in Jesus, the Redeemer. Let’s take a look at some examples from scripture.

The Rich Young Ruler. First of all, notice his emphasis even in the beginning, his question focused on himself:

“Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). Jesus answered, referencing the Commandments, and the Rich Young Ruler replied, And he said, “All these things I have kept since my youth.” (Luke 18:21).

His was a spiritual accounting that was of no account.

Of course, we are all familiar with the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees. Let’s review the Pharisee at the Temple.

The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ (Luke 18:11-12)

Did you notice the verse in the NASB says the Pharisee prayed in regard to himself? The focus (and the pronoun) is I-I-I.

Saul before he was Paul, prior to salvation, thought he was earning his way to heaven with all his spiritual deeds,

If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. (Philippians 3:4-6).

Before salvation it was all about him, wasn’t it? But Paul found out different, didn’t he? His spiritual accounting was based on wind.

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; (Isaiah 64:6).

Boasting in one’s self displeases God, but relying on God does please Him.

Job’s spiritual accounting changed from the beginning of the book to the end, where Job, though spoken of as a righteous man by God, finally acknowledged his inadequacy.

Therefore I retract, And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes. (Job 42:6).

Humility. Focus is on God. Not self.

The Tax Collector near the Pharisee who was boasting in himself, had a total focus on God and a right view of himself. He knew he was a sinner, he knew he was unworthy.

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!‘ (Luke 18:13).

In all of Paul’s post-conversion pleadings, his repentance and please were bundled into one word, CHRIST.

In our repentance, in our prayers, when we take stock or do a spiritual accounting, let us (me) be focused on our Good Savior, the only good, the only worthy, the only One who can receive our prayer AND do something about it- Jesus, The Trinitarian Godhead persons who delight in humility and penitence.

theology

The women of Romans 16 – Who were they?

Posted on October 15, 2024October 15, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Paul was generous in his greetings and benedictions. He closed his letters warmly, with reminders to remember or to greet certain named (and unnamed people). Romans 16 is full of these names, and as Warren Wiersbe said,

How we wish we had the details of the stories behind each of these names!”

Too right. I am positively panting to know these people, but then I console myself with the knowledge that once I’m in heaven, I will have an eternity to hear their praises and deeds for the cause of Christ. In the list in Romans 16, except for Priscilla and Aquila who are mentioned elsewhere, we only have the one mention of these fine brethren. But we can glean some information, a tiny bit.

First, we learn that “Chapter 16 closes typically with greetings and commendations from various individuals. Greetings are offered to twenty-seven people, including a significant number of women,” says Holman concise Bible commentary. Of the long list of those who were mentioned, I’ll focus on the women, our sisters in Christ:

Phoebe, helper of many, servant of the church which is at Cenchrea.

Prisca, to whom Paul gives thanks but who were his fellow workers in Christ Jesus, and who risked their own necks for Paul’s life

Mary has worked hard for you.

Junia, (“Junias,” a contracted form of “Junianus”; in this case, it is a man’s name. But if, as is more probable, the word be, as in our version, “Junia,” the person meant was no doubt either the wife or the sister of Andronicus – source Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary) was outstanding in the view of the apostles.

Tryphaena and Tryphosa, Their names mean ‘delicate one’ and they were likely twins. Paul said they were workers in the Lord and should be greeted as such.

Persis, is the beloved one and Paul notes that she has worked hard in the Lord. Herbert F. Stevenson points out “a delicacy indicative of profound Christian courtesy” in that use of the word ‘beloved’. Wow. Wiersbe said “Four persons are called “beloved” by Paul: Epenetus (Rom. 16:5), Amplias (Rom. 16:8), Stachys (Rom. 16:9), and Persis (Rom. 16:12).

Julia, Lockyer says, “By birth a member of one of the great old homes in Rome, Julia was doubtless a member of the imperial court and therefore among the saints to be found in Caesar’s household. Perhaps she was the wife or sister of Philologus with whose name she is coupled.”

If that is true it would be the third pairing or husband-wife team, which included Priscilla and Aquila, and perhaps Andronicus and Junia if Junia was a woman, were also a married couple.

