Posted in Obama, one world government, prophecy, un secretary general, United Nations

Is Obama campaigning for Secretary-General of the United Nations?

Posted on by elizabethprata
AP, explaining the “halo effect“.

When a man is elected President of the United States of America, he has reached the pinnacle of his career in America. It is the top, the Everest, the highest and most visible point a man can reach. Where is there for him to go, afterward? What other fulfilling employment or charitable service can he then enjoy after the let-down of leaving office?

Bill Clinton gives speeches, makes money. CNN reported two years ago, ex-President Clinton

“earned $75.6 million giving speeches to corporations and organizations around the world, according to the latest financial disclosure required of his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”

–Washington and Jefferson retired to their plantations
–John Quincy Adams ran for Congress in 1830, the year after he left the White House, and served in the House of Representatives until he died in 1848.
–Benjamin Harrison returned to his law career.
–William Howard Taft, left the White House to become a law professor at Yale and was later appointed to the Supreme Court.

The question back then was “What was the young nation to do with these men who had held such immense power?”

And there’s the rub. Just because one descends from the highest office, it does not mean they give up their power. They have accumulated wisdom and experience that only 43 predecessors have ever accumulated, and given the fact that most ex-presidents are elected at a relatively aged point in their careers and die soon after, any ex-president living still has much to offer. He is a unique person.

Current (ex) Presidents, l-r:
George HW Bush, Obama, George Bush Jr, Clinton, Carter

When life spans were shorter, ex-Presidents usually died within a decade of their post-presidency. Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson did. But now that life spans have lengthened we’re giddy with ex-Presidents. In 1850 only 10% of men lived to age 70 and only 6% of men lived past age 80. Today we have five Presidents/ex-Presidents living. Jimmy Carter is 91 years old, as is George H.W. Bush. Bill Clinton is 69, as is George Bush Jr.

When Obama leaves office, he will be only 55 years old. Given his youth, one may expect him to live a long time. So what will he do…after?

It is commonly observed that President Obama never started governing because he never stopped campaigning. (source)

Obama has never seemed to enjoy being out of the political limelight. He was elected to his first political office in 1996 at age 35. He has never left the political arena. One surmises he is not planning a quiet retirement, as George Bush Jr has done.

Breaking Israel News published what is admittedly a rumor, that Obama is quietly campaigning for his next position: Secretary-General of the United Nations. Here is Breaking Israel News, reporting from the Arabic Kuwait News Al –Jarida:

Al –Jarida, an Arabic language Kuwaiti magazine, published an article on Friday claiming that US President Barack Obama has set his sights on becoming the next Secretary General of the United Nations when he leaves the Oval Office in one year.
If true, and if he succeeds in this endeavor, Obama would be replacing the present Secretary General, South Korea’s Ban Ki-Moon, who is serving his second five-year term in the position. Ban’s term as Secretary General is set to end December 31, 2016, coincidentally 21 days before Obama’s second term as President ends. Al-Jarida attributed the rumor to “informed sources” (source)

But it’s a rumor that makes sense, given a man who enjoys political power and the limelight as much as Obama does. Leading the United Nations is the one place that wields more power than leading the United States does. The UN is in NY, and though Obama is from Hawaii and has also lived in Chicago for many years, he has recently expressed interest in moving to NY City.

Obama eyeing New York City

With just a year and change left of his final term in office, President Barack Obama is beginning to make plans for his post-presidency years. It’s looking like his official presidential library will be in Chicago, close to the Hyde Park home that he and First Lady have lived in for years. But recently, the President has apparently expressed interest in moving to New York City after the First Family leaves the White House…

Though the Kuwait News report is just a rumor, not a report, the Jerusalem Post did pick up on the notion that Obama is angling for the global position- AND that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly unhappy with the idea. Significantly, the Netanyahu Administration source did not deny the Prime Minister’s intent to oppose such an appointment.

Netanyahu remembers well just how US President Barack Obama brushed aside Israeli objections and went ahead with the P5+1 nuclear agreement with Iran. Now, Netanyahu is reportedly planning some personal payback. According to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, Netanyahu will make common cause with moderate Arab governments in order to sabotage Obama’s plan to succeed Ban Ki-moon when the South Korean diplomat ends his term as United Nations secretary-general on December 31 of this year. 

A source close to Netanyahu did not deny to Al-Jarida that the premier is aiming to “torpedo the Obama project,” noting that “his presidency was characterized by [Washington’s] moving closer to the Muslim Brotherhood, toppling the regime of Hosni Mubarak, and attempts to ally itself with political Islam.”

That relations between an Obama-led America and a Netanyahu-led Israel are frayed is an understatement. That the United Nations is a bastion of Israel-hating politicos pumping out poisonously biased and damaging resolutions against Israel is also well-known. An Obama-led UN would be a nightmare for tiny Israel.

The rumor has some credibility. Even back in 2014 the Investor’s Business Daily Editorial noted that even at that point, Obama seemed to be angling for UN Secretary-General.

The president obviously agrees; his address to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Wednesday sounded much like the launch of a campaign for still-higher office: presiding over the hopelessly corrupt, tyrant-dominated United Nations.

