(no title)

Prata Potpourri: Mocking, Notre Dame, Good Friday, more

Posted on April 19, 2019April 19, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Good, Good Father on Good, Good Friday. He was pleased to crush His Son, so that we may live. Enjoy your holy weekend, whatever you have planned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I agree with this article, and also include photography in the ‘no mocking’ standard. There are ethics that go along with online communication, whether you’re a blogger or a tweeter or a facebooker… We should not mock people for their name, appearance, or disabilities. In addition, I have known journalists who, instead of ethically choosing a photo that is a standard profile pic, or a photo that shows the person in a good light, deliberately choose the worst photo in order to visually mock them. Brethren, don’t do it. Michael Coughlin at Something To Think About has more-

Be Careful with Your Mocking

There is no excuse for mocking someone’s God-given looks, disabilities or impediments, or incidental things like the name their parents gave them. It is not only ungodly behavior, but it is ineffective even from a pragmatic point of view. It sends the wrong message to anyone we are trying to convince of our religious views, as well as any onlooker to the conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Notre Dame fire wasn’t the only tragedy…as French citizen Eric Davis explains-

The Tragedy of Notre-Dame de Paris

As a French citizen, I, along with many, felt that Notre-Dame was a rich part of our heritage. Needless to say, the burning of the cathedral on Monday was a tragedy. However, as tragic as the fire of this great structure was, there is a greater tragedy concerning Notre-Dame de Paris.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don’t mind that there is heightened religious activity around Good Friday. I was evangelized by a third grader today as she invited me to her church’s play Friday evening and explained what it all meant, lol. Our own church is having a Good Friday worship night with songs and scripture reading. However, I DO agree that if the Week or the Easter weekend becomes rote, then it becomes devoid of meaning and a rite that would anger rather than please God. Spurgeon with more-

Good Friday Is No Funeral

Charles Spurgeon was no fan of Good Friday. Too many people in his day ignored the church until “Holy Week,” a week so sacred that attendance on Good Friday and Easter apparently atoned for neglecting the church for the remainder of the calendar year. (Sound familiar?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rebecca Stark reminds us, as the Hebrews did, how to courageously and joyfully chose a path that we know would bring more trials to us-

Look for the Helper

I knew a young man who embraced the gospel joyfully (or so it seemed), began to attend church, but then rejected it all when his old friends rejected him. His friends thought he’s gone nuts, especially when they found out what Christianity teaches about sexual morality. Their insults and ridicule were too much for him to bear, and before long he chose his friends’ approval over Christ’s.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Busy? John Calvin preached several times a week, had a house full of kids, pastored, was trying to reform a city and work on a magnus opus in two languages? Here’s how he did it, and we can too-

John Calvin, Teething Children, and Serving Christ in the busyness of Life

Probably not, and here Calvin leaves us such an encouraging example. Timothy George reminds us that, “For most of his life Calvin’s house was full of little children.” [3] When Calvin’s wife Idelette died in 1549, she left him two children from her previous marriage. He assured her he would care well for them after she passed, and he did. Beyond these two, Calvin’s brother Antoine and his family, including eight more children, also lived with Calvin. Other friends and relatives would stay periodically at Calvin’s “modest dwelling.” [4] Despite the picture often painted of Calvin as the stoic intellectual, “we should not imagine that . . . his life was free from the rush and bother of daily domesticity.” [5]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a fan of talking about the blood. My favorite praise song is The Last Blood. There is a fountain, filled with blood. So anyway, Samuel D. James talks about the blood and does it well, as usual-

Blood Calls to Blood- Why I am a Christian

When we checked into the hospital I brought in all sorts of romantic ideas about watching a life come into the world. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I now know that most of these ideas were sterile, almost offensively so. I expected to see a beautiful infant glide effortlessly into the room. I expected to hear cries as soft as whispers break my mental rendition of Creed’s “With Arms Wide Open.” I looked forward to the moment of my son’s birth as a moment that I knew would transform me in its greatness, exorcise my demons and balm the proud callouses of my soul. I was going to be a different person just for having seen this, I thought. What really happened was blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In these racially charged times with all the wokeness and whiteness and blackness, here is a movie review of The Best of Enemies where, according to this true story, two people who opposed each other found out that sitting down and spending time together changes hearts.