“It is significant that nine of these co-laborers are women (ten, if Junia[s], v. 7, is a woman, as many believe), making one-third of the total list a tribute to women in ministry and mission of one kind or another. This invites the careful interpreter to compare other Pauline passages in which women are enjoined to silence or to primarily domestic roles that are subordinate.” Gruenler, R. G. (1995). Romans. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible.

Far from Christianity subjugating women, women were and are valued for our many contributions and labors. Fie to those unsettled and unstable women who cry out for the necessity of lady preachers and teachers! Wiersbe says,

This [Romans 16] list shows the parts that people played in Paul’s ministry and the ministry of the churches. Phebe was a “succourer” of many. Priscilla and Aquila were “helpers” and “laid down their own necks” for Paul. The conversion of Epenetus led to the salvation of others in Asia. Mary “bestowed much labor.” Andronicus and Junias went to prison with Paul. One can only give thanks for these devoted saints who fulfilled their ministries to the glory of God. May we follow in their train!

Source- Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 566). Victor Books.

May we labor for the praise from our Lord, for His pleasure is our joy.

theology

Boasting the right way and the wrong way

Posted on October 14, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Oxford Dictionary defines bragging or boasting as excessively proud and self-satisfied talk about one’s achievements, possessions, or abilities.

Boasting is part of growing up. ‘My dad can beat your dad’ is often heard on the playground. So is ‘I can run faster than you- let’s race.’ And the ever popular ‘I win!’

Developmental psychologists say kids boast because “After age 7, children develop a new cognitive ability to think of themselves as having enduring traits and abilities…” Excited about this new understanding of themselves, children “want to talk about them and have others notice — which is what leads to that bragging.” (Source).

Children need to be taught how to be humble.

Why? Because bragging or boasting is based on pride. People brag to be liked or admired, because they want to feed their ego, or because they have low self-esteem and try to puff themselves up in the eyes of others. When we grow to an adult, if it hasn’t been educated out of us, as much as people still possess a tendency to tend to brag, we equally hate it when others boast.

I wrote recently that Christianity is an upside down, unexpected religion. “The path to eternal life is narrow, as opposed to the broad path to destruction. The first shall be last. The last shall be first. Humble yourself and you will be exalted, but exalt yourself and you will be humbled. Love your enemy, do not hate your enemy.”

Boasting is another of those upside down lifestyle choices we are to master in our walk.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:31, “so that, just as it is written: “LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

My soul boasts in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. (Psalm 34:2).

Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 10:17).

We’re allowed to boast, but not of ourselves. Not of our accomplishments. Not of our possessions. Not of our works- If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God (Romans 4:2).

In the Bible, the word for boast “to praise”; kaucháomai, “to vaunt oneself,” is used in the Bible in both in a good and a bad sense. When it is boasting of God, it is in the good sense. When it is of ourselves, it is in the bad sense, self-righteousness (Ephesians 2:9; Romans 2:17, 23).

Lord forgive me, I still boast! Why do I boast of myself when I am a worm in the dust, and the only ‘good’ in me is Christ, who is worthy to boast of? Paul because he did so many amazing things that are out of the realm of my conception, but I do feel kinship with him in this verse

For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains the 1 Corinthians 1:31 verse,
As it is written – This is evidently a quotation made from Jeremiah 9:23-24. It is not made literally; but the apostle has “condensed” the sense of the prophet into a few words, and has retained essentially his idea.

hat the design of the plan of salvation is to exalt God in view of the mind.

(2) that the design is to make us humble; and this is the design also of all his works no less than of the plan of salvation. All just views of the creation tend to produce true humility.

(3) it is an evidence of piety when we are thus disposed to exalt God, and to be humble. It shows that the heart is changed; and that we are truly disposed to honor him.

(4) we may rejoice in God. We have no strength, and no righteousness of which to boast; but we may rejoice in him. He is full of goodness and mercy. He is able to save us. He can redeem us out of the hand of all our enemies. And when we are conscious that we are poor, and feeble, and helpless; when oppressed with a sense of sin, we may rejoice in him as our God; and exult in him as our Saviour and Redeemer. True piety will delight to come and lay everything at his feet; and whatever may be our rank, or talent, or learning, we shall rejoice to come with the temper of the humblest child of poverty, and sorrow, and lack, and to say, “not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake,” Psalm 115:1.