The UN Secretary-General is the UN’s top diplomat. Though the post’s qualifications are loose and general, Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize, bestowing credibility to Obama in his apparent skill to negotiate between international parties. In 2008, Newsweek noted that “Obama can turn a disjointed screed into reasoned consensus”. Obama already has experience at the UN, being the first-ever U.S. president to chair the United Nations’ 15-member Security Council. And of course his 8 years as leader of the free world is weighty experience the UN diplomats would consider.

The IBD Editorial continued,

Now the U.N., acting similarly, can make him “president of the world.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s term expires in early 2017. If Obama were his successor, the U.S., even under a Republican administration, might not veto an ex-U.S. president in the Security Council. 

Who would the U.N. like better as secretary-general than an American who wants the world’s lone superpower placed firmly under the rules made by the U.N. General Assembly, the vast majority of whose members are undemocratic and pine for redistributed U.S. wealth? A secretary-general who can get the U.S. to accept U.N. rule.

Obama’s past pattern of actions indicate anything from a bias against to a virulent hatred for Israel (depending on whom one consults). Certainly it is reasonable to say that Obama’s decisions have not favored God’s Country. Given the UN’s past behavior, at the United Nations he can do even more damage to that tiny country. It is also true that he can accrue more power and influence, something he has been an expert at doing his entire adult life.

Official flag of the UN. World with olive branches, symbolizing peace

What the future holds is something that Christians can read in the Bible, which is God’s word. We know that at some point in the future, the rapture will occur and true Christians representing the Bride (AKA the Church) will be removed from the earth. The resulting chaos will give rise to ten global leaders, one of which will soon dominate the other nine, and emerge as the sole tyrant of earth. He will initially seem to befriend Israel by making a covenant with them, only to tear it up at the covenant’s mid-point, sparking the Great Tribulation. There will be a one world power and one tyrant ruling the earth. This ruler is known as the Antichrist, the Man of Perdition, who will martyr the Tribulation Saints and cause a genocide for Israel. (Daniel 8, Daniel 11, Revelation 13)

How the United Nations fits into the coming biblical promise of a one world government is anybody’s guess. The fact that the UN is already a global governing body seems like it would fit in well to a coming prophesied larger global governing body. Did you know that the UN has a standing army of “peacekeepers” 97,000 strong?

The United States has been in a status quo for the last 8 years. Wikipedia defines Status quo as a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regards to social or political issues. Even though the Obama Presidency has not seemed to live up to the glowing expectations of the giddy campaign, even a gloomy and unhappy but relatively stable status quo is better than what many other nations have endured during the same time period. However, as James Michener famously wrote in his novel Hawaii, “It is difficult to be king when the gods are changing.”

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Further Reading

UN Secretary-General, qualifications and election

I wrote in 2011: Obama for UN Secretary General?

I wrote in 2009: Obama taking over presidency of UN Security Council

Posted in discernment, encouragement, pastors, preachers, truth

Aren’t there ANY good preachers/churches left?

Posted on by elizabethprata

I hesitate to begin this essay by saying “In these times of apostasy” because the times have always been apostasizing. The moment that the truth is declared, someone falls away from it (Eve, Cain, Judas, Demas, Simon Magus…). The truth is always opposed by those who hate God.

Of late, however, it seems that some men we have always been able to count on are falling. The Bible is clear that even leaders who have been seemingly faithful over decades are not immune from the ravages of apostasy. Length of time in the faith is no guarantor of continued faithfulness. Ending well is just as important as beginning well. (2 Timothy 4:7).

In addition, the Spirit is always revealing the wolf in sheep’s clothing. John Piper has been displaying zero discernment. I wrote about Ravi Zacharias’ questionable credentials, heretical associations, and leaky theology here. Billy Graham said that anyone who is sincere and really believes something is up there will be in heaven with the saints. I think those are the three best recent examples of how sin works in the heart and how the Holy Spirit works in the Body to reveal it.

Just as the truth is always opposed, the truth is always upheld. The Lord raises up good men to speak His Gospel. In Romans 10:14 Apostle Paul asked the following questions

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

The questions are not rhetorical. They are actual. The mechanism through which God has said He will use as the catalyst for conversion is His Gospel, preached by truthful men, to hearts He will release from the bondage of sin. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Therefore it makes sense God will always have good men preaching it, does it not? Because if He didn’t, who could hear?

Therefore in every generation God raises up men who will stand for truth and speak God’s word. In Isaiah 55:11 God told prophet Isaiah

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

So though it seems today like there are no trustworthy pastors and preachers and teachers, there are. There has to be, for where else will God speak His Word and souls be claimed?

So who are these good or solid preachers? Well, first, do not overlook your own pastors and teachers. I know that many of you are grieved deeply that there seems not to be a good church in your area. With apostasy rising fast it is true that a solid church is a gem these days. Remember, this has always been the case. Throughout every age, even in America, there have always been large, geographical dead spots where the Bible is being proclaimed in perverted or twisted manner, or there isn’t any truth being proclaimed from a set body of gathered believers at all. Miles and miles might separate one good church from another, neither of them reachable for many people.

But laboring quietly in some corner of a church might be a good Sunday School Teacher. You could go to his class. Quietly knitting together some women under a ministry in a church there might be a woman with a heart for theology and the Bible. Maybe your church has a good music minister who sings hymns. Though the church in its entirety may not be great food perhaps there is one hook onto which you can hang your hat- and support and pray for the others who are not as solid. Come alongside them and help with encouragement and pointing to solid doctrine. Sometimes all it takes is one, strong, praying, persevering person to turn things around in a church. You don’t know what the Holy Spirit has in mind the next week, day, year.

