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encouragement, theology

Falling overboard…will he remember me? A Sailing Story

Posted on February 23, 2019May 20, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I lived aboard a sailing yacht for two years and sailed up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Here is our boat.

china doll — At anchor in the Chesapeake

china doll2 — Upping anchor at dawn in a Georgia river

Looks peaceful, doesn’t it? Many days, it was.

But the sea can a capricious enchantress, and sometimes it kicked up wildly.

Sailing south of the FL keys. HUGE wave, photo doesn’t do it justice.

If we made an overnight offshore passage, it meant that when one of us was at the wheel, the other was resting or sleeping below. We did not have an automatic pilot (a yacht’s gizmo for cruise control). One of us just stood there in two hour shifts, hands on the wheel at all times. If the wind changed, we left the wheel and went forward to deal with changing the sails to adjust.

That was the most dangerous thing we had to do in the whole cruise. Leaving the cockpit and walking forward, at night, alone, with one of us sleeping below. You could easily get knocked overboard and the boat would sail on without you. Cries for help would be meager and immediately drowned out by the swish of the boat, the knocking of the sails and lines and anchor chain, the waves lashing against the boat, and the wind. When there is a storm the last thing the place is, is quiet. A human voice cannot compete.

My fear of falling overboard was palpable and never left me. Just thinking for a moment of the stern of the yacht sailing on and me in the cold, cold water probably to die, was a specter in front of my eyes all the time.

The way that small boat sailors dealt with that was to install jack lines. These are:

a rope or wire strung from a ship’s bow to stern to which a safety harness can be clipped, allowing a crew member to move about the deck safely when there is risk of falling or being swept overboard. At sea, falling overboard is one of the leading causes of death in boating; fastening oneself to the ship with a safety harness reduces this risk.

Many men in small yacht sailing avoid jack lines, something to do with machismo, I suppose. I’m glad my husband didn’t feel that way. He installed and actually used jack lines whenever we made an offshore passage. Insisted on it, actually.

I watched the PBS show Carrier, about sailors on a US Navy Carrier, and in one episode, a sailor fell off the ship. He was not found.

I often think about how hard it would be to spot a tiny dark head in the swishing ocean. What insignificance we would feel being a tiny bundle of flesh in the mighty and expansive sea.

God is like that ocean. Sometimes we might feel tiny and insignificant in the face of His majesty and power. He created the universe with a word, flooded the entire earth with His power, named all the billions of stars. Does He remember me, a small package of flesh yawping and lumbering about on the earth? Does He recall my name, see this forgiven sinner in the vast ocean of humanity?

Yes.

Yes, He remembers you (and me). (See Genesis 21:14-17). There is no fear that one lone person will get lost in the shuffle. He formed our soul, wrote our names in His Book since before the foundation of the world, anticipated us through His sovereign plan, formed us in the womb, and guarded us until the appointed day of salvation. Then-

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. (John 10:28-30)

Moreover, his Son died for us, for each tiny bundle of flesh bouncing around in this world of sin and death and activity and humanity. Jesus died for us, each of us, the elect. We will not get lost in the shuffle. He will remember me.

encouragement, theology

Where everybody Knows Your Name

Posted on February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In the 1980s, the Cheers television show dominated the comedic airwaves. It was hilarious and maintained its high-ratings almost throughout its historically long run, 11 years, from 1982 to 1993. Thus, its weekly entry into American living rooms meant that the theme song was destined to become entrenched into the psyche of the viewer for decades afterwards. “Where everybody knows your name” was the theme song and it goes a little something like this –

The lyrics say:Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

and they’re always glad you came.

As the song played, I used to admire each attractive painting of each tinted character, and I’d yearn for the bonhomie the show promoted. Yes, I want to be where everybody knows my name. Yes, I want to be in a place where I am recognized, and loved for who I am. Yes, I want to be where they’re always glad I came. Is there such a place? Yes, and it’s not in a bar.

The place where everybody knows your name is heaven. And for each person either the homecoming is either joyful or fearful. There are books kept, and your name is in those books. Your deeds are kept in the books. And He knows your name – and He knows your deeds.