A time to embrace

It’s so simple yet so marvelous: Spending time with someone can radically change your opinion of him or her—for the better! The new film The Best of Enemies is based on the true story of C.P. Ellis, a Ku Klux Klan chapter president, and Ann Atwater, an African American community organizer, who couldn’t stand each other until they sat down together.

Friday happened, but Sunday’s comin’!!!

hope 4

discernment, theology

Snake Cults – put this one in the “This is Weird” files

Posted on April 18, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Fratelli Alinari are the Alinari Brothers of Italy, who founded the world’s oldest photography studio. They have been documenting important works of art, sculpture, costume, and life in towns and cities since 1852. Their archive holds over 5,500,000 pictures.

Recently the company posted the following photo with the title: La festa dei Serpari – San Domenico – a Cocullo (L’Aquila). (C) Armando Bruni / Bruni Archive / Archives Management Alinari, Florence

I wanted to learn more, so I researched the Feast of the Serpent.

Cocullo is a town in the province of L’Aquila in the region of Abruzzo. It’s a sleepy medieval town of about 50 souls, but on the first Thursday of every May, the town is jammed with people who watch or celebrate the local festival in honor of the town’s patron saint, Saint Domenico di Sora. (b. 951 – died 1031). He was an Italian Benedictine Abbott who founded abbeys and hermitages throughout Italy. He was known for his miraculous ability to heal poisonous snakebites. The area was rife with many species of poisonous snakes. Many people died from the bites.

Each year the people of the town of Cocullo drape their statue of Domenic with snakes, (nonvenomous, thank goodness) caught by serpari, or young boy snake charmers. The Alinari photo depicts some of the serpari boys.

In the past, the snakes used to be sacrificed, nowadays the snakes are released at the end of the festival.

The day begins with a Catholic Mass, and continues with people performing old traditions such as pulling a bell with their teeth to ward off toothaches, or taking a pinch of earth from a cave behind the Saint’s niche for superstitious use.

The people head into the town square and are encouraged to touch the snakes, so as to develop a unification or understanding of a relationship between the human world and the animal one.

The Saint statue is brought out and the serpari cover it with all the snakes. Priests lead a procession with the saint close behind and women dressed in traditional costume, carrying circular bread. This is supposed to represent the snake biting its own tail.

In former days before Domenico adn Catholicism came along, the goddess locally worshiped was Angitia. The peoples of central Italy venerated her. She was associated in antiquity with snake-charmers who claimed her as their ancestor. As the Catholic religion overtook the region, the old pagan traditions were absorbed into it, and worship of snakes transferred from Angitia the goddess to Domenico the monk.

Of course satan loves to be worshiped. That is his main goal in life, after all. (Isaiah 14:13-14). Having inhabited a snake in the beginning to dupe Eve, he is forever identified as the serpent, the dragon of old. People have been worshiping the snake for eons, as this essay I wrote about the cult of Asclepius shows.

Isn’t it a shame that people will exchange the glory of God for creeping things of earth. Even the Israelites ground slowly down and ended up worshiping Moses’ brazen snake and called it Neshutan, rather than the God who delivered them from the Egyptians…and the desert…and the enemies…and the snakes…

As for cult worshipers,

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:21-23).

In this essay I am attempting to show you that Catholicism is a pagan religion no different than worshiping Zeus or a tree.

One day, Jesus will crush that old serpent under his heel. All false worship will come to an end, and the only one left standing will be Jesus, in all his glory. Praise Him who conquered.

prophecy, theology

Petra, Jordan, and God’s Mighty Love

Posted on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

This essay first appeared on The End Time in July 2010. It has been lightly edited.