O, that I would do better in the boasting – and boast rightly of Him. As Isaac Watts wrote in his hymn, “Immortal honours to thy sovereign name.”

Jesus is the only Person in the Universe who is proper to boast in, not ourselves, not our things, achievements, or deeds. Glories manifold to you, O King, for ever and ever!

theology

Now, THIS is what I’m talkin’ about! Perfect vintage haul

Posted on October 12, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I wrote this yesterday on my personal blog, The Quiet Life. It’s Fall Break! Which means I have 4 days off, Saturday and Sunday which are usually off and then also Monday and Tuesday. I’m going to take a break today and tomorrow. I’ll be back Monday at The End Time with a new essay. Though I keep The End Time writing related to theological topics, here is a peek at the things that charm me in my regular life. My deeply rooted joy is in Jesus, but then again, who doesn’t enjoy a good deal?

I love Georgia. I love winter, spring, and fall. Summer? Not so much. I knew that going in. BUT! The Fall is glorious. Yesterday October 10 and today, October 11 were 72 humidity-free degrees, azure diamond clear skies with some fluffy clouds hanging about, also enjoying the day. A gentle breeze. No pollen. We wait all year for this, and when it comes, it’s wonderful.

So yesterday was a half day for the students, so the rest of the afternoon at school was generally lower key (but still busy). I took the opportunity after school to drive across the county amid swooping hills and gorgeous sun, rolling pastures, cows, horses, and no other traffic, to the farm stand. The sale was $5 for a dozen sunflowers. ‘How nice!’ I thought. ‘I can get a dozen, put them in my favorite vases, and spread them around the kitchen and living room, and have flowers all around me during Fall Break!’

Yes, Fall Break. Friday is a teacher work day and then after the weekend we have Monday and Tuesday off. I worked on all my things at school while listening to various playlists. So cozy and relaxing. Hee Haw Gospel Quartet, Classical Piano, Instrumental Hymns, those were my go-to playlists for the afternoon as I wrote up reports.

Afterward, I zipped home to receive my Kroger grocery delivery, then zoomed up to the vintage store to check out the sales. I needed placemats. Oh, I knew going in that though I only needed one item, I’d leave with more than one. That is the way of it. So this is my haul:

Clockwise from bottom: The aforementioned placemats, with a green necklace. $3 and $2.65. I don’t have any green jewelry. I’ve been trying to be mindful of the color clothing and accessories I lack. I have a lot of blue. No green. Unless it’s all green and no blue, because I get those mixed up…

Anyway, to continue- 2 small gift bags and vintage wrapping paper. I love, love these designs. $1. Ellicott’s Commentary on the whole Bible, 1954, vol 5. Covers a lot of the Old Testament Prophets. Charles Ellicott was a conservative scholar in the 1800s. $3.

Random piece of marble. Very thick, green (ha ha) with a wonderful tan vein. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but it was only $2. Cannot. Resist. Marble.

Gibsons-England Teapot, Peach Luster and Gold, Vintage 1950s. $6.50. Gibson’s is sought after and luster-ware is coveted too. I liked the size and shape.

I am pretty happy with the haul, total was less than $20. I got what I needed, what I can and will use, and I had a nice visit with the store owner. She is driving up to see her friends who pastor a church in storm-ravaged NC. She put a short video up about donations, and within a few hours received over $700. We talked about how kind and generous people are!

And tomorrow, Saturday, I will kick off the weekend with attending the annual Books for Keeps, a warehouse of gently used books of all kinds, tens of thousands of them. They throw open the doors to the community once per year for 3 days, and you can go get up to 100 books each day they are open for free! I will be standing on line with my totes at 10 am ready to scour the shelves for the perfect additions to my classroom library and my personal library.

Flowers, vintage paper, teapot, and free books… Happy Fall break to me!

theology

Missionary stories: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Posted on October 10, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I was surfing around social media and came across a ‘Suggested post’ on Facebook that extolled the virtues of the book “Christy” by Catherine Marshall. I remember reading that book as an older teen, and then again as an adult post-salvation.