“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” (Revelation 20:12)

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

On the one hand, your homecoming may be brief. They will know your name but if your name is not found written, you will be thrown into torment, receiving your wish to be forever separated from Jesus. On this earth, when the person in authority opens your file, and stares at you, it is a heart-stopping moment. Have you ever been to the principal’s office? And he opens your file? It makes your toes curl. Have you ever been to the doctor’s office? And he opens your file? It makes your stomach drop. Have you ever been to court? And he opens your file? It makes your heart beat faster. This will be like that but infinitely worse.

On the other hand…

“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angel.” (Revelation 3:5)

On the other hand, if you believe, confess, and repent, when they open the book and find your name in it, Jesus will confess your name to the Father and to the angels. You will be admitted permanent entry into the most glorious place possible…the place where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.

*This essay was published on The End Time in March 2010.

theology, writing

The Writer’s Responsibility

Posted on February 21, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Christian books, pamphlets, blogs, letters, reviews, essays…it’s all so much. It is so easy nowadays to start a blog and begin writing. I’ve mentioned before about authorial skill, ministerial calling, and tone. But now let’s speak of the responsibility writers have.

What is the responsibility of a writer, his or her ethics, so to speak? All people are accountable in their work, career, or hobby. Writers write with their audience in mind. They write to persuade, inform, or entertain. This three-fold purpose is universal. EB White eloquently opined on a writer’s responsibility from the secular side, in his piece from 1969. I recommend it. Here is one quote:

A writer must reflect and interpret his society, his world; he must also provide inspiration and guidance and challenge. Much writing today strikes me as deprecating, destructive, and angry. There are good reasons for anger, and I have nothing against anger. But I think some writers have lost their sense of proportion, their sense of humor, and their sense of appreciation

Add to that, Christian writers write for the glory of God and to share edifying content to the transforming mind. Christian writers have a responsibility to be clear, straightforward, and to keep God’s glory in front at all times.We know that teachers of the Word have a responsibility, one that is so weighty that the Bible advises that “not many” should be a teacher. (James 3:1). Writers teach, especially if they have a public platform. By default, unless you’re writing in a lockable diary, your writing is public and someone will be learning from it. If not the words, the example you (I) set. Christian writers are by default, teachers.

Derek J. Brown, a graduate of The Master’s Seminary and now a pastor, wrote in 2012’s essay “Clarity: The Responsibility of Every Christian Writer“,

I am also convinced that Christians have the responsibility—if we are going to write about Biblical truth and important theological issues—to cherish clarity above all other literary qualities.

As I look back over past entries, some of what I have written causes me to grimace. In several posts, clarity was sacrificed for cleverness; precise statements gave way to long, cumbersome sentences; and healthy content was smothered under a thick layer of syrupy rhetoric.

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I hope that what I have written does not cause anyone to grimace for the reasons stated above. I know that my theology has improved since I started this blog ten years ago, and I’d grimace over older essays that I wrote in zeal without knowledge. But I hope that I have not written cleverly for the sake of being clever. I hope I have not covered up any pointing to the Lord for the sake of syrupy rhetoric.

Derek Brown goes on in convicting manner,

What this does mean is that we should labor, every time we write, to make sure that what we write is clear, and that our communication has not been hindered by silly word games. Practically, this will mean carefully choosing words that enable learning instead of words that only show off our extensive vocabulary. It will mean spending more time over fewer entries to ensure that what we post falls under the category of quality rather than mere quantity. And it will even mean that we are willing to risk being regarded as unsophisticated and unscholarly by some of our readers because we desire their spiritual good far more than we covet their admiration.

The reader’s understanding of an important point should be the first motive of the writer. I hope I never set clarity adrift for the sake of words that display the authors’ skill.

It’s easy to use big words and make much of your vocabulary. It’s hard to use fewer words, and clearer words, because that means one is squashing one’s pride and removing ego from the piece, on behalf of the more important sake of the reader’s understanding and ultimately, God’s glory.

When you choose to spend your limited time reading any material, but especially blog posts, think about if the writer has carried through his first responsibility: clarity. See if you can intuit what should be his/her motivation; glorifying God. In sum: ask yourself, Does this piece clearly make a point that helps my understanding of Jesus, and does it glorify God- or does it glorify the author?

