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apocalypse, blood moon, john hagee, mark biltz, second coming, tetrad

Do the four blood moons of 2014-2015 have prophetic meaning? 2/3

Posted on October 11, 2013 by elizabethprata

All your debunked blood moon information in one place, several links

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In part 1 of this blood moon series, I gave an introduction as to the fact that a new “He’s coming” timing issue is making the rounds in evangelical circles, and mentioned that two men are promoting it: Mark Biltz and John Hagee. When we look at the latest prophetic fad news, we look at the bible, which this series will do, and we also look at the people behind it who are promoting it.

Mark Biltz is one of these men. Mr Biltz is a minister of El Shaddai Ministries. He is part of a new movement called “Hebrew Roots Movement”. The Hebrew Roots movement is a false movement that attempts to revive Judaism and overlay it upon Christianity, essentially, GotQuestions says, their goal is to restore the Jewishness of Christianity, and they are the Judaizers that the Apostle Paul thoroughly refuted in the Epistle to the Galatians. Got Questions says of the Hebrew Roots Movement

“The premise of the Hebrew Roots movement is the belief that the Church has veered far from the true teachings and Hebrew concepts of the Bible. The movement maintains that Christianity has been indoctrinated with the culture and beliefs of Greek and Roman philosophy and that ultimately biblical Christianity, taught in churches today, has been corrupted with a pagan imitation of the New Testament gospels.

Those of the Hebrew Roots belief hold to the teaching that Christ’s death on the cross did not end the Mosaic Covenant, but instead renewed it, expanded its message, and wrote it on the hearts of His true followers. They teach that the understanding of the New Testament can only come from a Hebrew perspective and that the teachings of the Apostle Paul are not understood clearly or taught correctly by Christian pastors today. Many affirm the existence of an original Hebrew-language New Testament and, in some cases, denigrate the existing New Testament text written in Greek. This becomes a subtle attack on the reliability of the text of our Bible. If the Greek text is unreliable and has been corrupted, as is charged by some, the Church no longer has a standard of truth.

Although there are many different and diverse Hebrew Roots assemblies with variations in their teachings, they all adhere to a common emphasis on recovering the “original” Jewishness of Christianity. Their assumption is that the Church has lost its Jewish roots and is unaware that Jesus and His disciples were Jews living in obedience to the Torah. For the most part, those involved advocate the need for every believer to walk a Torah-observant life.

On Mark Biltz’s website it states the following:

“El Shaddai Ministries is a Hebrew Roots Resource and Teaching Ministry

We do not want to convert Jews to Christianity or Christians to Judaism”

This in itself should tell you that Mr Biltz is a dangerous false prophet. The millions of Jews are lost. Without conversion to Christianity, Jewish people will endure God’s wrath in hell for all eternity. Can anyone casually put such a disclaimer on their website, that millions of lost people are not candidates for conversion into the grace of Jesus?

Paul wrote:

“Galatians 2:16, “Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.””

John Hagee is overly Israel-centric in his ministry as well. He picked up on Mark Biltz’s blood moons teaching of several years ago (yes, Mr Biltz predicted via plausible denial the return of Jesus several years ago when several lunar eclipses coincided with a holy day or two. The only thing that is different about the blood moons of 2014-15 is that there are four blood moons, not two.) Mr Hagee has written a book on the tetrad (four) blood moons of 2014-2015. This book is selling like hotcakes right now.

Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change by John Hagee

Mr Hagee has also promoted several aberrant doctrines himself. For example, John Hagee denies Jesus claimed to be the Messiah. From Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, we read,

“The problem, however, is with his new book “In Defense of Israel” where Dr. Hagee apparently states that Jesus was not the Messiah. If you were to go to youtube.com2 you can hear where Dr. Hagee speaks regarding his book and says his book, In Defense of Israel, will prove that “Jesus did not come to Earth to be the Messiah,” (20 seconds in) and that “…since Jesus refused by word and deed to claim to be the Messiah how can the Jews be blamed for rejecting what was never offered?” (32 seconds in). Obviously, this is a huge problem.”

Pastor Matt Slick, The author of the CARM essay on Hagee, then went to get Hagee’s book to more thoroughly research the matter and to confirm whether in context Hagee made these aberrant statements or not. He concludes that there are too many aberrant statements.