Jordan and Israel’s relationship during the Tribulation is an interesting one. In researching, I learned that Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab nations to have normalized relations with Israel. Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel was signed in 1994 with President Bill Clinton as mediator, between Hussein I of Jordan and Yitzhak Rabin of Israel. King Hussein, of the Hashemite dynasty, died in 1999, and his designated son King Abdullah II became King. King Hussein had guided his country through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict, balancing the pressures of Arab nationalism and the allure of Western-style development against the stark reality of Jordan’s geographic location. He worked throughout his life to advance the cause of peace between Jordan and Israel (which he successfully achieved in 1994). (Source Wikipedia). Above, Petra, the Rose-red city.) That peace will be broken, and soon.

Between 1999 and 2019 relations between Israel and Jordan have maintained the same level of respect and courtesy. However, that has to change, because Jordan is listed among the nations that attack Israel during the Psalm 83 war.

“With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you- the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has to lend strength to the descendants of Lot.” (Psalm 83:5-8). Edom, Moab and Ammon are today’s Jordan. Ammon is the capital.

Yet…Jordan is one place the antichrist is not able to overcome. “He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.” (Daniel 11:41)

And…Petra in Jordan is the likeliest place the Jews flee to when the antichrist begins his persecution, and it is the likely place where they remain in safety, protected by God during the Great Tribulation and led out by Him to Jerusalem at the conclusion of the Day of the LORD. (Isaiah 63:1-6).

“Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” (Revelation 12:6).

When Jesus was speaking with the disciples in His Olivet Discourse, from that vantage point, the ‘wilderness’ was to their east and over the mountains. That is the direction of Petra, which is to the south and east of Jerusalem just below the Dea Sea.

“But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” (Revelation 12:14)

So it appears that though peace has held between Israel and Jordan for over two decades, something will change to cause Jordan to pile on in the Psalm 83 war and attack Israel in the time of the very end. However, Jordan will remain intact enough so that the antichrist will not overcome her as the verse above in Daniel 11:41 shows.

Jordan’s full name is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Hashemites trace their ancestry from Hashim ibn Abd al-Manaf (died c. 510 AD), the great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The early history of the Hashemites saw them in a continuous struggle against the Umayyads for control over who would be the caliph (successor) to Muhammad. The Umayyads were of the same tribe as the Hashemites, but a different clan. This rivalry eventually would lead to the split between the Sunni and Shia. (Wikipedia). And we see the tension between the ever-widening split beteen Sunni and Shia Muslims today.

It may be why the “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” commands so much respect in the Arab world. Today Hashemites have spread in many places where Muslims have ruled, namely Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran. Above, the cleft in the rock to Petra, at places only 9-12 feet wide.

The second curious thing is that Petra is also known as Sela, which means rock. It is referred to in Judges 1:36; Isaiah 16:1, Is 42:11; Obad. 3 where Petra is known as the “cleft in the rock”.

Petra is also known as Bozrah, which means sheepfold. Sheepfold or sheep pen is an enclosure designed with overhangs or other protection from the elements, and is solid enough to keep the sheep in and the wild animals out. It always has one narrow gate for entry. Bozrah is the perfect sheepfold! Our Shepherd Jesus will protect His remnant during the Great Tribulation, and mamny think that place will be at Bozrah, the sheepfold, the Cleft in the Rock.

It is there He definitely returns at the Second Coming and becomes stained with blood of the armies attempting to wipe out the remnant, and leads them to victory at Mt. Olive as His feet land there. (Zechariah 14:4).

God’s Vengeance on the Nations
Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
“I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me
I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment.
(Isaiah 63:1-3)

In John 14:3 He promised His church that “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am“. All this time He has been preparing a place for the church believers. He also has prepared a place for His people, the Jews, to reside in during the Tribulation in protection and safety. He is a God who cares for His people.

And that is a mighty thing indeed. Hallelujah to the One True and Mighty God, who prepares for His people a place!

encouragement, theology

Stand: Do Not be Moved

Posted on April 16, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Our Sunday School class finished studying through Ephesians last Sunday. Ephesians 6 is the last chapter, and so rich with practical living.

We’re called to stand. After all the Ephesians chapters about doctrine (roughly chapters 1-3) and all the practical applications and commands (roughly chapters 4-6a), we come to Paul’s final thoughts. He wrote,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10).