As a teen, I hadn’t realized it was a missionary book, written in 1967 by the missionary’s daughter Marshall about her mother’s time in the mountains teaching the impoverished children of Appalachia. Her mother was Leonora Whitaker. Though many of the scenes were taken from her mother’s life and times in the mountains in 1912, several weren’t related to her life but were accurate to the times in general. That is why the book is listed as a novel and not a biography.

It takes some doing for an author to write a book of faith and the unsaved person not to notice or be bothered in spirit by the theology inside the book.

Christy has a number of false theologies it introduces. There’s mysticism, Quakerism, direct revelation, biblical errancy, social justice, moralism, and more. I reviewed it at my link below.

Book Review: America’s beloved novel, “Christy”

The issue got me thinking about missionary biographies. There are wonderful missionaries of the true God, and there are wayward missionaries who spread false doctrine to the unfortunate recipients. Here are some missionary biographies I can recommend. Reading about them is inspirational.

One thing the missionary bios show is God’s forward providences in a future missionary’s life, that the future missionary cannot envision at the time they are living it, but hindsight when we read about them afterwards, shows His care and precision in raising up those whom He has marked for this ministry.

Here are some missionary biographies or autobios I recommend-

Gladys was a Cockney maid in a British Lord’s house. She used to rue the day that she was created so short with such black hair. But she found after salvation and when she arrived in China, that her size and coloring allowed her to blend right in with the Chinese around her! She was less intimidating and the Chinese people warmed up to her faster.

Gladys Aylward The Little Woman. Blurb- “With no mission board to support or guide her, and less than ten dollars in her pocket, Gladys Aylward left her home in England to answer God’s call to take the message of the gospel to China. With the Sino-Japanese War waging around her, she struggled to bring the basics of life and the fullness of God to orphaned children.”

The scene where John leaves his beloved dad, likely never to see him again (he was going halfway around the world from Scotland to Vanuatu) made me cry.

Thirty Years with South Sea Cannibals: Autobiography of John G. Paton. “John G. Paton’s accounts of evangelism among the South Sea Cannibals are extraordinary, but what sets this book apart is that it contains one of the finest testimonies of multi-generational love and devotion between a father and son found outside the Scriptures. In this autobiographical account, Paton describes how his father’s love and training prepared him to endure bitter hardship, to persevere against unspeakably difficult circumstances, and to resist sin. Because of his father’s faithful example, Paton was able to love and lead to Christ the very people who tried to eat his wife and child.“

BTW this one is John MacArthur’s favorite missionary book and one of his top books of any kind. I’m reading it now and it is just so well written!

William Carey by S. Pearce Carey. “A beautifully written biography of the ‘father of modern missions’. S. Pearce Carey’s compelling pages convey the very atmosphere of that extraordinary period of missionary advance. This life of Carey is structured around a series of remarkable events, always unplanned and unexpected, which opened the way to undreamed of achievements. Carey and his colleagues overcame mountainous obstacles to become the most productive church planters and Bible translators of all time. No other work compares with this moving treatment.“

I haven’t read the book but I did see the movie. What a commitment those 5 men made! If you never knew about the strange occurrence at the end. The Waodani who speared Elliot and the other men claimed to have heard strange music, and light-figures floating above the trees. Mincayani, the man who speared Elliot, told Elliot’ son that he saw his father ‘jump the great boa’, others interpret the scene to say it was angels bringing the missionaries home. Scene here. Story here.

Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot. “It is the life and testament of Jim Elliot, as told by Elliot’s widow, author and evangelist Elisabeth Elliot Gren. Shadow of the Almighty is the true account of Elliot’s martyrdom, along with four fellow missionaries, at the hands of Ecuador’s Huaorani Indians. About this important and enlightening book, Eugenia Price writes, “It proves that Jesus Christ will bring bright creativity out of any shadow which might fall across any life and any love.” A story that has inspired Christian readers for more than half a century, it poignantly recounts a tragic event that was presented from Huaorani perspective in the 2006 feature motion picture, End of the Spear.“

We serve a great God. He raises up men to be husbands and lead families in obscure corners of the world, some He raises up to be preachers to teach His word to the people, others He raises up to be evangelists who travel to far flung places and bring the word then return. And still others are missionaries who go to a people or tribe and live among them as a witness to preach and teach.