In my opinion, Hagee’s book “In Defense of Israel” contains serious theological error, too numerous and detailed to go into here. He has also been accused many times over the years of holding to a dual covenant theology, which he denies but the accusation still clings because Mr Hagee is disingenuous at best in attempting to dispel them. Dual Covenant theology is where Jews have a separate covenant to be saved, distinct from the one that the Gentiles hold. Remember, Peter and Paul and the other apostles were Jews! Yet they came to faith under the one covenant.

Yet Hagee is quoted in the Houston Chronicle newspaper in 1988 as stating

“I’m not trying to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith.” “In fact, trying to convert Jews is a ‘waste of time,’ he said. ‘The Jewish person who has his roots in Judaism is not going to convert to Christianity. There is no form of Christian evangelism that has failed so miserably as evangelizing the Jewish people. They (already) have a faith structure.’ Everyone else, whether Buddhist or Baha’i, needs to believe in Jesus, he says. But not Jews. Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced by Christianity.” (“San Antonio fundamentalist battles anti-Semitism,” Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988, sec. 6, p. 1

Suffice to say, neither Biltz or Hagee are solid theologians and in fact have severely clouded judgment about what is the church and what is the Law, and this is being generous to say the least. To say they are dangerously false would not be overstating things. When looking at the blood moons teaching on the next pages, please consider the source.

Part 1 here
Part 3 here
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More information on blood moons here in Answers in Genesis-

Will Lunar Eclipses Cause Four Blood Moons in 2014 and 2015?

apocalypse, biltz, blood moon, hagee

Do the four blood moons of 2014-2015 have prophetic meaning? 1/3

Posted on October 11, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

All your debunked blood moon information in one place, several links

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There is a book which is exciting the hearts and imaginations of many Christians. It is even being remarked upon by secular people,

Death And Taxes: Pastor John Hagee sets new date for Apocalypse, based on ‘blood moons’ and Jewish holidays

By Jews,

Jewish Press: Messianic ‘Blood Moon’ Rising on Passover Seder Night

What is this book?

Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change

Pastor Hagee’s subtitle to his book “Something is about to change” is correct. For two thousand years, things have been about to change. Paul wrote about that in 1 Corinthians 15:52, and Titus 2:13, and 1 Thessalonians 1:10, and Philippians 3:20, and Matthew 24:30, and 1 John 2:28, and Philippians 4:5… and so on. Something has always been about to change. The Lord’s return for His bride (rapture) and His return in wrath and judgment (Second Coming, different from the rapture) have always loomed over us. His return is mentioned in every New Testament book except Philemon.

Pastor Hagee wrote a book that things are about to change is because he believes he knows when they are about to change. And therein is the excitement. Someone has a clue! Someone has an inside track! Someone is about to reveal when!

We long for the Lord so it’s natural to long for His return when we can be with Him. (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Christians can know the season but not the hour (1 Thessalonians 5:4). Though the clues for the progress of the Tribulation are spelled out in detail (Rev 6-20, Matthew 24) the appearance of the Lord for His bride, AKA the rapture event, is not known. There are no signals and no signs to determine His coming. However, if we can see certain infrastructure being laid for the Tribulation then we can pray and hope the rapture is even nearer, since it will precede the wrath. (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Pastor Hagee and Mark Biltz have intuited the times and have forecasted the Lord’s return based on four red eclipse moons that will be appearing in 2014 and 2015. These blood moons, as they are called, are garnering special attention due to the fact that they will be occurring on Jewish feast days. Biltz and Hagee ascribe special significance to this.

Free wallpapers

This will be a three part series. The 2nd piece will offer an overview of the men who are publishing the blood moon scenario: Mark Biltz and John Hagee. The 3rd piece will offer informational overview of the blood moon scenario.
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Part 2 here
Part 3 here

antichrist, jesus, mary worship, pope francis

Pope Francis to consecrate the world to Immaculate Heart of Mary

Posted on October 10, 2013 by elizabethprata

More Pope Francis news. This man’s rapid departure from age-old Catholic dogma is bringing the world closer to ecumenism in a faster fashion than any other man or philosophy I’ve ever seen. Amazingly bad news just keeps coming from the Vatican

Pope Francis will consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 13. The consecration will take place as part of a pilgrimage that will bring thousands of members of groups promoting Marian piety to the Vatican.