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, (Ephesians 6:13-14a)

Four times within 4 verses he calls us to stand. Not chase the devil, not march against him, not blaming him on every failed desire disrupted event. Simply…stand.

The Christian life is one of battle. Paul often made military allusions in his verses. When he called for the Christian to “stand” he might have been thinking of the Roman Caligae.

Caligae (Latin; singular caliga) are heavy-soled hobnailed military sandal-boots known for being issued to Roman legionary soldiers and auxiliaries throughout the Roman Republic and Empire. Wikipedia

Worn by all ranks, no other shoes in history are as symbolic of the expansion of an empire as the famed Caligae. Rome Across Europe

The caligae are sandals and not a boot on purpose. It was a military footwear that laced up the ankle and calf, providing air to run through and preventing trenchfoot and blisters etc.

The soles were triple soles. The middle part had strong hobnails nailed into them and acted like cleats or crampons do.

When a soldier was fighting hand-to-hand they of course would not want to give ground. Firmly planting their caligae into the ground, no matter how bloody or muddy it became, they would not slide back.

It’s a powerful metaphor. “Stand”. Do we want to give ground to the enemy? No. Do we want to slide back? No. We are not wearing caligae today, but if the men who disciplined themselves, wore that armor and obeyed their commander, conquered a continent, we who are adorned with something much more powerful and effective can do so much more.

Imagine the terror of a population, hearing that hobnailed clatter on the cobblestones as a legion of 6000 hardened and disciplined soldiers marched into their city. How much more so that satan shudders when he hears disciplined and firmly standing soldiers of Christ proclaiming His word, marching on by standing firmly, unable to be moved or even pushed back.

We wear His armor, live and proclaim His Gospel, and possess His Spirit. We are God’s army, united in one cause, spread as a phalanx across the world. Wherever we are planted, stand. Housewife in Des Moines…stand. Pastor in Calgary…stand. Plumber in Portland…stand. Teacher in Kuala Lumpur…stand.

We stand against his schemes. We withstand all in the evil day. We stand firm.

Soldier on, ladies. By standing.

tower

theology

God’s Armor

Posted on April 15, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

“Put on the whole armor of God…”

We often see kids in VBS or Sunday School with cartoon depictions of men in armor, the helmet, shield, belt, shoes, breastplate, sword. Besides, we’re all so familiar with the metaphor of armor that sometimes we tend to skim this portion of Ephesians 6.

We think, “I’ve got to put on my armor and make sure I’m suitably protected from the schemes and fiery darts of the devil…” We might picture ourselves as soldiers, wearing the gear from head to toe.

And that’s OK. That is all right.

But the beginning of this passage says ‘put on the armor of God.’ It’s HIS armor. Let’s look at some parallel verses from the Old Testament to see it:

Isaiah 11:5
Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.

Isaiah 59:17

He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.

Isaiah 11:5
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

2 Samuel 22:36
You have given me Your shield of salvation; and Your gentleness exalts me.

It’s God’s armor. When we put it on, we are putting on God, cloaking ourselves in His strength and might and protection.

shield

encouragement, theology

Grace IS Amazing

Posted on April 14, 2019April 5, 2020 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

palm sunday

My favorite doctrines are Grace, followed by Providence.

Grace that is extended by our loving God is shocking and amazing and wonderful. I was saved later in life and I remember what it felt like to live a sinful life in rebellion against God. It was confusing and upsetting, most of the time.

I read a lot, and enjoyed historical books and the world’s myths. As I read books, all the world’s made-up gods were capricious or unloving or dismissive of humans. That seemed right to me. Even when I read of the Founding Fathers and learned about their deism, that god also seemed right to me. The deist god created everything – including humans – but then retreated from humankind’s affairs and let us wind down of our own accord.

Grace given by a loving God was foreign to me and unthinkable. Because that would mean He was involved with humans, lovingly. Weird.

But that and only that God is the one true God.

He came in the form of a baby who grew to be a man-God, teaching and loving and performing miracles. He died for our sins and absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf.

Amazing Grace! how sweet the sound
It was not a sweet sound to me then, but it is now.