Meanwhile, here are some men who are currently pastoring churches and speaking the truth as unmixed by man’s contamination as it’s possible to do. These are men we hear on the radio but are actually pastors of actual churches many people actually go to. You could, as well.  A friend of mine is moving out to CA to attend The Master’s College and will attend this church and will be present at the 47th anniversary of MacArthur’s installation as pastor-teacher at GCC.

Don Green, pastor of Truth Community Church. 4183 Mt Carmel Tobasco Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45255. Sermons can be heard at sermon audio here, or iTunes, Facebook page.

Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church, 4520 S Arlington Road, Uniontown, OH. Radio program where sermons can be heard,Truth for Life.

Phil Johnson, pastor GraceLife Pulpit, one of the ministries at Grace Community Church, 13248 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA 91352. Sermons here

Dan Duncan, Believers Chapel, 6420 Churchill Way, Dallas, TX 75230. Mr Duncan is BC’s current pastor, sermons here. S. Lewis Johnson was formerly pastor of Beleiver’s Chapel. Vast sermon archive here.  Both men are featured on the sermon schedule at Expositor.fm

John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, 13248 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA 91352. Since February 1969, John MacArthur has been preaching verse-by-verse at that location. I’ve listened to him since 2007 or ’08. He is my favorite pastor.

Oftentimes I’ve heard people say that John MacArthur is the Spurgeon of this generation. Well, is he?  I decided to check. I am familiar with Charles Spurgeon, loving his sermons and reading them online quite often. I’ve also read his biography. Spurgeon’s output was prodigious, and his nickname “The Prince of Preachers” is well-earned. Is John MacArthur’s output even close to the beloved Spurgeon’s? Does he earn the privilege of being compared to the Prince of Preachers? I decided to do a comparison.

Now, comparing is difficult because of the time gap between the two men’s preaching eras. But as a quick draft, I put together the following information:

So that will give you an idea as to why I am blessed to have been led by the Spirit to John MacArthur’s radio program and then to the rest of his output, his associations, and his ministries.

Readers might be familiar with the fact that I write some discernment essays. One indicator of the first steps of drifting away from the truth is who a person associates with. In 1 Corinthians 15:33 Paul said,

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

In Proverbs 22:25 we read that we should not be hanging around angry people “or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.“

Associating or worse, partnering with, immoral or sinful people engenders deception and ensnarement, so saith the LORD. So when we read of Ravi Zacharias praising heretic Joyce Meyer on her television show or joining with New Apostolic Reformation conferences, or Beth Moore teaching alongside Christine Caine and Roma Downey, or John Piper with Louis Giglio or Christine Caine, or Ronnie Floyd embedded in IHOP or partnering at Synergize Conference with John Bevere or Leonard Sweet…you know that even if someone has the best of intentions their good character will be corrupted. “Do not be deceived.” At the very least, such decisions betray an astonishing lack of discernment and disregard for the holy nature of the faith these teachers are supposed to be upholding. (2 Corinthians 6:14)

But the opposite is true too. In discernment, if you are not as strong on discernment as you’d like to be yet, and you have found one good bible teacher to listen to either in real life or online, draw a circle around that man and then widen the circle. Who is in that pastor’s circle? Who does that pastor praise and recommend? Who does he quote favorably? Who does he partner with in spiritual endeavors such as book collaborations or conference speaking? I learned of most of the above men after having listened to John MacArthur’s conference sessions and in that way, was introduced to more men of faith I could trust.

Magnets have a north pole and a south pole. Though the iron filings at first are mixed, the nearer they draw to the magnet, the more the magnet will pick up and attract the filings that match that pole. I say these things to remind us that in days of apostasy (which is every day) the world will constantly be trying to pry open your tolerance. But the way is narrow. It bears repeating, the way is narrow, AND there are only two roads, narrow and broad. There is no middle ground. So it is the same with true doctrine and false. Eventually, a person will be attracted to one pole or another, as this experiment demonstrates.

Other men who I recommend who either are currently pastoring a church or who have gone on to glory or are in another teaching position, are,

Mike Riccardi, RC Sproul Sr, James Montgomery Boice, Steven J. Lawson, Ligon Duncan, Paul Washer, any teacher from The Master’s Seminary.

Don’t despair. There ARE good churches. If there isn’t one in your immediate area, pray and perhaps the Spirit will lay on your heart to either plant one or move closer to one. If your church seems to be struggling, don’t despair then, either. Maybe the Spirit is preparing you to take on a role there which will swing things upward. Sometimes the Spirit allows a person to be the lone beacon of light at a church in order the strengthen them for something ahead, or to teach endurance. In that case it would be for Jesus’ glory and your good that you remained. (Romans 8:28).

I hope this list and the encouragement has helped you.

Posted in encouragement, jesus, prophecy, spiritual warfare

The names of Satan

Posted on by elizabethprata

Spiritual warfare is very real. Even pagans are in a constant state of war. To be a pagan is to be at war- against God. To be a Christian is to be at war- against the flesh, the world and the devil. Life on earth is a battle.

EPrata art

God did not leave us unequipped. He gave us armor.

“Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”—Ephesians 6:17.

