Posted in theology

Prata Potpourri: When routines get boring, how to approach discernment, and THAT Twitter fight (plus more)

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Fall. EPrata photo

If you can imagine the scene here at my apartment…It’s early hours, pre-dawn. I’ve got some hymns on Pandora playing and the coffeepot is hissing and sputtering. The fall weather has finally arrived here in Georgia, always an eagerly anticipated event after the brutal heat of a southern summer.

I am gathering links that I think will edify, sip some coffee, pause to look out the dark windows and just let mind mind free to think its thoughts and ramble over mountains of memories and hills of remembrance.

After a few moments, I turn back to the screen and place another link into the list, and write a summary to attach that explains it. And so it goes, my delight in writing the day’s blog. It’s never a chore and for the past almost 14 years the Holy Spirit has given me the strength and energy to complete the task.

Here is today’s blog, a roundup of links I think you may enjoy:

I don’t know Andrew Tate but I saw this clip on a trusted friend’s Twitter and I listened to the 56 second clip. I thought it was a fantastic summary of the future grief that feminists will feel at the end of their lives when they mull over the devastating choices they’ve made. It all goes back to contentment in our individual roles that God has outlined for us. Please take a listen-

In this next video, 7 minutes of scorching Christianity, Pastor-Teacher Dr. John MacArthur addresses his congregation about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s national campaign for abortion. Gov. Newsom has funded and promoted billboards that offer to perform abortions for any women in the US if they come to California. The billboards were erected nationally, not just in CA. Worse, the Governor used actual Bible scripture to support his position to make it seem as if Jesus Himself were saying that child murder is loving.

This was over the top for Dr. MacArthur, a California resident. MacArthur composed an Open Letter to the Governor, reminding the Governor of his God-given responsibilities as a public leader, warning of his judgment to come, and pleading with Newsom to repent.

I post this because I was both convicted and encouraged by MacArthur’s quiet earnestness. MacArthur has always been quiet when preaching, believing the words should issue forth and his personality retreat to the background. So no podium pounding, no screeching, just quietly letting the TRUTH of God’s word do the work.

After listening, I felt sorrow for the times I failed to pray for my leaders, and when I tut-tutted their probable eternal torment with a quick drive-by and nary a tear of grief. Friends, eternity matters. And no one is beyond salvation. Pray, pray, pray.

Here is the link to read the actual letter. It echoes John the Baptist’s preaching in tone and strength. Letter HERE.

DebbieLynne Kespert wrote about The Confusing Aspects of Contending for the Faith. She compares the positions of two good podcasts that suggest an approach to discernment, adds a third to the mix, then sorts them out into a balanced middle ground. How should a church or a ministry approach the teaching of discernment? Read her essay to find a measured consideration of the question.

Have you ever done a “Spiritual Gifts test?” I have, when I was a new believer and anxious about how and where to serve. But do they work? Here is Justin Jackson at For the Church on why The Local Church is Your Spiritual Gifts Test.

Barbara Lee Harper posted about what to do When Your Spiritual Routines Get Boring. Have you had this happen to you? I have. I think her suggestions are good.

This was a rough week on Twitter. A dear brother whom I respect made a stance against another brother whom I do not respect as much and in fact I have deep concerns about, but who is hugely popular. The twitter mob either-

  1. Bullied the brother into repentance, or
  2. Pressured him consistently enough so that he saw his sin and repented, or
  3. None of the above

I stayed out of it. I chose not to delve into the nuts and bolts of the fight, and it was a fight, a big one. So I make no statement on who was right or wrong, or both. The brother was spoken to by elders, his own and others. Subsequent to being addressed by elders, the brother put out a statement of repentance which seemed to me to be clear and honest. I read it and was encouraged by the humility displayed in it. I’m speaking of Costi Hinn and his statements about Doug Wilson and G3 Ministries.

I bring this up not just to refer to “the big fight,” but because as I was reading Costi’s letter of repentance, I was reminded of another hugely popular brother, a pastor, who recently was taken to task for a sin, (Matt Chandler). He seemingly came clean publicly in an emotional video taped before his congregation in a Sunday Service. His oral statement was not as clear or as humble- in my opinion. As I read Costi’s letter, I mentally compared it to Chandler’s, which was also issued recently. I believe it is a good comparison of two leaders of the faith being reined in by elders and the individual’s response to their sin being brought to light.