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

verse

encouragement, theology

Fasting: What it is and what it isn’t

Posted on February 20, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Spiritual disciplines. We all know that they are. Reading the Bible. Praying. Giving. Attending church. Doing good works.

Fasting.

Fasting isn’t talked about much and when it is, it’s sort of either glossed over or it’s folded in as part of the latest diet-fad-plan.

What IS the spiritual discipline of fasting, then?

Jesus said that we will be fasting as part of the spiritual life. In Matthew 6:16-18 He said what to do and what not to do when we do it.

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

If you haven’t thought of fasting like this, please do: It’s possible to fast in hypocrisy.

Just as with anything we do for the Lord, it’s possible to mix in personal motives that outweigh or outbalance why we’re doing it for Him, making it a hypocritical exercise. That’s why it’s important to know what fasting is and why we do it.

fasting final

These books above are just a very few of the books that pop up when searching for “fasting”. You can fast for breakthrough, to get an edge, to lose weight, to formulate atomic power with God, to feed your soul, to spark an awakening, to receive rewards, to cause a miracle, to start a revival…

Those are a few of the subtitles to the books that came up on my search for ‘fasting.’ If you’re new to the faith or unfamiliar with the discipline, the dangers are real in that you might accidentally absorb the simply wrong or even heretical, written by heretics. They look good, they may sound good to the newbie, but they would steer you in the wrong direction.

Solid ministries that teach rightly would be John MacArthur at Grace to You, RC Sproul at Ligonier, CARM.org, Monergism, and more.

Here is a John MacArthur sermon about Fasting without Hypocrisy. The sermon begins this way:

Now fasting is a very popular phenomenon today, but that is not to be confused with what the Bible is teaching us about fasting.

What DOES the Bible teach us about fasting? It is not to lose weight. It is not something to do for medical purposes, though your doctor may recommend fasting before taking certain tests. But that is not spiritual fasting. Spiritual fasting is not to “get” something. It is not to empty one’s self in order to receive a revelation or to go mystical via dreams or visions in an altered state.

Biblical fasting has variously been defined as-

Abstaining from food or drink in order to focus on prayer and seeking God’s will.
Abstaining from food for spiritual purposes.
Abstaining from food for the purpose of focusing on God

John Piper said, “Fasting is a temporary renunciation of something that is in itself good, like food, in order to intensify our expression of need for something greater — namely, God and his work in our lives.”

The Bible never deals with fasting on a physical level. John MacArthur

Examples of fasts in the Bible:

Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness prior to beginning His public ministry. He was there to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1, Luke 4:1-2, Mark 1:13).

Nehemiah fasted in spiritual grief when he heard the state of Jerusalem. He fasted to confess the sins of Israel and gain permission to rebuild. (Nehemiah 1:4).

David fasted when his enemies were treating him unjustly (Psalm 35:13).

The Ninevites fasted after they heard Jonah’s proclamation (Jonah 3:5) and all of them from greatest to least, fasted in repentance and humility, wearing sackcloth.

Acts 13:2 recounts the members of the early church ministering accompanied by fasting, to seek confirmation of elder appointments. (see Acts 14:23 also).

Paul fasted for three days after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:9).

Fasting is always combined with prayer. Paul fasted often. (2 Corinthians 11:27). He could have been thinking of fasting in this verse:

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:27).

So it seems from these examples and of course many others not listed here, that fasting is a regular spiritual activity for the Christian. One can fast for guidance, to gain spiritual strength, for clarity on a situation, to commune with God, to rectify a situation, to dispel self-sufficiency, to renew zeal (Mark 2:18-20), and other spiritual reasons, fasting is something that any Christian can and probably should do. Jesus seemed to say that it would be a regular activity, and gave directions for its proper implementation, though He did not command it. (Matthew 6:16-18).

I’ve fasted several times. I fasted for 3 days when I discovered a previous pastor had plagiarized all his sermons from other people and pretended they were his own. I needed God’s guidance to determine what I should do and how to approach the situation, or with whom.

I fasted prior to approaching a Ladies’ Minister who loved Beth Moore with my concerns about Beth Moore.

I fasted when our elders were planning and planting our new church.

I fasted on behalf of lifting a person to the Lord who was in a bad way.