TO BE A CHRISTIAN is to be a warrior. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is a battle-field. Neither must he reckon upon the friendship of the world; for that would be enmity against God. His occupation is war. As he puts on piece by piece of the panoply provided for him, he may wisely say to himself, “This warns me of danger; this prepares me for warfare; this prophesies opposition.” 

Difficulties meet us even in standing our ground; for the apostle, two or three times, bids us “Stand.” In the rush of the fight, men are apt to be carried off their legs. If they can keep their footing, they will be victorious; but if they are borne down by the rush of their adversaries, everything is lost. You are to put on the heavenly armor in order that you may stand; and you will need it to maintain the position in which your Captain has placed you. If even to stand requires all this care, judge ye what the warfare must be! 

~Charles Spurgeon, The Sword of the Spirit

By the words in the Bible, we are given to understand that our life is a fight. Here is the enemy:

He is a formidable enemy. Left to our own devices, warring against Satan would be as a mosquito to an atom bomb. However God’s power so far exceeds the atom bomb that when facing Him, this seemingly formidable enemy, the devil, becomes the mosquito! Our Holy Father is the all powerful God, and He has won the victory already. He has overcome the world. (John 16:33).

What we must do is put on our armor, pray always, and stir one another up to good works. Confessing our sin and repenting of it, we gain more strength in wielding the sword of the Lord which is His word, we have ample military support to stand against the world, the devil, and the flesh.

Our Jesus has fulfilled the prophecy:

He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 25:8 )

Posted in blogging

The End Time Anniversary: Seven years of blogging daily

Posted on by elizabethprata

Every day for the last 7 years by the grace of God and strength of the Holy Spirit, I’ve blogged here at The End Time. This is the three thousand, four hundred and sixtieth article. 3,460 times I’ve written something about Jesus. I would pray for 7 more years but I really hope the rapture comes before that.

I pray it glorifies Him, that it strengthens or convicts a sister, and that it motivates a non-believer to examine his eternal state.

SDG

Posted in discernment, nar, new apostolic reformation, ravi zacharias, truth

On Discerning Ravi Zacharias: It’s time to say what needs to be said

Posted on by elizabethprata

Ravi Zacharias is an Indian born,  Canadian-American Christian whose ministry is apologetics. Zacharias speaks at large gatherings, conferences, and events on the topics of Christianity and defending the faith. He also has a radio program, “Let My People Think.” He is well known for being intelligent, philosophical, and an excellent speaker in his command of the English language.

Even though there are some towering men of the faith, we must continue to do our duty and test all things against scripture. No one is immune from error or sin. Let us examine Mr Zacharias.

Ravi Zacharias talks to pastor Joe Coffey at Christ
Community Chapel about answering objections to Christianity.
Source TMDrew, CC

The link below brings you to an essay written in 2008. Since that time Ravi has descended further into questionable associations. At one point he praised Catholic Mystic Henry Nouwen, in addition to compromising on Mormon theology as you will read in the link below of that, and other compromises

Ravi’s slide downward

Though Ravi later retracted his endorsement of Nouwen and Merton here

But let’s take a look at his activity and statements over time, and compare to scripture.

2009: Ravi signed the ecumenical document called the Manhattan Declaration which calls for Catholics and Protestants to partner on moral issues (source). This is a violation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 and Ephesians 5:11.

2012: Ravi appears on Joyce Meyer Today, and says to Meyer, “God has used you” and calls her a ‘great bible teacher’ (youtube clip). This is a violation of one of the qualifications of elders, that they protect the sheep and remain in sound doctrine according to the biblical qualifications of teaching elders as per 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. His endorsement of Meyer was also a violation of the advice on Proverbs which says leaders use their wisdom to guide and lead. (Prov. 11:14; 24:6).

Ravi Zacharias calls false teacher Joyce Meyer a great teacher?

2014: Ravi waffles on age of earth, Ken Ham has response. This denies the clear and straightforward text of Genesis and is a setting aside of Romans 15:4.

2015: Credible allegations were made that Ravi has allegedly inflated/exaggerated/misrepresented his scholarly credentials. Proverbs 19:9 says he who breathes out lies will perish. When the allegations surfaced, certain information was immediately removed from the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) website. The allegations claimed,

-He was not a visiting scholar at Cambridge.
-He claims to have lectured at the world’s most prestigious universities.
-He claims to be a scholar yet has published nothing in scholarly journals and does not have peer reviewed research.

Next, sadly, from the RZIM FAQ page,
Ravi Zacharias Ministry holds no official theological position on:

Creation: “RZIM does not have an official ministry position on the age of the earth. The focus of RZIM is apologetics and evangelism, and thus we do not address particular questions about creation…”

Calvinism v. Arminianism: “RZIM does not have an official ministry position on the doctrines of Calvinism or Arminianism, and we have staff members holding to a variety of views in both of these doctrinal traditions.” (PS you’ll notice errors in their explanation of Calvinism on the linked page)

Eschatology: “Dr. Zacharias has not spoken on matters relating to the end times, nor does RZIM endorse any official view on matters of eschatology.”

Catholicism: “RZIM does not have an official ministry position on the doctrines of the Catholic tradition; RZIM focuses its ministry on evangelism and apologetics and strives to stay true to that vision. Some of Ravi Zacharias’s favorite authors are Catholic (namely G.K. Chesterton and Malcolm Muggeridge), yet he recognizes that there are significant doctrinal differences between Protestants and Catholics.” [doctrinal differences?!?!]