When you repent, it has to be ‘bare naked’, with no dissembling, precious clichés, or false humility. Costi’s was. Chandler’s wasn’t.

G3 Ministries and Statement Costi’s letter of repentance here.

I thought this gentleman’s parsing of Chandler’s ‘coming clean video’ in successive tweets in a thread was spot on. Twitter thread below or thread reader unroll here.

After another week of leaders publicly sinning, fights, twitter mobs, betrayals, evil abounding, government leaders wielding abusive power…how does one not become cynical? This was asked of a pastor with over 50 years in ministry, John MacArthur. His reply was encouraging! He always puts the center in the center and never drifts from it. Praise God for raising up men like MacArthur (and many others who are under the radar, like my friend James Bell, Allen Nelson, Darryl Dash, my own elders, and so many others). If you want 8 minutes of faith-filled encouragement, listen here

So that’s it for this week. I hope you enjoy the weekend, and the week ahead. The Lord is always in control, always loves His own, and will come again to bring us to eternity, where no sin will ever be present. What a day that will be.

Posted in theology

Short Shots: Mint/dill/cumin

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

‎This photo of a nineteenth-century German engraving shows a peppermint stalk and leaves with close-up views of flower components. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) has been prized since ancient times for its flavor and for medicinal qualities. Experiments show that peppermint oil inhibits the growth of many pathogenic microbes. The plant was widely cultivated in first-century Galilee and Judea. In his dispute with his opponents over tithing, this was one of the mint species Jesus had in mind.
‎Matt 23:23, Luke 11:42
‎Image by Franz Eugen Köhler, botanist and illustrator, from Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain

Jesus pronounced woe upon the Pharisees, saying

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23).

Becuase I like the natural history of the Bible plants and animals, today just take a quick let’s look at what herbs Jesus is speaking of rather than the spiritual import of his pronouncement.

Holman Bible Publishers explains MINT AND CUMIN: Mint is a sweet-smelling herb used to season food. Cumin is a carawaylike herb Judaism also used in seasonings and in medicine. Jesus named mint, dill, and cumin as He criticized the Pharisees for requiring the tithe of the herbs while ignoring more important matters of the Law (Matt. 23:23). Mint and Cumin. In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 1135). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Image from Faithlife

Isaiah 28:23-27 gives insight on how each of these herbs were harvested:

Listen and hear my voice, Pay attention and hear my words. 24Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he continually turn and break up his ground? 25Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter cumin And plant wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its area? 26For his God instructs and teaches him properly. 27For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cumin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a club.

The spiritual explanation Isaiah is trying to get across to the stiff-necked people is that the farmer doesn’t do nothing but plow. Farers use a variety of methods to yield their crop. And so would not God do the same, but perfectly and in higher ways? But for the point here today, we see that Isaiah helps us city-dwellers understand the ancient ways of harvesting the spices that Jesus mentions 700 years later in his speech about the Pharisees.

MINT: The Greek word heduosmon, or heduosmos, which means “having a sweet smell,” occurs in two passages of the New Testament, Matthew 23:23, and Luke 11:42, and has been translated “mint.” It corresponds with the Latin mentha. The species of mint most common in Syria is that represented in the figure, and called by botanists Mentha sylvestris. It is often cultivated in gardens, and it is generally distributed over Europe, and reaches even to Kashmir. It is likewise found in Britain. The plant belongs to the natural order Labiatæ. It is an erect plant, with opposite, nearly sessile, ovate, lanceolate, and downy leaves, which are whitish below. The spikes of flowers are dense, and have a conically-cylindrical form. Another species is also common in Palestine, and is called field-mint (Mentha arvensis). The species of mint have all carminative qualities. (i.e. it relieves flatulence!) They grow usually in damp places, and have reddish flowers arranged in spikes or whorls. Mint was much used as a condiment. Source: Balfour, J. H. (1885). The Plants of the Bible (pp. 173–174). London; Edinburgh; New York: T. Nelson and Sons.

So often, people who deride the Bible as simply ‘an ancient document written by shepherds’ would do well to study the ingenious methods the ancients used to yield product from the land and from their animals. The ancients built the pyramids, after all. The farming methods of the ancients, their crops, and their animals are fascinating to me. Below are some other essays I’ve written about plants and animals of the Bible days.