All those were accompanied by prayer, too.

How do you deal with fasting? Have you done it? Do you enjoy it?

John MacArthur ends his sermon linked above this way:

God has given us every good thing to enjoy. Beloved enjoy it. But when you’re in a spiritual struggle and you’re consumed with the things of God, know this, that it’s right to abstain from those things to continue your concentration and your focus on that which is spiritual and divine. God help us to be more sensitive so that fasting in its truest sense can be a part of our lives.

encouragement, theology

“Dear Woman Feeling Called to Ministry…” By Ayanna Thomas

Posted on February 19, 2019 by elizabethprata

I like what Ayanna Thomas has to say. She makes sense, is humble, insightful, and joyous. Here is the start of her Instagram piece today: Read the rest here.

ayanna

“I know how you feel. You see so many women around you “stepping into their calling.” And you feel this urge to do something too. You scroll your feeds, wishing you could just launch your blog, start a local women’s group, deliver talks at conferences, like everyone else. It feels like you’ll never be able to walk in the gift(s) God has given you and you aren’t really even sure if you’re convinced of what that looks like.”

“But let me encourage you with something…“

Read the rest of her encouraging comment, then browse her Instagram account, lots of good stuff!

book review, theology

Book Review Shots: Disciplines of a Godly Woman; Can I have Joy in my Life?; Amy Carmichael; The Machine Stops

Posted on February 18, 2019February 18, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Crime novel writer James Patterson issues books in a series called “BookShots.” These are novellas, short books he writes in beteeen the longer ones. I like the idea.

I’ve been participating in Tim Challies’ annual Christian Reading Challenge. I’m keeping up pretty well, and enjoying the structure it provides so I do not lapse into total couch potato with brain of mush.

Here are a few of my Book ReviewShots, short reviews of the books I’ve recently read.

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

Disciplines of a Godly Woman, by Barbara Hughes

I do not recommend this book.

I like the topic, and there were a few good nuggets in it, but overall it was simply a rehash of normal things any women has already heard, if she has been saved for any length of time. Few new insights.

Issues I had with the book were:

–LOTS of anecdotes. The book would be half as long if Mrs Hughes cut the personal anecdotes and stories that supposedly cemented her point and just stuck to the Bible. Anecdotes the author thinks makes her case, don’t always connect with every reader, but the Bible unfailingly does.

–Some misused scripture, or relying on a traditional view of famous verses rather than teaching their real meaning. (Mt 18:20, Jeremiah 29:11)

–Quoting doubtful characters, i.e. William Barclay, a confirmed universalist who denied the Trinity; Watchman Nee, a mystic whose views on sanctification, the Holy Spirit, hermeneutics, baptism, the church and sin contain significant error; Christy the missionary written about by Catherine Marshall, who was a social justice warrior missionary who gravitated to Quakerism; Win Arn, church growth guru who partnered with C Peter Wagner, demon delivery guru for one of his books, and more. Her Resources page also contains iffy books.

In the book was the following statement- “Apostle Andrew became the patron saint of three diverse countries.” As if that helps his stature! But it lessens the author’s though, for promoting Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic “tradition”. There is no such thing as a “patron saint” of a nation. Statements like these should never be included in a book aimed at evangelical women.

I found this book hard to get through and problematic to pass on.

Better books are:

Praying the Bible by Don Whitney
The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges
The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies
Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You by John F. MacArthur
Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes Jr.
The Pursuit of God, by A. W. Tozer

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

Amy Carmichael: Beauty for Ashes, by Iain Murray

A short book and an easy read. Murray seems a bit glowing over Amy, but then again, what Amy did was amazing. He didn’t gloss over some of her known issues, however, such as her subjective approach to interpreting the Bible, or her (often misunderstood, according to Murray) imperiousness. Thus, I believe this to be a fair assessment of her life. It isn’t deep, since the book is short, but it’s a good introduction to a remarkable woman’s life lived for Christ. It contains a lengthy bibliography if one wants further info on Amy’s life and work in India.

Kay Cude poetry: Treasured Memories

Posted on February 17, 2019 by elizabethprata

To all the mothers out there reminiscing over the time that has passed and your sons and daughters are now older, perhaps having left the nest, flying off to new skies and making nests of their own. The sweet time of little hugs and recious moments fly by. Cherish them.

