Posted in discernment, theology

False Doctrine is like John Prine’s song Bruised Orange

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)

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

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?

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!

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!”

Posted in providence, theology

The Lord Knew

By Elizabeth Prata

When I was in my pre-teens, a book called Jonathan Livingston Seagull by philosopher-author Richard Bach was huge. It was his first, and it was a major seller. (1970). Everyone was carrying that paperback around. I don’t recommend the book, it’s all about higher planes, self-actualization, and man’s efforts at self-perfection in order to live a happy life. Now you know why it was such a major seller! lol.

Bach followed up with The Bridge Across Forever. I was older then, in my early 20s, and I read it avidly. The entire book was Bach’s ruminations of finding his soulmate. Now this was getting interesting! My husband at the time had just left for another woman. I was heartbroken.  I was unsaved then. I very much wanted to be in love and be married. I, too, wondered how to find my soulmate. Where was he? How, in this huge, big, crazy world was I going to find him? I was just one measly person. How does this all work? Continue reading “The Lord Knew”

Posted in theology

Have You “Set Your Face”?

By Elizabeth Prata

This COVID thing, eh? We’re up, we’re down, we’re free, we’re under quarantine, one droplet can instantly kill everyone in a 100 mile radius, it doesn’t spread as much as we thought, masks help, masks don’t help…

Good gravy!

It’s hard to find good information so as to make wise decisions. With all the conflicting information it’s hard even to know for sure if the leaders we submit to are making wise decisions based on good information, or just succumbing to a general fear.

As Christians, we submit even to foolish decisions our leaders make. I believe we are to follow all the mandates of those above us unless they ask us to sin. But it’s tough. Continue reading “Have You “Set Your Face”?”

Posted in encouragement, theology

God made me

Who else but mankind can say, “God made me”? A bird, as merrily as it chirps on the piney branch, cannot say that God made it. A butterfly, as exquisitely as it floats over a vibrant flower cannot say that God made it. A gazelle, as nimbly as it leaps over the embrowned savannah grass, cannot say “God made me.”

Apprehension of our creator is a gift God was pleased to bestow. All believers, no matter their sorry estate, no matter how lofty a lifestyle, no matter how wide and far they’re separated from loved ones, no matter how faithful or prodigal, can say “God made me.”

Even more, He made believers to become His own. “God made me”…to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. “God made me”, for this.

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Posted in encouragement, theology

When did God hurry?

By Elizabeth Prata

I read one of Chapel Library’s free literature pieces,  AW Pink’s The Prodigal Son. Chapel Library is a ministry at Mt. Zion Bible Church in Florida, where you can download any of their hundreds of pieces of classic Christian Literature, for free. Or, you can request that the Library print it out in booklet form, and they will send it to you for free! You can order up to $20 per month in materials. (After that, you pay).

Anyway, it was a gem of a 32 page booklet filled with lots of insights I’d never thought of before. What a lot of truth Pink packed into 35 pages! He focused on the prodigal rather than the other son, though he did mention the other son at the end. If you bear with me to read of 2 nuggets I found fascinating: Continue reading “When did God hurry?”