Erm, kind of hard to engage in solid apologetics without an official position on many of the bible’s doctrines.

2016: In April 2015, Ravi Zacharias was part of a conference which was set to scrutinize The New Apostolic Reformation, during the Worldview Apologetics Conference held at Antioch Bible Church in Redmond. The co-authors of two books outing the NAR (R. Douglas Gievett, professor of philosophy in the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, and Holly Pivec, journalist) wrote the following at their blog:

My co-author, Doug Geivett, will speak alongside other high-profile evangelicals–including Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, and Calvin Beisner–who will present on other important topics. Doug will give two presentations on the NAR, titled “The New Apostolic Reformation: What You Need to Know” and “God’s Super-Apostles: Where They Fall Short.”

And yet in January 2016 Ravi will partner with Domininist/NAR teachers at a conference called Synergize, the very movement a previous conference which Ravi attended that had sessions exposing these people as false teachers.

Finally, the smooth talk. If you listen to enough of Zacharias you notice he uses mostly rhetorical contrivances, philosophy, and looong anecdotes but not a whole lot of Bible. He is an ecumenical philosopher, not a solid apologist. The reason he uses fine sounding arguments and rhetorical tricks is that he is the kind of man Paul is describing being the opposite of himself, in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5,

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, (like Ravi) but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, (Ravi again) but on the power of God. (as Paul does).

I also personally attended a Ravi Zacharias speech in Athens GA and I enjoyed it mainly because he is a smooth talking man who uses language so well.

I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. (Colossians 2:4)

What does everyone say when they mention Ravi Zacharias? “The Spirit is powerfully using Ravi!” No, but they do say, “Ravi’s so smart!” What would people say if they had heard Paul preach, who is just as smart as Ravi if not smarter? “Paul’s so smart!” or would they say, “Paul preaches in the power of the Spirit of God!” They would say the latter, and they did (1 Corinthians 2:4).

THINK about it.

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FMI on the New Apostolic Reformation here

Posted in discernment, facebook, false teachers

"Be Careful Who You Post on Facebook"

Posted on by elizabethprata

I’d written recently that there were pros and cons to using social media as a Christian. It’s useful for staying in touch with distant family or friends, to learn of new pastors & ministries, or to share the Gospel. It’s not useful when we publicly sin or cause a stumbling block to a weaker brother, or in trying to tighten up time management. There are a lot of temptations on social media, that’s definitely a con.

One thing that is also a con but is part of the reality of life as a Christian anyway (i.e. there’s no escaping this) is the weak Christian who posts or repeats quotes and tidbits from ministries that are run by a false teacher. We agonize over our brethren who are embroiled in the snares of the devil and who prove it by unidscerningly following them, and by repeating the lies the ministry puts out there.

A pastor named Jordan Hall wrote a heartfelt warning about this and I re-post it here. In my opinion they are good words well stated. I use most of the discernment ministries Pastor Hall mentioned, and I’d also suggest my own The End Time blog, Sharon Lareau at Chapter 3 Ministries, Erin Benziger at Do Not Be Surprised, Sunny Shell at Abandoned to Christ, and Aimee Byrd at Mortification of Spin (The Housewife Theologian), DebbieLynne Kespert at The Outspoken Tulip, and already mentioned in the essay, Amy Spreeman at The Berean Examiner.

His warning:

———————————-

By Jordan Hall

Not too long to read: My friends, from a pastor’s heart, we must be careful who we quote on Facebook and whose material we share. Please take the time, before you do either, to spend just a single minute to research the individual or ministries you’re promoting by sharing their material. Before you quote or post a meme from Beth Moore, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Andy Stanley, Steven Furtick or other popular ‘Christian’ leaders or organizations, please search the web with their name and the word ‘discernment.’ You’ll find the information you need in no time flat, and you’ll avoid causing your Facebook friends to stumble by introducing them to chaff and tares.

Why do that, you ask? Do that because Romans 16:17 tells us to “Mark those that cause divisions and create obstacles that are contrary to the doctrine taught [in Scripture].” That instruction is two fold (A) Mark them – that means to qualify, characterize and typify them as dangerous as a warning to others and (B) avoid them. When you post something from TD Jakes or Andy Stanley you are marking them as trustworthy. You are then exposing your friends and loved ones to their false teachings.

It is here that some say, “Well, I liked the quote. I’m not endorsing the person.” Well, I get that. Really, I do. I’m sure Charles Finney or Adolf Hitler might have said something at some point I might agree with. But, we shouldn’t go around quoting Hitler or Finney. Whether you like it or not, it IS an endorsement, and you might turn people onto ministries that are spiritually toxic.

Likewise, be careful when you “like” statuses that repeat the words of false teachers. I know you like the person who posted it. I know you liked their good intentions. But for the love of Jesus (literally), do not ‘like’ the words that proceed from the mouth of those who masquerade as shepherds but are inwardly wolves. Do not give the impression to your friend that you like it that they appreciate false teachers. Rather, you ought rather to mourn and warn them.