Kay Cude did just that, revising a poem she had written long ago as she remembered just such a moment treasured in her heart.

Artist’s statement:

I had written this poem for my son many years ago to recount our sweet time together when he was a two-year old.

SWEET MEMORIES TENDERED FROM LONG-AGO

Kay Cude is a Texas poet.
Used with Permission.

love of money, theology

Is Being Rich A Sin?

Posted on February 16, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Not that I would know, lol. But the question has been raised.

Having money is not a sin. Abraham, Job, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, Joseph son of Isaac and Moses were either wealthy themselves or lived in wealthy circumstances. Alternately, not having money is not a sin, either, as we see from Mary and Joseph, and Jesus Himself.

But the Bible does warn us that there will be false teachers who do not teach for the love of Jesus but for the love of money. (2 Peter 2:3). 1 Timothy 6:10 says that the love of money is the root of all evil. The issue isn’t having or not having money. It’s what you do with it. Abraham shared his wealth generously with his nephew Lot, he tithed generously to the King, he supported his family, he helped others with his provision. Abraham knew his prosperity came from God and wasn’t his to begin with.

Greedy prosperity teachers hoard it, collect worldly goods by twisting the Word and living off others’ backs by using God for their own gain. The first recorded words of Judas was about money, and the very next verse reveals his motivations: he was a greedy thief who helped himself to the purse. Properly acknowledging from whom all blessings (and material wealth) flows is paramount, as king Nebuchadnezzar found out in Daniel 4:30.

The Bible also tells us that in addition to believing right doctrine, teachers are held to a higher standard and must live a righteous lifestyle. I’ve noticed as some wealthy false teachers’ wealth has increased over the decades, their charitable giving has decreased. That’s always the proportion for the worldly. But the Bible says Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21).

Having material wealth does give rise to a danger of self-satisfaction and self-sufficiency. It IS hard for wealthy people to gain the kingdom, (Matthew 19:24), but having wealth isn’t any more a sin than being poor is a sin. It’s how you live that counts. How you obey God. How you use what He has given you, no matter how much or how little.

Where is your primary orientation, all your thoughts, your goals? If your thoughts are toward getting and maintaining your possessions, then you have nothing.

If they are pointed toward Jesus, then no matter how much money or possessions you have, you have everything.

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24).

treasure

encouragement, theology

What is Love?

Posted on February 15, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Valentine’s Day is done and in the books. When you work in an elementary school in a lower grade, V-day as the kids call it, is almost as popular as Christmas. Even more so, because we’re in school for the cupid holiday and out of school for the Santa one.

The kids are so cute exchanging cards and little candies and they get excited over all of them. My teacher had brought in donuts and a juice box and they ate their snack and drank their drink and watched an old Disney movie for a few minutes, continued from the Christmas party. They considered the Valentine’s day ‘party’ a huge success.

But the day of love brings about thoughts on What is Love? as Haddaway sang in 1992. (Yes I’m that old). My notion of love was certainly different back then, as I was not saved. I often asked that question. I Wanna Know What Love Is, Foreigner asked and so did I. I was a child of divorced parents. I saw adultery, abuse, open marriage, betrayals, and disownments within the family and out. Growing up in the 1950s and 70s was confusing and a child of the world certainly had no clue about what love was. Cupid and Aphrodite didn’t help explain it, either.

Well, if one is saved by the grace of Jesus through the cross, one knows what love is. It’s not the ephemeral, cupid-like arrow dart Shot Through the Heart, which fades away. Eros is a fickle friend. It’s not the false promises that Whitney Houston sang in I Will Always Love You, because the flesh only loves itself.

Love is the love that Jesus gives and is. (1 John 4:7-21). It is sacrificial, endless, and pure. It will never die and will always surround us with its promise and never fade away. Jesus loved His disciples to the end and (John 13:1) He loves His people forever. (Romans 8:39). And so we love Him because He first loved us.