That saved a wretch like me
I used to close my mouth if I happened to be at a Church service, like at Christmas, and this hymn came on. I wasn’t a wretch!, I’d utter. And close my mouth, refusing to say the lyrics.

I once was lost, but now am found
I didn’t know I was lost and I didn’t know I needed to be found.

Was blind but now I see
I didn’t know I was blind. Revelation 3:17 applies here:
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

That the Lord of All would stoop to save a wretch like me, covered in mud and dwelling with the pigs, like the Prodigal, is amazing. That He would walk into Jerusalem, knowing the cries of Hosannah! would turn bloody and hateful a week later. That He went toward his kangaroo trials, his scourging, and his death, even death upon a cross, to save filthy sinners, is amazing. What grace!

Thank you Lord, for your grace!! How wonderful that even when we’ve been there 10,000 years, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun. An eternity praising You is not enough, but what grace that I am able to do so in the first place.

Was blind but now I see…

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)

theology

Observable Character: Dorcas

Posted on April 13, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Ruth. David. Dorcas. They had character.

Character is defined as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

I wrote about Ruth’s character here, her love for God, her love for Naomi, her submission, humility, diligence.

I wrote about David’s character, his bravery, his love for God, his repentance, here.

We can observe through the pages of scripture Ruth and David’s character. The Spirit has recorded their words and their acts for us to assess and enjoy.

Dorcas, also known as Tabitha, is a different story. We don’t meet Dorcas until she is dead. Yet, we can readily observe that Dorcas was someone to emulate. Why? The reaction of her friends and the people in her sphere after she had died. We never read her words and we never see via first person what her works were. But her character is just as observable as Ruth’s and David’s!

We don’t know Dorcas’s marital status, only that she was a disciple who lived in Joppa. Joppa was about 40 miles from Jerusalem on the coast.

Dorcas was living Paul’s principles as written in Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:9-15,

Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.

Dorcas certainly had a reputation for good works, caring for the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.

And it seems she had avoided the lifestyle written against by Paul in that same passage:

But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

How do we know this? Dorcas was no idler. She was completely occupied with Jesus and His people. She gave the adversary no occasion for slander. (1 Timothy 5:15). Quite the opposite, as we will see.

Her story begins in Acts 9:36.

Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.

Let’s stop there for a moment. I like how the Spirit made sure that we would know who she is by repeating her name in both languages, Aramaic and Greek. Dorcas is a Greek translation of the Aramaic name Tabitha, which means “gazelle”. So the Jews knew her as Tabitha and the Greeks knew her as Dorcas. She was known.

She was full … the word full here means abounding, completely occupied with. It is the very definition of a full life. It seems from reading the original word that Dorcas’s life was oriented as much as possible toward Jesus, as she loved Him so much that she completely loved His people, and showed it with being occupied with good works on their behalf.

of good works… the word good is the widest possible meaning good. It describes what originates from God and is empowered by Him in life through faith, according to Strong’s. So her works weren’t surface and they weren’t hypocritical. They were spiritually powerful because they were as much as possible from God and for God.

This is amazing. How often are the works we do offhand, or casual, or mixed with other motives? Dorcas’s wasn’t. They were intentional and full of love and spiritually empowered. Her works weren’t only good to the people, her works were good to God. This is the highest kind of good works of all.

and charity… This word means the poor, a specific benefaction toward the poor, as in alms giving. It seems Dorcas was not scared off by dirty people. Remember, the poor in the first century looked like the poor man outside rich Lazarus’s house, with sores, on a mat, dirty from grime and road dust, full of fleas and bed bugs, wearing tatters. There was no Social Security or Welfare or WIC or anything at all. The destitute were destitute. For women, things could get worse than even that, in a hurry. If she was cast off (divorced), single, a widow, without family, the she was living life on the edge of death every day. Dorcas was completely involved with these impoverished ladies in her works of charity. She made them clothes.

The passage in Acts 9 goes on, Dorcas became ill and died. She was washed and laid out in an upper room. But it does not end there. The ladies didn’t stand around and cry, bury her, and go on with their lives. Dorcas meant so much to them that the women took action.