Here’s a tip for your convenience if you think, “Good grief, am I supposed to research every pastor or ministry I post or ‘like’ on Facebook” (the answer is YES, by the way). As stated above, google “person/ministry’s name” and “discernment.” You’ll find a wealth of resources from polemicists (those who specialize in errant teachings) like Chris Rosebrough, the late Ken Silva, Amy Spreeman, Michelle Lesley, Jeff Maples, Pulpit & Pen and more. Discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and God has gifted people with discernment to edify and equip the church.

Finally, this is the information age. This does not require going to the library and looking up handwritten sermon manuscripts on the microfiche. A discerning Christian, through just a little bit of research (literally, just minutes) can determine wolf from lamb in short order. For the love of Jesus and his church, please be careful with what you post.

EPrata photo

Posted in daniel, prophecy, revelation, scroll, seal

Seal up the book…Do not seal up the book: Prophecy in Daniel and Revelation

Posted on by elizabethprata
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4)

Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. (Revelation 22:10)

Seal up…do not seal up. What can it mean?

Many have gone over the prophecy in Daniel 12 and many have admitted there is difficulty in interpreting the words.

Does seal up in Daniel mean hide the words? No, because the words are included in the canon and have been available for any person to read since the beginning.

The words seal up are also used in Revelation referring to the Seven Thunders. In that case, seal up meant do not write the words down. The words themselves have been sealed up within the confines of the Holy Heavenly Temple, and we do not even know what was said at all.

And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” (Revelation 10:4)

Therefore in Daniel’s case, since he was told to write the words down and those words were subsequently preserved, it seems that seal up meant write, but that God would conceal the understanding of the words from us until an appointed time.

Now, in the 4th verse the prophet goes on to speak about the final part of the book. He says, “But it’s for you Daniel. Conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time, many will go back and forth and knowledge will increase.” What an interesting text this is. He says seal up the book and what does that mean? Does that mean preserve it, when we seal something, we often seal it to preserve it. Well it probably does not mean that, notice the 9th verse, go your way Daniel for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. So, probably this is seal up in the sense of conceal, so as for you Daniel conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time, many will go back in forth and knowledge will increase, and so what he seems to be saying is, Daniel, this book is to be an enigma until the end of time. 

And do you know that is exactly what the Book of Daniel has been? It has been largely an enigma until modern times. With the revival of the study of the prophetic word in the 19th Century, the Book of Daniel has begun to come into its own, and the book now as a result of the revival of prophetic understanding of Scripture has become a very significant book and the prophecy has it would seem to me at least been partially fulfilled. S. Lewis Johnson, Tribulation, Resurrection, Testimony in Daniel’s Conclusion

We compare the command to seal up the prophetic words to Daniel with the words to John NOT to seal up the prophetic words.

And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. (Revelation 22:10)

John MacArthur on what it means to not seal up the book: Believer’s Immediate Response to Christ’s Imminent Return

That reminds me again that we’re not looking into this book for some kind of secretive meanings hidden behind what is obvious. If the truth is not in the words, then this command is nonsense. But the truth is in the words and we are not to seal up these words, we are to make them known. Way back in chapter 1 verse 11, John was told to write in a book what you see and send it to the churches. Spread it, spread this word, Jesus is coming and with Him comes blessing for His own and with Him comes horrifying judgment on the ungodly. To fail to preach revelation, to fail to proclaim revelation is not only foolish, because back in chapter 1 verse 3 it says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things written in it for the time is near.” Not only will you forfeit that blessing, it is not just foolish but it is sinful. 

If ever there was a day to proclaim its truths, it is now. And tomorrow will be a more important day and the day after that a more important day, and next month, more important, and next year, more important as the coming of Christ becomes even nearer. Any Christian who fails to learn the truths of this book and to understand the words of this book which are not at all incomprehensible, as we have learned, is forfeiting blessing and any preacher who fails to preach this book of the glorious realities to come in the return of Jesus Christ is sinfully unfaithful to his mandate. 

And yet it is common, I suppose it is even normal in the church today to have this book completely ignored. As wonderful as the gospel record is, which tells us the story of the first coming of Christ, as marvelous as the epistles are which gives us the theology that comes out of His work, this is the book that exalts Him most. Not to preach the book of Revelation is to fall short of exalting the Lord Jesus Christ with that exaltation due to Him. It is not just a failure to teach the whole counsel of God and to give His people the love of His appearing, it is outright disobedience. The time is near. It is imminent. It is soon. This must be preached, don’t seal it up.

The true prophetic words of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and Daniel apply to us today, and they should spur us to fervency and love and witness and holy living. The words have been released to speak for understanding. God is gracious and all prophecy progresses in an orderly fashion, in His timing.

Posted in christine caine, discernment, false teacher

Six reasons not to follow Christine Caine

Posted on by elizabethprata

Six reasons why Christine Caine should be avoided. I’m sure there are more reasons.

1.  Christine Caine engages in New Age practices condemned in the Bible, such as this “impartation” described in the link. (Acts 8:17-20, Matthew 6:9, Isaiah 57:8, Revelation 9:21). Simon the Magician tired to grab the power of the Spirit the wrong way and he was cursed for it.