Here are a few resources for you about love-

The Prominence of Love (sermon)

You say, “Well, where does it [love] come from?” Well, we’ve said this last time, I’m simply going to remind you of it: When you walk in the Spirit – and to walk in the Spirit means you turn your life to His control, you confess your sin, you allow the Spirit of God to govern your thought patterns – as the Spirit of God controls you, He produces fruit, and the fruit of the Spirit is love, and love will only come in that way. So the way you approach it is not in a self-righteous determination of your own mind; the way you approach it is simply to yield your life to the Spirit of God, “Holy Spirit, control me today, take over my life, live through me,” and the fruit of love will be manifest.

To Those Who Crave Controversy (Essay by John Newton)

If you account him a believer, though greatly mistaken in the subject of debate between you, the words of David to Joab concerning Absalom, are very applicable: “Deal gently with him for my sake.” The Lord loves him and bears with him; therefore you must not despise him, or treat him harshly. The Lord bears with you likewise, and expects that you should show tenderness to others, from a sense of the much forgiveness you need yourself. In a little while you will meet in heaven; he will then be dearer to you than the nearest friend you have upon earth is to you now. Anticipate that period in your thoughts; and though you may find it necessary to oppose his errors, view him personally as a kindred soul, with whom you are to be happy in Christ forever.

How does a person love Jesus? What does it mean to love Jesus?

Jesus said that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends (John 15:13). Jesus did this and more by dying for us while we were still His enemies in order to make us His friends (Romans 5:8). Much of what it means to love Jesus comes from understanding and appreciating what Jesus has done and is doing for us. We love Jesus because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

How Can I Love Christ More? (essay)

In his book, The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ, the Puritan Thomas Vincent offers nine directions that will lead you to your desired destination. Meditate on Christ – Direction 1: “Be much in contemplation of Christ.”

Still (!!!!) Single

I am 25 years old. I have been single for the past…25 years. I have never been kissed. I have never gone on a date. I have never received a note in class that said, “Do you like me? Check yes or no.”

love verse 4

rapture, theology

How Long Must The Lord Tarry? Habakkuk Asked the Same Thing

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Any sensitive Christian these days is probably be feeling what I am feeling. The gravity of the times and the perilousness of the dwindling time for the lost weighs heavily on me. I mourn the lost: the hand of Jesus is outstretched to one and all, but many bat it away, or refuse to see it in the first place. The knowledge that millions will be lost forever is truly an ache in my heart. As the time of rapture grows closer, and their moment of deadline for the closing of the church age grows nearer, that ache grows worse. Jesus said that many will be lost, the way is broad, and books will be opened (while the saved are so few their names can be contained in one book). Knowing how terrible hell is, and knowing how the perishing have to literally step over Jesus to get there, the horror of their eternal loss is absolutely crushing to me.

But we are told these days would come, and that they would be perilous: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:2-5)

The violence in the world is another ache. Some days the ache is only dull, other times, like today, the ache is sharp. The regard for human life is at a low, but I won’t say an ‘all-time low’ because that low regard for life and the high violence will get worse during the Tribulation. In these last days of the Church Age, though, the violence is certainly bad enough. The commonness of child-murder in the form of abortion has lent itself to this low regard for life. Lately there have been so many shootings.

I hear of tragedies and shootings and rebellious atheism and hatred of Jesus, and I just weep for Jesus. He is so good, so kind, so patient, dying for us, and we simply spit at Him and His love. I was asking in prayer today “Why, Oh, Lord? Why do you wait so long? Why do the unjust prosper? Why do the children suffer?” and He led me to Habakkuk, an Old Testament prophet asking the same questions 2700 years ago.

O LORD, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
(Hab 1:2-3)

The Lord replied:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;*
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.”

The *cross reference in His answer is to Daniel 8:17, which is: “So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, ‘Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.’ ”

The LORD answered Habakkuk in chapter one that He was planning to take care of the immediate problem in Habakkuk’s days, by raising up the Babylonians to punish the Israelites. But more importantly, God said in Chapter 2 that overall justice would come, but in the last days.

I pray that people will come to know Jesus’ love. I also pray that His justice will be done. He will not be mocked. Killings and murders and knifings and beheadings and most important, hatred of God and His glory are equally tragic and troublesome to my spirit as those who refuse His love. He came as the Lamb. He will come again as the Lion. Are you ready? May His will be done.

*This essay first appeared on The End Time on August 2010.