Donkey milk? Yes, Donkey Milk

What is an Almug tree?

Short Shots: fish, barley, mustard seed, sycamore tree

The beauty of the almond tree

Acacia wood

Consider the sparrow

Four Hundred pomegranates!

Posted in theology

It’s war

Posted on by elizabethprata

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.

Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash

Posted in theology

On Writing, and On Writing for the Lord

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Writing

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?

Posted in theology

Encouraging news from Mt. Zion Bible Church / Chapel Library

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I’ve shared before how wonderful the ministry of Chapel Library is. It’s an arm of the Mt. Zion Bible Church in Pensacola, FL. The good folks at their library ministry describe it this way-

Chapel Library’s mission is sending Christ-centered literature worldwide without charge. Chapel Library offers almost 1000 titles in English, 200 in Spanish, and dozens in other languages. The Free Grace Broadcaster, our primary publication, is a collection of 6 to 10 articles on one subject from the best authors from prior centuries.

It’s awesome. Their library of quality essays is excellent, and you can download, read online, or have them send hard copy to you for free. Their library looks like this-

Chapel Library

Their monthly pamphlet, Free Grace Broadcaster, a series of essays based on one topic-

As with many ministries, occasionally they send out an update of their activities. I found the recent update to be encouraging. I received it a couple of months ago and I want to share it with you. With all the drastic sin we’re seeing nowadays, the collapse of civic diligence, the rampant violence etc, this ministry update helps remind us that the Lord is in control and He does not leave His people alone. He is with us. He is growing His people. He makes ministries thrive. His Spirit educates people. It’s so uplifting to see the Lord’s activity in the world in these ministry reports.

Here’s Chapel Library:

The Lord’s Faithfulness in the Last Three Years

The Lord has shown Himself faithful and kind to the ministries of Mt. Zion Bible Church in the last three years. With all the turmoil and uncertainties in our own country and around the world, we’ve wondered what this period of crisis holds for our literature ministry and the Bible Institute.

As we mentioned a couple of years ago, in 2019 the Lord blessed us to update our print shop[ and bindery with brand new equipment.

In 2020-2022 we have been blessed with generous giving from donors around North America, as well as some from around the world.

From 2018-2020, we began to see an increase in orders from other countries. We believe two factors contributed to that: the Lord blessed us to negotiate special rates with key international shippers and enabled us to streamline our processing of international orders through our website (www.ChapelLibrary.org).

In 2021, international requests for literature increased even more, twice as many as in 2020.

So far in 2022 (just into August),we’ve already surpassed the figures for all of last year!

We praise the Lord for the increasing volume. Please pray with us for wisdom, effectiveness, and fruit from the Holy Spirit’s work through the tracts, booklets, books, and courses that are going out all over the world!

That is the end of Chapel Library’s update, but wait! There’s more! The Lord has His own in every nation, tribe, and tongue. Chapel Library also lists the following praise reports from many different countries-

Kenya – “I have found your materials to be so useful not only to me but also to our church. I have not only been enriched and enlightened, but also I have found answers to questions that I never knew.”

Cuba – “Since I found your website online, I have dedicated long hours to reading literature in digital format. It has been a great blessing, consolation and edification in my life and that of my family. Less than a year ago I was diagnosed with Severe Dilated Myocarditis and I have spent most of my time at home in prayer and perseverance of the faith.”

Philippines – “Book received. I’m so happy. My heart leaps with joy. It really helped me, my family, and the church.”

Argentina – “Thank you for the shipment of literature for the prison ministry where I am sharing the Gospel.”

Namibia – “I have received my parcel. We trust that the Lord will use all these materials to build His church, even here.”

Yes, even there. The Lord is sovereign over all nations and there is no corner left untouched by His presence in some believing saints. It’s heartening to know that there are solid Christians stationed all over the world, ministering in churches, prisons, families, even the hard places.

As with Chapel Library and so it is with you- you never know where the words you produce, written or vocal, will reach ears needing to hear graceful speech.

Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29).