In addition, Christine Caine endorses practice of pagan/witchcraft as seen here in Batterson’s Circle Making book blurb–

2.  Christine Caine usurps male authority and rebels against the clear word of the Bible
She is an ordained pastor and functions in that capacity. Worse, she enjoys teaching young women to step into leadership roles that scripture forbids and is unashamed to say so. (1 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 2:20)

3.  Christine Caine is part of the rise of the Feminine Church of Eden. (Revelation 2:20).

But what we see with most of these women that are rising in popularity is what appears to be a female dominant role in their personal marriages. Beth Moore regularly travels to speaking and teaching engagements without her husband, as well as these others. Christine Caine is an ordained pastor of her “church” in Australia, and also regularly speaks and travels without her husband. Husbands aren’t overseeing their wives’ writings and teachings, and any attention that they pay to their wives’ work is not through the lens of Scripture.

4.  Christine Caine partners with heretics, promotes them, and endorses them. 1 Corinthians 15:33, 2 Corinthians 6:14; Romans 16:17-18,Ephesians 5:11). Christine Caine admits her spiritual roots were sprung from the bad fruit of heretics.

5.  Christine Caine is a member-leader in a doctrinally heretical word-faith church. (1 John 1:6-7). Or, as SBTS President Dr Al Mohler put it, a prosperity movement for millennials that minimizes the Gospel content and diffuses a presentation of ‘spirituality’ instead.

6.  Christine Caine twists scripture. (2 Peter 3:16).

Here she is twisting a scripture that warns against false teachers, that is actually rebuking those who warn against false teachers – something the false teachers often do. Here is a Pastrix Caine sermon review.

What shall we do if we see a sister following these false teachers? Warn them, lovingly. If needing to a second time, warn them lovingly again, seasoning your speech with salt. If they persist despite the warnings and either don’t have a husband to oversee them, have no proper oversight from a husband who has abdicated his duty, or who just are or are married to a discernment klutz, then various scriptures say either to admonish them strongly a third time and/or to break fellowship. Breaking fellowship might seem a hard thing to do, but remember, if a sister persists in her sin or won’t hear you after giving them the scriptures, that means they have already broken fellowship with Jesus.

When we see a believing sister (or someone who at least professes Christ) who insists on following a false teacher despite the facts, like above, it’s hard to know when to speak, when to remain silent, when to strongly exhort and when to be gentle. How many times does one snatch an undiscerning/uncaring sister from the fire and withstand their resulting tantrums that you didn’t allow them to get burned?

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, (Titus 3:10)

And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:22-23)

So do we warn, reject, have mercy, snatch from the fire, or fearfully hate the polluted flesh? Or all of them at different times? And when?

Here, Sinclair Ferguson gives excellent, EXCELLENT advice which for me, answers that question. The Proverb from chapter 26:4, Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself, is immediately followed in verse 5 thus: Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes.

He said those two verses would seem to be at counter-productive odds, even contradicting each other. But they don’t, and his teaching at a Ligonier Conference on when to answer and when not to answer is clear and helpful.

SDG.

 

Posted in fellowship, hebrews

Stirring up to good works

Posted on by elizabethprata

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (Hebrews 10:24)

I like coffee. I like two cups in the morning, with creamer. Not in the afternoon or evening, just the two cups early then I quit drinking the bitter brew.

On vacation weeks like this one from school, I love having the time to sip it. On a workday morning, well, you know how that goes. Brew, pour, gulp, drive, finish gulping, hustle to work. Half the time the liquid doesn’t even land on my tongue but gets hotly gulped right down the gullet.

On vacation mornings, it’s the opposite. I have all the time in the world. The other morning I’d poured the second cup and was looking forward to languidly drinking it. I’d been to the grocery store the day before and had bought another jug of creamer. The coffee isn’t the same without the sweet addition of the cream. Let’s face it, coffee is bitter. It tastes awful. It’s dark, sour, and heavy. But with the hazelnut creamer, yum.

I’d poured the coffee and cream and used a straw to stir. I was lost in thought, casually watching the cream that had sunk to the bottom, stirred up and blending with the dark roasted brew. As I stirred, the coffee lightened and sweetened.

The ‘stir up to good works’ verse came to mind. Without fellowship with the saints, we can tend to get dark and bitter. But the saints that stir us to love and good works, make the fellowship seem light and sweet.

In the fellowship of the saints, stir someone up to love and good works.

Posted in discernment, new year, prophecy, spiritual gifts

Happy New Year of the Rapture!

Posted on by elizabethprata

I was saved in 2004 and then moved to GA in 2006 and the Lord put a heart for prophecy in me. I was firmly convinced in 2006 that 2006 would be the year of the rapture. I was convinced of it in 2007 and 2008 and 2009 and 2010 and 2011 and 2012 and 2013 and 2014 and 2015 and I say now, that 2016 will be the year of the rapture. Am I discouraged that these years have passed with no trumpet calling me bodily home? Not at all! I am MORE excited than ever! It just means that for ten times I’ve had the privilege of waiting and hoping expectantly for my Lord! It’s going to happen. It could happen any second! The Doctrine of Imminence is true. More on that below.

The New Testament is consistent in its anticipation that the return of Christ might occur at any moment. That pervading perspective of imminence prompts three questions. The first question pertains to whether the Tribulation will precede Christ’s coming for the church. The answer to that question is that it will not because the church is never asked to look forward to the tribulation, but they are asked to look forward to Christ’s coming. 

The second question revolves around how the return of Christ could have been imminent in the early church. The answer here is that no one but the Father knows when the coming will occur, so that Christians including the early church must always be ready. 