They sent two men to Lydda where they knew Paul was, and implored Paul to come to them in Joppa without delay. Paul did. (Good for him!) When he arrived to that upper room with Dorcas laid out, a crowd of women were there, according to Strong’s again, weeping aloud, expressing uncontainable, audible grief.

All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. (Acts 9:39b).

ALL the widows. It means all, every. Really? Every widow in Joppa? Wow. Sounds like a Dorcas touched a lot of lives!

Showing the tunics, the word here means of abundance and multitude.

Dorcas’s illness and death rocked the world of the people she touched. They loved her, really loved her. Do you often wonder, what people might think of you after you are gone? How your life impacted them? Would they weep and mourn, or would they just go on with their life, shrugging at the loss for a moment and then you’re forgotten?

Loving Christ and doing constant good works in His name and for His name will never be void. A life such as that will never be empty. Dorcas’s character was so sterling and bright that even after her death we see how much of an impact she made for His name. May our character be as bright.

PS: By the power of God, He allowed Paul to raise Dorcas to life again. And many who heard of this, believed. (Acts 9:42).

sewing

—————————————-

The Beauty of God Reflected in Spring

Posted on April 12, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11

Wow.

‘He has made everything beautiful in its time’. Babies, like babies. If you ever gazed on a sleeping baby you have seen beauty in its time. ‘He has set eternity in our hearts’, and if you are saved by grace and faith in Jesus, then you will experience eternity with Him, in joy. If you have not accepted Jesus as your savior then respond to that eternity in your heart, you know you’re yearning, asking, seeking.

Here where I live spring is in full swing. I love the orderly change from brownish grass and leafless trees to the sudden burst of energy, color, and beauty all around. Fruit trees blossom into color, bushes, wildflowers, all showing the glory that God gave them. Birds return and sing, swoop, build, nest, and feed their babies.

God controls all of it.

blossoms mockingbird in tree

birdhouse new 2.jpg

‘No one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end’. No, I can’t, and that is the beauty of it, the eternity of it. Can we fathom a God who sends His Son to be crushed for our iniquities? Can we fathom the painful anguish of a Son separated from His Father? Can we fathom the love, boundless love of a God who became Man and hung on a cross for us?

A mysterious, omnipotent God who is unfathomable yet places Himself in our hearts and makes our souls beautiful. I am glad I know Him.

encouragement, theology

I’ve heard of wine pairings, or even tea pairings, but book pairings?

Posted on April 11, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

You know how, in the foodie world, they pair different foods or drinks together for the eater to enjoy maximum flavor? “Sauvignon blanc is the classic wine pairing for goat cheese, but you could also try a crisp dry Provençal rosé…” Or, “This Sencha Green tea would be lovely with Arugula and lightly steamed vegetables…”

I do book pairings. If a book is a difficult one, I pair it with a modern treatment. Not modernized language, though that sometimes helps, but pairing an older author and a modern author who wrote about the same subject. Or simply read books by two modern day authors writing about the same subject.

I think these would be good pairings:

Work: Its Purpose, Dignity, and Transformation by Daniel M. Doriani
and
Work and Our Labor in the Lord (Short Studies in Biblical Theology), by James M. Hamilton Jr.

I’ve read the Hamilton book. Challies recommended the Doriani book yesterday in his 10 New and Notable Books for April blog essay, and I think that would be fun to read it and compare to the way Hamilton treated the subject.

This might also be a good pairing:

The Power of Christian Contentment by Andrew M. Davis
and
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs

The Burroughs book was first published in 1648. Burroughs was an English Puritan preacher. His book on contentment is considered to be one of the gold standards on the topic, but the language is somewhat antiquated. Pairing the Burroughs book with the Davis tome (which I have not read) might be a good idea.

As a matter of fact, last summer I did pair a Puritan book with a more recently written book and it was very helpful to me in understanding the older one. I read –

The Enemy Within: Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin by Kris Lundgaard
and
Mortification of Sin in Believers by Puritan John Owen

The Lundgaard book drew heavily on the original Owen works on indwelling sin and the mortification of sin. Reading a chapter of Lundgaard’s book one day and then Owen the next helped my brain prepare for Owens’ more complex treatment of the subject in his Puritan language.