We do not know the stories of most of the people Jesus raises up. We simply live our lives under His wing and then pass away to heaven. We can learn their stories of service in heaven. But of the ones we do know about because their deeds have been recorded in books, let’s honor them and the great God who raised them and see their witness on this side of the veil even long after they have passed on.

theology

Small groups and propaganda

Posted on October 9, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Josh Daws, @JoshDaws, wrote on Twitter/X on 7:30 AM · Oct 2, 2024 the following-

🤯 Jacques Ellul on the role of the small group in spreading propaganda. The church has yet to fully reckon with how small groups, without strong pastoral oversight, can and have become vehicles for spreading woke ideology within congregations.

The dynamics of small groups often favor conformity over true discipleship. The most assertive individual usually sets the tone, and the group’s consensus follows. This makes it easy for ideology, rather than genuine biblical teaching, to take root.

I thought this made sense. I’ve written before about the danger of para-church ministries that are loosely or not-at-all attached to a local church. I’ve also warned about Sunday School classes led by laymen, and Women’s ministries where false doctrine can be and often is introduced in any of these extensions of the main service of a solid church.

Small groups are another area of concern. In one church I know of, they have family groups at homes of different people after the service to discuss the points in the service. But the elders insist an elder or a deacon to lead each of these where they occur. So, there is either pastoral oversight or delegated elder oversight at each group.

In my church, Bible study on alternating Wednesday nights for both men and the woman are led by the teaching elder.

Women have written to me in concern that in their small group, when false doctrine is spoken or taught it is so hard to rebut it. The close-intimacy dynamics of the group often makes it intimidating to say anything ‘negative’ or to counter a statement with a contradiction even if the lady has scripture at the tip of her tongue. Too many women just respond “Well, that’s MY truth”, and the woman who lovingly raised the concern is at a loss as to how to continue rebutting.

Photo by Small Group Network on Unsplash

Father Timothy Rossow, a Lutheran priest, wrote about conventicles/small groups here. I’ve excerpted the part about small groups. He defined conventicles: “Conventicles are groups of instruction and prayer that are held apart from the supervision of the office of the ministry.”

Concern 2: Conventicles lead to division.
Your small group may have sound doctrine and may not be divisive but many have seen and testify to how they often become divisive and do tolerate false doctrine. The temptation is great to use the small group to complain about the church or about the pastor or to gossip about others. The church is a body with Christ as the head and the pastor as the under shepherd of Christ. It is also hard for church members to recognize false doctrine and then even when it is spotted it is hard for one member to criticize another member’s doctrine. What usually happens is that false doctrines are just left unchecked in small groups, if recognized at all. I do not always know exactly what is wrong with me when I am sick but I do not go to a neighborhood small group discussion on medicine to find out. My doctor is trained in medicine and so I go to her to find out what is wrong with me. My pastor is trained in doctrine and so I go to him for knowledge about religious truth.

Famous dissenter, feminist, and divisive personality Puritan Anne Hutchinson led a conventicle in her home. That was the ground zero location from where the tension in the Puritan colony built. The resulting religious tension erupted into what is known to historians as the Antinomian Controversy. The roiling controversy disrupted the entire colony, and Hutchinson was eventually exiled to Rhode Island.

Fr. Rossow answers the following question:

Can There Be Small Groups for Things Other than Bible Study?
“Yes there should be. That helps to bring the church together so that we can know when one is rejoicing and when one is hurting (I Corinthians 12). Small groups can and should be arranged for fun and fellowship (cards groups, dinner parties, etc.)“

Fellowship is important, and should be encouraged and celebrated among the congregation’s members. But for doctrine, the pastor or elders are responsible for that. We remember Paul’s admonition in Acts 20:28-30,

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.

How to raise a concern if a false doctrine was brought to your small group:

1. Be decisive and act fast. False doctrine spreads like gangrene. Pray. Raise a concern, gently but don’t be combative or dogmatic. G tot he leader after for further discussion.

2. When you go to the leader parse out if they just misguidedly or badly explained a biblical doctrine. Was it just a garbled delivery, a sincere mistake, or something deeper? Or does she beleive what she had taught? Don’t immediately assume your small group leader is nefarious.