Pray for ministries that are dear to you. Give, generously if you can. Even if you can’t, there are ways, such as Amazon’s Smile- where a portion of whatever you buy will go to a designated charity. Here is their explanation, “AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you.” FMI about Amazon Smile, go here. To view a list of their approved charities, go here. My designated charity Amazon Smile funds go toward is the Gideons International.

Praise the Lord for His work in the world! No matter how dark the days, His light never dims!

Posted in theology

The valley of the shadow of death

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

EPrata photo

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.

Posted in theology

The Attributes of God: Peace, Righteousness, Perfection

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Sundays are a good time to ponder who God is. He is worthy of service and worship. We have been taking a look at God’s attributes each Sunday. Links to previous weeks are below. Most definitions are taken from Tim Challies’ visual theology chart of the attributes of God.

Remember, God’s attributes are not parts that make up a whole. Everything good that there is, is 100% contained in God. He is 100% beauty, 100% aseity, 100% omniscient, etc. He is complete in Himself.

Tim Challies explained: “To study God’s attributes is to study his character, to answer questions like, Who is God? and What is God like? A typical classification of God’s attributes divides them into those that are incommunicable (those that he does not share or “communicate” to anyone or anything else) and communicable (those that he shares with other beings). Like most theological classifications, this one is imperfect but still helpful as we seek to understand what is so far beyond ourselves. God’s communicable attributes can be further categorized into: attributes of God’s being, mental attributes, moral attributes, attributes of purpose, and “summary” attributes (attributes that, in a more particular way, modify each of the others).”

PEACE
Moral attribute. God, in his being and actions, is separate from all confusion and disorder.

Jonathan Edwards on peace: “My peace I give unto you.” Christ by calling it his peace signifies two things,

1. That it was his own, that which he had to give. It was the peculiar benefit that he had to bestow on his children, now he was about to leave the world as to his human presence. 
2. It was his peace that he gave them, as it was the same kind of peace which he himself enjoyed. The same excellent and divine peace which he ever had in God, and which he was about to receive in his exalted state in a vastly greater perfection and fullness.

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”

RIGHTEOUSNESS
Moral Attribute
God is the final standard of what is right and he always acts in accordance with what is right. (This is also known as God’s justice).

RC Sproul on God’s righteousness: “His righteousness is of two sorts. We distinguish God’s internal righteousness from His external righteousness. What God does is always consistent with who God is. He always acts according to His holy character. God’s “internal righteousness” is the moral excellence of His character. It is rooted in his absolute purity. There is no shadow of turning in Him. As a holy God, He is utterly incapable of an unholy act. Only unholy beings commit unjust and unrighteous acts.“

Psalm 11:7, “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will see His face.“

PERFECTION
Summary Attribute
God fully possesses all excellent qualities and lacks no qualities that would be desirable for him.

Charles Spurgeon on God’s perfection: “Perfection, indeed, seems to be the sole prerogative of God. He is perfect in everything. In all his attributes there is no lack; from whatever point of view we regard him, he is without blot or blemish; and no man, speaking truthfully of God, can say that there is aught of imperfection in him.” 

Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Previous entries of the Attributes of God-

1. Attributes of God: Aseity, Beauty, Blessedness
2. Eternity, Freedom, Glory
3. Goodness, Holiness, Immutability
4. Invisibility, Jealousy, Knowledge
5. Love
6. Mercy, Omnipotence, Omnipresence

Previous weeks-1. Aseity, Beauty, Blessedness
2. Eternity, Freedom, Glory
3. Goodness, Holiness, Immutability
4. Invisibility, Jealousy, Knowledge
5. Love
6. Mercy, Omnipotence, Omnipresence
7. Peace, Righteousness, Perfection
8. Will, Wisdom, Wrath

Posted in beauty, Uncategorized

Art and beauty have a place in church

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I love church. I love the music, hymns & songs connecting me to my ancestors in the faith, all the way back. I love the sermons, God’s word expositionally preached is thrilling and fascinating every moment the preacher speaks truth to his flock. I love the people, singing praises to the Lord and singing His attributes to each other. Communion is an especially sweet time with the Lord. Just the thought that I can pray to Him asking for forgiveness of sins, and He will forgive them, is humbling. Dipping the bread into the wine is an act that Jesus performed as His last supper, when He instituted the ritual. My arm picking up the bread and dipping it feels like a long line holding me to time past, and in between, and the now with a oneness with all the other believers who have done the same thing. Continue reading “Art and beauty have a place in church” →

Posted in biblical worldview, immorality, judge not, morality, putnam, society

The plague of non-judgmentalism

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I saw an essay by Gene Veith, titled “Class, children, & the social costs of nonjudgmentalism.”