I’ve paired these and I am enjoying the double treatment of how to critically read a book-

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke is

A practical guide built on the gospel, Lit! models the skills needed to build a balanced reading diet of Scripture, theology, and devotional books, but without overlooking important how-to books, great stories, and books meant to be enjoyed for pleasure.

How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren

Wikipedia’s blurb explains Adler’s 1940 book. “Adler co-authored a heavily revised edition in 1972 with Charles Van Doren, which gives guidelines for critically reading good and great books of any tradition. The 1972 revision, in addition to the first edition, treats genres, inspectional and syntopical reading.”

Adler’s book goes into much depth. Reinke’s book is a bit lighter. I like to read Reinke’s book and then the next day read Adler’s.

You might wonder, why go through all this trouble to ‘pair books’?

Because doing so helps train us, specifically in three higher order thinking skills: Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

Analysis refers to the ability to break down material into its component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood
Synthesis refers to the ability to put parts together to form a new whole
Evaluation is concerned with the ability to judge the value of material (statement, novel, poem, research report) for a given purpose. (Source)

We employ those skills when we read the Bible. We need to analyze the passages. We synthesize when we examine the different gospels, comparing them to each other. We synthesize when we strive to understand eschatology from different passages in the Old and New Testaments. Evaluation is an important skill in discernment- if we lack the ability to judge material for the purpose of edification of souls, then we open ourselves much that is false.

The Holy Spirit illuminates the scriptures’ meaning. But we still have to put in the hard work.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14).

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; (1 Timothy 4:7).

colbert windows — Pair up two books and see what you think

——————————————————-
Further Reading:

I’ve written two other essays about the ‘how to read’ issue.

One of them is here

The other one is here

discernment, theology

A few thoughts about the abortion movie…

Posted on April 10, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

movieposter Unplanned the movie was recently released. It is from the Christian film-makers PureFlix, produced and directed by Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Daryl C. Lefever, Joe Knopp, and Chris Jones.

The movie blurb goes: “Abby Johnson becomes the youngest clinic director in the history of Planned Parenthood, then a life-changing experience turns her into an anti-abortion activist.”

The ‘life-changing event’ Abby experienced was actually watching an abortion on sonogram. The movie is based on the true life story of the real person Abby Johnson.

It is rated R for graphic violence. It shows the procedure of a chemically-induced abortion in realistic terms and also an abortion procedure via sonogram (The sonogram abortion, though not real and done with special effects, accurately depicts a true abortion and it’s pretty graphic). The film is also getting good reviews and is showing at more screens the second week than the first. It came in at #4 in the top ten box office last week, its first week showing.

I have not seen it, nor do I plan to. I’m listing a few reviews for you to ponder. I am glad, as many people are, that the issue of abortion is gaining such scrutiny and debate. I am also glad that hopefully many women will be more mindfully considering other options instead of seeking abortion as a viable alternative to an unplanned pregnancy.

However, please be aware of a few things. The movie is not evangelism. The movie does not contain the Gospel. So what? You say it isn’t a Gospel movie, anyway? Well, the people who made the movie intended it to contain the Gospel and to be an evangelism piece. The Production company it was made under is a Christian company. One would expect the Gospel to be present in movies that a Christian movie-making company makes.

Also, the people involved in the movie, from producers, directors, and actresses, claim that the Gospel IS in the movie. They also use salvific terms like redemption, finding joy, receiving forgiveness and reconciliation, and speak of how much of a ‘God story’ it is.

In an interview, I heard the director say that if Peter and Paul were around today, they would definitely use movies to evangelize. The director intended the movie to used as a method of evangelism.

We see from these three examples, that the movie people consider the film to be an evangelistic tract. But be aware the Gospel is not in it.

Also be aware that the movie’s main character (Abby Johnson) is a practicing Catholic. She was when she worked at Planned Parenthood and she is now. So is her husband. If a person believes the dogmas of Rome, they are not saved. That person does not know the will of God, does not have the Holy Spirit, their prayers go nowhere, and they are destined for the Lake of Fire. A person who is not saved has nothing to tell us about the faith.