3. When you meet privately bring scripture that pertains to your concern. If during the conversation it turns out the leader admits the mistake or you learn it’s a simple fix, great. if not, then you have scripture ready to gently contradict the error espoused in the small group. if it’s a male leader, bring your husband or ask your husband to meet.

4. Pray again. If the issue continues, do not attend the group any longer. If the pastor asks, tell him why. If he doesn’t ask, share why anyway. Kindly. Often times pastors are busy and leave the responsibility of leading a small group delegated to someone else to take the load off.

We must always be on guard, vigilant, and mildly suspicious of groups that meet outside the purview of the elder. This is becuase church is the biggest battlefield on earth. Many verses and passages deal with ng to be wary, and many passages list what to do if false doctrine enters the church. This is because satan hates holiness, he hates Jesus, and he wants to impact your walk as much as possible.

Paul said to test everything (1 Thessalonians 5:21), to check against the written word (Acts 17:11), and Peter said to be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8). It’s sad that we have to be, but we often forget that we are in a battle and the battle is on earth against ideas (2 Corinthians 10:5). Those ideas come in the form of false doctrine, among other ways.

We can relax our vigilance into an eternal peace when we get to heaven. Until then, oppose those philosophies that oppose Jesus.

theology

Christianity is an upside down, unexpected religion

Posted on October 8, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Allen S. Nelson IV @cuatronelson said on Twitter/X,

It doesn’t matter what you accomplish in this life, how big an empire you build, how many great things people say about you — if God doesn’t know you, it’s a life wasted.

Conversely, it doesn’t matter how little you have, how unpopular you may be, how insignificantly the world thinks of you — if God knows you, it is a life well lived.

That got me thinking again about what an upside down lifestyle Christianity is. It’s the opposite of what the world teaches us. It’s the opposite of what our flesh tell us. It’s the opposite of that you would expect.

The path to eternal life is narrow, as opposed to the broad path to destruction. The first shall be last. The last shall be first. Humble yourself and you will be exalted, but exalt yourself and you will be humbled. Love your enemy, do not hate your enemy.

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. When man makes a religion, as all others are (Catholicism, Mormonism, Buddhism, Islam, Wicca etc) we see that it focuses on man. They are religions that show our works, our strength, our thoughts. Who could think up such a plan as the Gospel? That our Very God would incarnate into human flesh? Teach, preach, live sinlessly, and die? The Gospel itself is upside down, unexpected, wholly outside of man’s imagination!

Yet, it is true.

And aren’t we glad that God is not a God we can ‘figure out’? He is transcendent. That means He is outside of us, outside of the creation. Wholly other.

Psalm 40:5 says, Many, LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is no one to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.

theology

Praise at work

Posted on October 7, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I was chatting with a lady at work. We both arrive pre-dawn. We looked at the rural night sky and marveled at the creations there; stars, planets, and we talked of how we love hearing the night birds. We praised God with birdsong and cricket chorus as the background music.

Then she inspired me with her talk of how she loves everybody, “No matter how they look or their situation, we’re called to love them, and besides we never know when we night be entertaining an angel…” and we spoke of angels for a bit.

She surely is a wonder. I asked my boss how long this lady has been working there, and she said the woman has been working there 25 years. In my 16 1/2 years at this job I have never, EVER heard her complain once. Nor gossip once. Nor be anything but thankful to have her job.

It is refreshing to speak of Jesus during the day. Don’t wait until just Sunday to praise Him. Don’t restrict your praises to your silent or whispered prayers. We get so busy during the day but in my opinion it is important to stop and chat, praise, rejoice frequently.

I encourage you to:

1.Praise Jesus during the day to yourself and to others. Even a sentence or two, it doesn’t have to be a discourse or a sermon!

2. Think about who inspires you at work and stick to them like glue!! Avoid the troublemakers, gossips, and complainers. Purposely seek out the Christians around you if there are any, and join up for a brief praise. It works to lift your spirit, to alter your perspective.

Spurgeon said Christianity is “a joyful business altogether, for the Savior is glad to save, and the sinner is glad to be saved.”

and-

“Thou canst not tell what showers of mercy, what streams of benediction, what mountains of joy, and hills of happiness, shall be thine when Jesus comes and reigns in thy soul.” ~Charles Spurgeon