The Veith title and the essay itself is based on the work of Robert Putnam, “a very important social scientist”, who has written a new book called Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis. It deals in part with what happens to a society that refuses to hold anyone else to a moral standard. The collapse of moral standards (in the face of unwillingness to call out bad behavior and set expectations for good behavior) is causing a crisis among families. We do feel sympathy for latchkey kids, abused kids, families split, drug culture ruining lives. NY Times columnist David Brooks opined about “Our Kids”,

But it’s increasingly clear that sympathy is not enough. It’s not only money and better policy that are missing in these circles; it’s norms. The health of society is primarily determined by the habits and virtues of its citizens. In many parts of America there are no minimally agreed upon standards for what it means to be a father. There are no basic codes and rules woven into daily life, which people can absorb unconsciously and follow automatically.

Reintroducing norms will require, first, a moral vocabulary. These norms weren’t destroyed because of people with bad values. They were destroyed by a plague of nonjudgmentalism, which refused to assert that one way of behaving was better than another. People got out of the habit of setting standards or understanding how they were set.

I am familiar with Putnam’s work, most notably his 2001 book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.

I referenced Putnam’s earlier work from Bowling Alone in a blog essay, Churching Alone: The Collapse of American Churches. I’d written about the lack of a thriving biblical presence in communities, the Christian parallel to what Putnam had been saying about civic responsibility in his 2001 book. However, his new book “Our Kids” actually touches on the Christian relativism, ‘judge not’ mentality problem even more insightfully, albeit unknowingly. There IS a cost to relativism that affects both the secular society AND the biblical church. Let’s see from the Bible what the cost to the church is when it sinks into ‘non-judgmentalism.’

We see that clearly in the letter from Jesus to the Church at Thyatira. The church there had refused to set moral, biblical standards. Jesus was angry that they were tolerating sin. They were too tolerant, just like the ‘judge not!’ crowd screeches at the Christian who attempts to set biblical standards of morality. We all know Jesus did not mean for that to become a cover for their own immoral behavior.

The church at Thyatira was commended for being loving, faithful, having a service-oriented attitude, and for their perseverance. They were the only church to be so heartily praised in such a wide range of attitudes. (Revelation 2:18-19)

The problem at Thyatira was that they were tolerating a false prophetess. They were tolerant. This false prophetess, metaphorically named Jezebel, was declared to be leading the Thyatirans to idolatry, apostasy and infidelity (of the Lord).

Being busy, serving, loving, and persevering is not enough, if sin is allowed to take hold. The situation was so serious, Jesus promised that unless the Jezebel false prophetess repented and her followers with her, He would —

–throw her onto a sickbed,
–and those who commit adultery with her He will throw into great tribulation,
–and He will strike her children dead. (Revelation 2:20-23)

THAT is how seriously Jesus takes sin in the church. Tolerant love is no love at all, if it includes allowing false wolves to lead people away from Jesus.

Within the church, failure to set a moral standard based on His word brings death, either through the wages of sin or via direct intervention from Jesus. Outside the church, even secular people wonder about the long-term effects of a general lack of agreed-upon moral standards, as Mr Brooks stated in his NY Times article here,

People sometimes wonder why I’ve taken this column in a spiritual and moral direction of late. It’s in part because we won’t have social repair unless we are more morally articulate, unless we have clearer definitions of how we should be behaving at all levels.

Yet of late, the rapid decline in morality has occurred precisely because of a general refusal- in the church and out- to define morality and to stick by the standards. It must be acknowledged that in order to function effectively, a society needs to have moral standards, and these standards need to be agreed upon. Where does on obtain a moral standard? They ALL originally came from God.

At no time in any epoch and at no place upon the earth did all people ever agree on the truth…but enough people agreed so that the false ones felt pressure to conform at least superficially to the moral standards the bulk of society lived out. Now, since no one agrees even upon the basics, such as ‘what is marriage?’, it’s a free-for-all.