Also be aware that Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church is a cast member of the movie, as “pastor.” Bethel Church is one of the, if not THE, most prominent churches in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Vallotton is a heretic and his church is heretical, a no-church. It’s a synagogue of satan. (cf Revelation 2:9).

I’m not speaking against the movie, per se. I hear it has good production values, good acting, and is powerful. I am simply presenting information for you to be aware of when making decisions whether to see the movie or not, and to be aware of as you watch the movie. I was particularly intrigued by the Spirit of Error’s warnings about the insidious influence of the New Apostolic Reformation. Bethel’s presence in the movie is not something to be dismissed. Link below.

As a matter of fact, the producer/directors boasted to the interviewer that the Holy Spirit was very involved in the movie. They described “miracle after miracle”. They described an incident where a man who was flying over set in his jet was praying and Jesus answered and “told” him to give the movie people a million dollars. He prayed 4X and Jesus said yes 4X (even Gideon didn’t dare but ask for confirmation twice).

They said and that there was a permanent on-set prayer team consisting of Catholic priests, atheists, evangelicals, rabbis, and pastors leading prayer two specific times during the day and then wandering around the set all day and night praying as requests or needs came. The producers called them folks “from every denomination.” These people do not know the faith if they believe atheists, rabbies, and preists know Jesus in a salvific sense. In addition, the Lord is under no obligation to listen to the prayer of an unbeliever, and in fact, he does not listen to the prayers of the wicked. (*John 9:31).

With incidents like these being touted as proof that God was involved at a specific and intimate level, one wonders how well they know the scriptures in the first place. They sounded more like the Bethel/NAR folks than God-honoring evangelicals. So beware of the NAR/charismatic influence in this movie.

Now on to some links to consider.

I enjoyed this balanced review by a pastor who went to see the film.

A Pastor’s Review of Unplanned: Uncertain of its Own Message

As far as the story goes, I rather liked the movie, but it was a hard watch. The violence of abortion is portrayed with chilling effect.

Lots of people commented to the pastor that he was wrong in various ways about his stance on the movie. He made a 25-minute video explaining and fleshing out those criticisms, here. He is extremely articulate and in listening you begin to really understand about the Gospel and the importance of its absence in the movie.

This is the Pro Life Convention video put on by the Family Research Council, at which the producers/writers/directors and the main actress were interviewed. Begin at 26:30. In addition to the previous things I’d mentioned them saying, I also thought it was interesting the lengths Hollywood will go to blacklist and suppress or otherwise thward this movie’s production.

Jon Speed, Pastor at Christ is King Baptist Church in Syracuse, NY wrote a very interesting piece on the evil of abortion in the context of Roman Catholic mythology (doctrine).

From the National Catholic Register, Abby Johnson explains how she went from From Abortion Worker to Catholic Apostle. Read her own words.

Holly Pivec explains how she was Blindsided by Bethel‘s presence in the movie, and bullet lists the NAR’s fingerprints that are deeply embedded in the movie. There’s much more beyond just a quick appearance by Vallotton.

Again, I’m thrilled that a well-done movie about the evil of abortion is getting the attention of the nation. However, remember also not long ago the activists that secretly filmed conversations and interviews with Planned Parenthood workers to buy baby parts, and how they casually described what parts they would sell and how much money they’d cost and how they’d even be able to buy a Ferrari if they sell enough? It shocked and sickened the nation. For about a week.

Don’t let your conversations and strength in the faith be compromised or even influenced simply because a cause we care about is front and center in the news adn the box office. Who brings the issue and how it is presented, also matters.

If you want to see Unplanned, more power to you. See it like you would any other new release this week. View it as a politically activist film out to persuade you on one issue, abortion, and don’t let Christianity tie in to it to the extent that the movie wants it to be. 🙂

——–

*However, while the Lord never obligates himself to the prayer of the unbeliever. He will do what suits his purpose, and that might intersect with the prayer and desires of the unbeliever. (source)