The statue of Our Lady of Fatima is scheduled to travel to Rome on October 12. It will be only the 11th time since the statue was made in 1920 that it has been removed from the Portuguese Marian shrine.

Pope Francis and the pilgrims will welcome the statue to St Peter’s Square during an evening prayer service on October 12. The statue will then be taken to the Rome Shrine of Divine Love, where the Diocese of Rome plans an all-night vigil.

The statue and the pilgrims will return to St Peter’s Square on October 13 for the recitation of the rosary and Mass with Pope Francis. In a press statement, the directors of the Fatima shrine said Pope Francis will consecrate the world to Mary during the event. (source)
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First, this is idolatry in every sense of the word. He is lifting up a man-made statue as an object of worship and as a ‘special sign.’ Secondly, this destroys any straight-face notion that the Catholics do not worship Mary (something they deny by parsing the word ‘venerate’, as in “We don’t worship her, we venerate her”.) The Mary here is of course the mother of Jesus who incubated the Savior in her womb, birthed the sinless Son, and raised him with Joseph until Jesus became of age.

But third, the hubris contained in Francis’s seemingly humble action betrays the man’s pride. Or perhaps his realism- the pope is the only absolute monarch in the world, accountable to no one for as long as he holds the office. Francis’ action is intended to ‘consecrate the world’. According to the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, Consecrate means

“To consecrate something is to formally set it apart for special use. Bread was consecrated in the Old Testament (Exodus 25:30; Lev. 25:5-9) as were people (Rom. 1:1; Gal.1:15).”

For the Pope to believe he has the power to set the WORLD apart for any use that he chooses is hubris on the order of the pride that satan himself has, believing he will exalt himself above God’s holy mountain. (Isaiah 14:4).

This is not the first time Pope Francis has been in the news. You remember he became Pope under extremely unusual circumstances. The previous Pope, Benedict, suddenly and abruptly resigned, the first pope to do so in 600 years. This opened the papal monarchy to another candidate. That man was Francis. The resignation event occurred in February of this year. The papacy of Francis began in mid-March of this year, 2013.

The second unusual thing about Francis is that though he has been pope only for 7 short months, he has upended and subverted the entrenched Catholic dogma up on its ear. He has made the news almost constantly since ascending his papacy by uttering liberal policies and teaching what has for thousands of years been anathema to Catholics. For example:

Pope Francis On Gays: Who Am I To Judge Them?

Pope Francis: Gays, Abortion Too Much Of Catholic Church’s Obsession

Pope Francis denies Jesus

Pope says there is no need to convert anyone

and of course Francis displays the usual Catholic Mary-idolatry
Pope Francis prays to Mary in Lampedusa

This is all extraordinary given that if nothing else, the Vatican has always adhered to their false religion and dogma fiercely. It is also unusual in that the Vatican never takes rapid steps or makes abrupt turns. Yet Francis has only been in office for 7 months and seemingly not a monthy gos by without reading of an amazing about-face from the Vatican.

The Vatican is the oldest “international legal personality” in the world, AKA the oldest formed and longest lasting government in the world, established in 480AD.

Take note of the rapidity of the changes Francis is bringing. And always remember that the Catholic religion is a false religion, therefore we are not surprised when the world acts like the world.

Pope Francis’s sudden appearance onto the world stage, his wide promotion as a faithful, humble man, and how clearly he speaks the world’s language is all extremely interesting as it is happening at this juncture in time.

I turn from pope-watching and look instead for my Savior. Is He due at the appointed hour soon to collect His bride? As the world falls further into ecumenism, faithlessness and Christ-less despair, does this mean the soon appearance of our beloved Groom? One hopes so. Even so,

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20)

And we wait, patiently enduring, watching the extraordinary events on earth, knowing a better future awaits those who love him.

new name

Christ’s new name, and our new name

Posted on October 9, 2013 by elizabethprata

We will have a new name! Jesus will have a new name!

Rev 2:17, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Rev 3:12, The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

Rev 19:12, His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.