Yes, failure to “judge” immoral behavior in the church angers Jesus. That was a problem in Corinth. Paul charged the Corinthians for failing to specifically articulate a moral standard about incest and adultery. A man had his father’s wife, and all the church AND the pagans knew it. (1 Corinthians 5:1). The Corinthians ‘did not judge,’ and the problem grew scandalous and destroyed their witness. Failure to live by Christian boundaries then leaks over into the world, where even the peer pressure to even pretend to be moral declines and eventually evaporates. Pretty soon, the tipping point is reached where no one will stand up for any standard at all, and all is deemed good and acceptable.

We are called to be a holy people so as to be pure for Jesus and to be an example to the people of the world. (Romans 11:13-16; 1 Corinthians 10:33). A young Christian lady who remains a virgin is committing a moral act, all the brighter for the darkness that surrounds her. A married Christian man who doesn’t look at porn, or tell dirty jokes at work, is committing a moral act. Couples who stay together and don’t divorce are performing a radical, moral act.

In a healthy society, social morality is comparatively “thick.” One consequence of the cultural revolution of the 1960s was a weakening, a thinning out, of social morality. The result is that the standards of right and wrong are reduced to the minimalist test of whether a particular action is legal. This is an unthinkable degradation of standards from the America of earlier periods, when society assumed that an individual’s moral responsibilities encompassed far more than merely observing the law. The decline in social morality and the rise of legalism are illustrated in Figure 1.2 below. (Source)

Christians who speak out against sins like fornication, homosexuality, divorce, gossip, anger, impetuousness, fiscal irresponsibility … are doing Christ’s work by pointing to His moral lines He has set. Further, as Putnam said, we need a moral vocabulary. In the Christian world, call sin as sin, not a mistake, or a stumble. It is up to us to set the lines and stay behind them, because we know where they are.

–we have an absolute line, it does not move nor does it change with the culture. Share it.
–call sin what it is: sin. Use the word.
–call it out in the church. When Ananias and Sapphira were killed by Jesus on the spot for being hypocrites and liars, all who heard of it feared greatly. The church grew. (Acts 5:1-10, Acts 6:1). Paul opposed Peter to his face. (Galatians 2:11). Peter called out Simon the magician and exhorted him to repent. (Acts 8:20).
–live morally in the world. We are meant to be the Light in the world, our own sin and non-judgmental tolerance doesn’t help anyone. Tolerating sin dims our Light.

Non-judgmentalism has a cost. Yes, we are living in a time that is pretty bad, morally speaking. Perhaps even worse than the well known immorality of the Corinthians lived among. Pastor Phil Johnson thinks so. I do too.

Again, as Mr Brooks said in his review of Putnam’s book,

The health of society is primarily determined by the habits and virtues of its citizens…They were destroyed by a plague of nonjudgmentalism, which refused to assert that one way of behaving was better than another.


My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;

 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

(Proverbs 2:1-2, 9-10)

Posted in aliens and strangers, encouragement, heaven tourism, macarthur, prayer, sermons

The RIGHT kind of Heaven Tourism

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Mike Riccardi at The Cripplegate began an excellent essay on the times in which we live this way:

The last few months have been emotionally tiring for Christians in America.

You can say that again.

The last few months have been emotionally tiring for Christians in America.

Weary with burdens? Climbing an endless mountain?
Let the Lord refresh you. (EPrata photo)

I don’t need to go over it all, we know what Pastor Riccardi means. We all know we are living in a sinful world, we all know we contribute to the sins that are piling up to heaven (though thank the Lord we are forgiven for them.) We are tired and we are weary. And it has only just begun.

The love of Jesus is a mystery in its depth and breadth and height and width and its eternality since before time began. This love given to us from heaven is incomprehensible and would overflow us if we received it openly in unglorified bodies.

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge…(Ephesians 3:17-19a)

Similarly, the hatred of satan is a mystery to us. We are unable to fully comprehend its evilness. We all know that the depths of sin and its ugliness is still a mystery to us, until some heinous acts are then exposed and we very nearly succumb to the shock. Remember, these heinous acts have been ongoing since the beginning of the world. Yet Christ in His mercy doesn’t reveal them all to us at once, else we would veritably collapse from emotional exhaustion and spiritual despair. The last month has been hard enough.

the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. (Matthew 12:35a)

But it’s still difficult to deal with when we see previously unrevealed depths of depravity.