The third question asks why Christ’s imminent return is so important. This answer relates to the motivation it supplies for believers to purify their lives and thereby progress toward the goal of sanctification and Christlikeness. The threefold call of the imminence doctrine is to wake up and obey right now, to throw off the works of darkness, and to put on the garments of holy living. ~John MacArthur, Is Christ’s Return Imminent?

1. Wake up and obey
2. Throw off the works of darkness
3. Put on the garments of holy living

Could be good New Year’s Resolutions, couldn’t they! They could be resolutions for each of us, every year.

Our faith is one that knows it’s a body, with Christ as Head. He is the Head of the church and our membership means we individually have been uniquely placed within the body for the purpose of edifying other members and for worshiping the Head. The Doctrine of Imminence demands we retain a fervency and urgency in our walk and our witness. One way to retain that fervency is to live with the very present knowledge that whatever we are doing this moment could be completed in heaven the next. I could be facing Jesus any second. How can I honor him and His blood He shed? By living with Him and for Him, rousingly.

Moreover, I NEED the Doctrine of Imminence. I am a sinful woman. It would be easy for me to slip back to sinful ways I’d lived for four decades before salvation. In the daily and weekly grind of living, ministry can become tame, dull, routine. Though the word “fresh” is often misused these days, the fact is, living as a Christian can become a dull rut. Ministry can become a drudge. Being vigilant to stand guard against the enemy can become wearying. Diligence in spiritual disciplines can wane. I could click on auto-pilot very easily because that is what my flesh wants. And once on autopilot, I could then drift to peeking over the fortress wall to the sinful side, then soon enough I’m walking there. No! Let it not be so! Therefore I need to keep the Lord present in my mind and His soon appearing as a glorious promise and a dread threat. Though Christians are not under wrath or judgment, I would be devastated to disappoint Him and wind up throwing away any glory that could have been gained for Him just because I slacked off.

So, I keep the Doctrine of Imminence fresh and the knowledge that my Savior will come to get me any second in the forefront of my mind as both a heavenly hope and a sin-slowing brake.

In practical terms, as the New Year and a fresh start awaits, HOW can we retain that diligence, vigilance and purpose for the glory of Christ? By also remembering we are part of a BODY. My friend Pastor James Bell wrote,

The New Testament teaches us that Christ is THE HEAD of the church and we are members in vital union with vital ministry to each other– 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-16. But reading something in the Bible does not mean “experiencing” it. For the most part, churches today do not function as bodies in which all the members are connected to the Head and to one another in vital union and ministry. Frankly, I’m glad my own PHYSICAL body is not in the shape many churches are in— if it were: My mouth might start talking against my ears. My feet might stop listening to my head, My hands might run off and ‘join’ another body, etc! ~James Bell

I liked that phrase, “vital union”. The Lord may return any moment, but until then, we are in a vital union with other true members of the Body. How can I do my part? Here, Jack Graham wrote this devotional:

How to maximize your Kingdom impact in 2016December 30, 2015 

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:18-20). 

Several years ago, I got suckered into buying one of those pocket knives that has everything on it you could imagine. It has a can opener, about five different sized blades, tweezers, a toothpick, a nail file, and screwdriver heads. If there was something you could use a pocket knife for, this one claimed it could do the job. 

But here was the problem: none of the tools on the knife worked very well. The blades were dull, the tweezers and toothpick fell out and got lost, and the screwdriver heads were so small that I couldn’t use them to turn a screw. 

The tool was so versatile, but didn’t do anything well. And as I look at a lot of Christians today, they’re a lot like that knife. So many are multi-talented and well-rounded, but they rarely commit to doing one thing really well. They’re spread so thin that their impact is minimized. 

As you step into 2016 this week, put your focus on one thing you want to do well in the coming year. Resolve to make a deep impact in one place. Do what you do well, and you’ll make a tremendous difference for the Kingdom in the coming year! 

CONCENTRATE ON ONE AREA OF KINGDOM IMPACT IN THE COMING YEAR AND WATCH GOD WORK THROUGH YOU IN A POWERFUL WAY!
– Jack Graham

God makes it known what your gifts are and what ministries He wants you in. It’s not a secret and you don’t need a decoder ring to find out. Where does your mind drift when you think about serving? To the children? To the music? To the facility maintenance? To the women? To the homeless? To deaconship or teaching?

What have other people said to you? “You have a heart for the little ones, all right.” “You seem to connect with the youth very well.” “The church looks fantastic, thanks for cleaning/mowing.” Just as men anoint the leaders, by having observed and can see what perhaps it takes our own selves longer to see, others will guide you, prompt you, and tell you where your gifts are and suggest ministry & service opportunities.

What are your God-given talents? Not spiritual gifts, talents, you’ve had all your life? Mine is writing. It was natural that once I was saved He would include me in ministries that involved research, promotional writing, web maintenance, exhortation in print, blogging, discernment papers answering questions the ladies ask, outlines, etc. I’ve been able to write all my life, now in ministry it was a no-brainer to use the talent as the foundation for the gifts of teaching, discernment, and encouragement.

Finally, though don’t do this last do it first, pray. Open your heart and mind in obedience to want to be used. Ask the Holy Spirit to place you. He will. He WILL, I promise, because He promised! (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

Happy New Year of the Rapture to you all! He is coming soon!

EPrata photo