Dr. MacArthur has a very short devotional from Philippians 2:9 about the naming thing. Here it is

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“God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.”, Philippians 2:9 God exalted Christ by giving Him a new name. In today’s verse a question that arises is, What is the name that is above every name? To be consistent with Scripture, it has to be a name that goes beyond merely distinguishing one person from another. It has to be a name that describes Christ’s nature—revealing something of His inner being. Only such a name would cause Him to be clearly ranked above all others.

Paul wasn’t referring to a comparative name, but a superlative name—one that would set Christ above and beyond all comparison. Change of name in Scripture indicates the commencement of a unique relationship. When God established His covenant with Abram, He changed his name to “Abraham” (Gen. 17:5). When God entered into a unique relationship with Jacob, He gave Him the name “Israel” (Gen. 32:22-32). In the New Testament, Jesus called a man named Simon to follow Him, then gave him a new name: Peter (Matt. 16:18). Those names were given to mark a definite stage in a person’s life. God has done that throughout redemptive history. Philippians 2:9 affirms that God gave Christ a name. He already had many names—Jesus, Christ, Son of Man, Son of God, Messiah—but He received a new name. Some assume that the new name is Jesus because verse 10 says, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” But that wasn’t a new name; it was bestowed at birth (see Matt. 1:21).

Nor is the name Jesus above every other name (there have been a lot of people named Jesus). The only name mentioned in Philippians 2:9-11 that is above every name is Lord. In verse 11 Paul says, “Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” That is the only name God gave Christ that is above every name. Whoever is Lord is in control. Let us exalt Christ our Lord by offering Him praise and living a holy life.
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I listened to a MacArthur sermon a few years ago on our service in the millennium and beyond, where the bible says we will rule and reign. It is called “What Will We Do? Part 1 (and there is a part 2). Here is a quote

“I believe clearly that the Scripture teaches that we will reign with Christ. And what that means is we will have responsibility. We will have oversight. We will have duties with regard to the ongoing operation of the eternal state. Now this is an amazing thing to think about. But in this life here the Lord has given us a role of authority in His church. He has given us responsibility. We have certain duties in this church that we are to carry out. Those offices given to us, those spiritual gifts enabling us to minister in certain ways, those spiritual responsibilities God gives to us are a certain amount of authority that He allows us to have by delegation to represent Him in the ongoing work of His church. We…we do that, we don’t do it perfectly, in fact we do it very imperfectly, but when we get to heaven I believe He will operate His Kingdom there in much the same way He has operated the Kingdom here. And that is by delegating that operation to His own. There, however, we will all be perfect and our operation within that delegated authority will be perfect as well. And so we will then in that time in that place when we go to be with Him and dwell forever in eternity be given a sphere of responsibility, a sphere of authority within the ongoing of that kingdom for which we will be eternally responsible.“

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I do remember Dr MacArthur explaining that what we do down here will in all likelihood relate to the sphere of authority we are given up there. It was a very interesting sermon series. He indicated that the gifts from the Spirit in this life are a kind of training ground and that when we get there, we will know as we will be known. So that means if I have been given the gifts of teaching, exhortation and discernment, then hopefully that means I will still be privileged to teach and be with young people in the Millennium, teaching about Christ and His work on the cross. This is something that those born in the millennium will have to know, especially since they will be seeing the sacrifices ongoing in the temple. Every person born in that time and place will need to know about Jesus I hope I have a part in sharing that. When MacArthur explained it, it sounded right, that we will be like we are now (as Abraham, Elijah and Moses were seen to be) but are made better in glorification to perform His will perfectly, in His authority.

As an aside, it was an incredible scene, that Moses and Elijah were talking with the Lord, like in casual conversation! It also tells me how thin the veil is, that the two of them suddenly appeared. In one moment Jesus the man-God was with the three disciples on the mountain, and the next second Jesus was glorified and the long-dead two prophets were there, “talking with Him”. Present tense, like an ongoing conversation? Talking with the disciples on earth AND the men in heaven?! Amazing, isn’t it.