So what can we do when faced with incomprehensible evil? We can remember we are missionaries, aliens and strangers and this is not our home.

Our home is over yonder. EPrata photo

For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. (1 Chronicles 29:15)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; (Philippians 3:20)

We all know the summary of the verse at John 17:16, ‘we are in the world but not of it.’ In practical terms, I heard it explained best by Alistair Begg, “The boat is supposed to be in the water, but the water isn’t supposed to be in the boat.” ~Alistair Begg.

What can we do to get the water out of our boat?

Take a missionary leave to heaven. Yes, enjoy some heaven tourism. All missionaries get leave to go home once in a while. We all need a vacation from our daily grind. So go home to heaven. Here is how to do it:

First, pray. The Lord will call us home bodily in His good timing. But every day we can visit our home through prayer. When your kids go on mission, or go to college, or move a distance away, don’t they Skype with you? Don’t they call? They are not there in body to be with their father but they communicate with home base. Who doesn’t remember being a shaky, tearful kid alone at college, or on the Army base, and calling home to receive some love from Dad or comfort from Mom?

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Romans 8:26)

Stuck on this planet, our friends and colleagues perhaps have made it back home before us, lonely, shaky, tearful wanderer, pray. It is the “ET phone home” of Christianity.

Next, read the Bible. It is the security blanket the alien and stranger on this planet needs to stay warm, stay energized, stay effective. It is the energy pill, immunization shot, protein drink we need as we go out and complete our missionary tasks on planet Earth. When we are overcome with darkness because of the world, then overcome darkness with Light! The light is reading God’s word and seeing the face of Jesus. We can’t actually go to heaven and see Him yet, but we can behold His countenance by reading His words and having the Spirit point us toward Him. Behold His glory through the Word.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Third, wash yourself, wrap yourself in the Word by listening to a good sermon. Stay away from secular radio, avoid even Christian radio. Most times even Christian radio with its sad news coupled with songs that are only doctrine-light will not uplift you but bring you down. There is no better refreshment than the Living water to enliven the weary traveler, as we are.

 When you listen to a good expositor plumb the beauteous depths of God’s word it washes over you like a flood of love and light. When you do this you are wrapping yourself in liquid sunlight, chasing away the vaporous darkness and illuminating the corners of your soul with heavenly love. Choose sermons that exegete verse on the beauty of heaven, or the strength of Jesus’ love, or the promises of things to come.

 I can heartily recommend John MacArthur for this purpose. Phil Johnson on the Psalms is a wonderfully encouraging resource. Or choose another expositor who preaches verse by verse the word only. We do not want to hear some silly personal story from the pulpit when we’re faced with depths of sadness and are crying out to God. We don’t need practical tips for living, or topical studies. We want THE WORD, for that is the only ticket us expatriates require when it’s necessary to go on temporary leave to heaven.

Another good resource is just listening to an audio book that speaks the word. I listen to RefNet and at times they read aloud huge segments of the Bible. The word fills me and its vapors stream from the radio to my ears to my mind and glide along my veins and fill my innermost parts. It is His word that encourages, uplifts, transforms. When you want to visit heaven on a missionary reprieve, listen to a narrator read His eternal word. It is a living and active word, thus you WILL be refreshed.

 Listen to hymns. Let strong, doctrinal music flood your soul, cleaning out the leaves and twigs that have accumulated in the corners of our our soul. Let good music wash away the despair and cleanse our mind. What a balm to bask in pure words from heaven! Choose your music carefully, and make a playlist that encompasses encouraging lyrics which include verses as straight from the Bible as you can. Again it is communication with heaven that we are after in order to visit heaven, they have to be His words, not man’s. Here is a list of good, doctrinal hymns from Religious Affections Ministries. They are grouped by category.

EPrata photo

So pray, read the Bible, listen to the Word, and enjoy good, doctrinal music. We are aliens on this planet. Taking time each day to temporarily visit home will please the Father, who sent us abroad. It will liven our heart, to further Jesus’ kingdom. It will allow us to partake of the peace, that Jesus gave us.

 Be encouraged, Brother, be heartened Sister, be strong Pastor…

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)