Posted in encouragement, theology

Gratitude in the Days of Chaos

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

giver

These times have become chaotic, disruptive, and perplexing. It helps to concentrate on Jesus in daily life. Intentionally concentrate. To do this, I find ways to purposely thank Him, this keeps His name and focus in front of my eyes like phylactery. Where Paul says he has “learned” to be content, for me, gratitude is one way I can learn to be content. I translate the day’s events into a lesson that includes gratitude (among other things), so as to propel my sanctification in cooperation with the Spirit.

I’m not writing this because I’m so super duper, or holier than thou. In fact, the opposite.  have to, must, work on ways to not let days slip by without a nod to the Shepherd of my Soul, and I easily can. I can get lazy, apathetic, and selfish in a heartbeat.
Continue reading “Gratitude in the Days of Chaos” →

Posted in encouragement, theology

Grace Community Church pushes back against Caesar’s encroachment

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Since March 14, 2020 here in America we have been under emergency orders of a National Emergency due to a pandemic. The President, under information from the Center for Disease Control and other medical organizations, shut down the country. We went into lockdown, stopping businesses, schools, commerce, international air travel- everything. The pandemic was from a virus that had come from China and swept across the world.

The predictions were for a situation akin to the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic, where millions of Americans died. This turned out not to be the case in 2020. About 97% of people who got this virus, recovered. It proved to be low risk for children, extremely few across the nation died from it. No child under the age of 17 in my state died from it in the last 5 months. Many people who supposedly had it, were asymptomatic. In others, their case was so mild they hardly needed treatment. Continue reading “Grace Community Church pushes back against Caesar’s encroachment” →

Posted in encouragement, theology

Wherever you are, Jesus hears you and knows you

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Did the pillar of cloud ever depart from the people? Did the pillar of fire ever forsake them? When the outcry rose from Sodom, did not God hear their cries?

Did the lone fleeing woman crying in the desert escape God’s attention? Did the prayer of an aged devout man to see the Messiah reach through the skies to heaven and God’s ears?

Was the prayer of a man under the sea in a fish’s belly heard? And answered? Was the desperate prophet crying in the desert alone, or was God with him? Continue reading “Wherever you are, Jesus hears you and knows you” →

Posted in encouragement, theology

Why are people acting like this?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Does anything matter? After I die, will I have a legacy, or will I be forgotten? Why are we here?

These are the eternal questions. These are the issues every man deals with in his heart. These questions represent the ever-present fear of death. 1 Corinthians 15:26 says that death is an enemy. Hebrews 2:15 says that fearing death keeps one in a lifelong slavery. The wages of sin is death, (Romans 6:23) and since every person knows he’s a sinner, they know their wages are ultimately death. They are in the grip of death all their lives, and experiencing its power even before bodily death arrives. This is the bondage of slavery meant in the Hebrews verse. Continue reading “Why are people acting like this?” →

Posted in theology

Dedication of the wall: what happened next

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The Israelites had been carried off to Babylon. The dispersal came at God’s hand as a fulfillment of the promise H’d made to them, that if they didn’t repent He would punish them. They didn’t, so He did what He said He was going to do: defeat them and allow them to be carried off.

After a while, God put it in Nehemiah’s mind to return, and to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem and to restore Jerusalem itself. The first wave of returnees had already gotten back and they were in distress, living in a ruined city with enemies all around, and no protective wall. God put it on the heart of workers Nehemiah led to work fast and well, despite obstacles in opposing armies, mocking, lies, and any and all obstructions the enemies of God could throw in their way. And there were a lot of obstructions. But they got the job done. Continue reading “Dedication of the wall: what happened next” →

Posted in discernment, theology

False Doctrine is like John Prine’s song Bruised Orange

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata*

A friend of mine recently asked me how my summer went. I said good and asked her about hers. She is a lady with whom I speak about Jesus quite often. She replied that she loves her summers so she can listen to sermons and study what the person said in it. I asked who she listened to and she said she loves Joyce Meyer, and Joseph Prince. “I love them!” she said.

Joseph Prince is a false teacher.
Joyce Meyer is a false teacher.

I went away mournful. I am also perplexed. I often speak of Jesus in my daily life, whether at work, or church, or at the store. I often speak of false doctrine and false teachers, specifically on my blog and in general at church. Sometimes if a specific situation comes up, I make an appointment and lay out specific concerns to my pastors or elders, and step back to prayerfully allow them to do their leading and pastoring regarding what I’ve shared. Continue reading “False Doctrine is like John Prine’s song Bruised Orange” →

Posted in encouragement

Dear Sisters : encouragement in scripture and poetry (by Kay Cude)

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

To all my sisters who have lost a loved one and are facing the first holiday/anniversary/birthday alone…

To all my sisters who have spoken up for the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ in Bible study or against a false teacher and have been kicked out because of it…

To all my sisters who have approached their pastor with concerns of false teaching and have been summarily dismissed…

To all my sisters who are struggling to be a good Christian wife with a non-believing husband…or an apathetic husband…

To all my sisters who have a spouse deployed overseas…

To all my sisters with a Prodigal child or grandchild…

To my lonely and hurting and grief-stricken and saddened sisters. You’re not alone.

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

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Posted in theology

Biblical Reflections And Future Aspirations

Posted on by elizabethprata

DebbieLynne is a great writer and has a heart for the Lord and sisters in the Lord.

DebbieLynne Kespert's avatarThe Outspoken TULIP

I know…you expected another edition of Saturday Sampler today. So I’ve started this sixth year of The Outspoken TULIP by disappointing readers who enjoy the selection of other blog posts and fellow bloggers who appreciate the free publicity. Take heart, everyone: Saturday Sampler will return next week with all sorts of goodies for you to explore.

Meanwhile, do you like my new decor? I’m celebrating a milestone in my blogging career, so I thought I’d dress The Outspoken TULIP up in honor of the occasion. You’ll notice a few minor changes around the blog in coming days, such as a switch from the English Standard Version to the New American Standard Bible (my husband and my pastor will be delighted). I’m also going to start using tags in addition to categories to assist readers in find posts that interest them. All this, to celebrate this blog’s fifth birthday!


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Posted in discernment, theology

Are there Modern Apostles?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

No. There aren’t modern apostles.

Below you will find a 14-minute collage of 3 clips. Speaking are Justin Peters, Paul Washer, and Gabe Hughes of WWUTT. In different ways, all three men explain from the Bible that modern Apostles don’t exist today. The Bible does talk about ‘apostle’, lower case ‘a’, which means “sent”. Anyone who is “sent” is technically an apostle, as in church planter, evangelist, missionary, etc. But the office of Apostle, capital ‘A’, as described in the Bible, is closed to newcomers. When Apostle John died in 90AD, the final Apostle died, closing that office with it. Continue reading “Are there Modern Apostles?” →

Posted in theology

All about clouds!

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Clouds. They’re there.

Every day.

They’re beautiful. They make the skies dynamic. They are a landscape all their own which changes every day, sometimes every minute. Maybe we should call them an ‘airscape.’ In the Hebrew, the ancient root of the word cloud meant ‘covering’, which is apt.

Have you ever noticed how often clouds are mentioned in the Bible? And not just related to the weather, though there are those references too. No, when clouds are mentioned, they mean different things, spiritual things. Let’s take a look. Continue reading “All about clouds!” →