I believe our character and nature will be the same also, our individual uniqueness the Lord formed in the womb and the Spirit took so much time to shape while we were here on earth will not be abandoned but perfected. So we will be kind of the same creatures with kind of the same spheres (except that you will be able to walk and I will be able to smell). However our new name will indicate an intimately personal relationship with Jesus. I can’t imagine a MORE intimate one that I have now with the Spirit indwelling me already, but I am looking forward to my new name and His new name, and for it all to start. Whatever name Jesus chooses to reveal Himself, He is worthy to be praised!

anna, jesus, john, moses

Ahijah was not too old, Jeremiah was not too young, John was not too remote, Amos was not too low…to be used by God

Posted on October 8, 2013 by elizabethprata

I’m reading 1st Kings. Still. LOL. I am up to chapter 14. In that chapter there is an old prophet called Ahijah. Jeroboam’s wife was told to disguise herself and go see him.

“Jeroboam’s wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. And the Lord said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.”” (1 Kings 14:4-5)

As I read the bible I like to picture the scene. I am picturing Ahijah’s humble home, likely at dusk. If Jeroboam’s wife didn’t want to be seen, she would likely have gone when it was dusk or dark. So Ahijah’s house is dark, a few lanterns around. And he’s sitting there, in a rocking chair maybe, in the living room, enjoying the air and listening to the breeze or maybe the village around him.

Maybe he was thinking, ‘I am old and I cannot be used. I am old and used up’. Maybe he was thinking that because he was blind, the LORD would have no further use for him.

But it was not so.

“But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you.” (1 Kings 14:6)

Despite his age, which the Holy Spirit deliberately included in the bible, despite his disability of blindness, which the Spirit deliberately included too, Ahijah was charged with a task. He had a personal charge from God to deliver the message. He did not flinch from it, despite it being unbearable. Really, is there worse news to give than the LORD has marked your son and your family for death? But Ahijah was charged with an important prophecy to deliver. It came true a few years later.

Despite Ahijah’s age and blindness, The LORD used him.

Anna was old also. Luke 2 records this

“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38).

Let’s guess, given the era, that Anna married at age 15. She was married 7 years and then became a widow. So from age 22 to 84 she was a widow devoting herself to the LORD- in the temple. As the years droned on, and then the decades, I wonder what Anna thought. We do know that at least for over 60 years, she worshiped. And then, she saw Israel’s redemption! And she “spoke to all” who were waiting Israel’s redemption. From the mouth of a widow the Lord used her to speak to all of Him.

Apostle John lived a long and important life. He followed Jesus, he was witness to the resurrection, he pastored a church, he nurtured hundreds in Christ, wrote a Gospel, wrote the epistles of John, and then he was sent to the Island of Patmos.

A more forbidding place there cannot be. It is Mars-like in appearance, rocky and hot, barren and isolated. It’s only 13 square miles.The Romans used it and islands like it as a modern day rendition- it was a place where legally, political and religious detainees didn’t exist. John was exiled there for the word of Jesus (Revelation 1:9). He was by that time well over 90 years of age.

I wonder what John was thinking. He was very old, and all his old Apostle friends had been killed. His younger friends had been killed or scattered too. Maybe he was sitting on the beach, looking out, thinking, “This is it, the Lord will not use me any more. I am here on this island and remote from the world. There is no one even to preach to.”

The bible records, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”” (Revelation 1:9-10).

John was charged with writing the monumental book of Revelation. The climax, the conclusion of all that the LORD intends, the end of history and the hope of the coming of Christ, was given to John to see in vision and then to write.

Despite John’s remote location, the Lord used him.

Isn’t it funny, the Lord used Moses, a murderer. Despite the fact that Moses stuttered, or had some kind of articulation problem, he was used as God’s mouthpiece as the most famous prophet in all the bible.

“But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”” (Exodus 4:10-12)

Despite Moses’s character and stuttering, God used him.

Jeremiah’s age was no barrier to being used. Just as Ahijah or Anna was not too old, Jeremiah was not too young.

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”” (Jeremiah 1:6-8)

Shepherd and fig-grower Amos was used by God, despite his lowly station in life. Shepherds were considered low, as noted here by MacArthur:

“Shepherds spent most of their time in the fields away from society and had no influence to speak of. In modern terms they were blue-collar workers largely unnoticed by those in power. Shepherds were in the lower classes of society.”

“So Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs.’ ” (Amos 7:14)

So we see that despite age, ability, character, location, or socio-economic status, the Lord Jesus can and will use you. You could be young and just starting out, like Jeremiah, or old and seemingly finished, like Anna or Ahijah- but Jesus can use you. Gender doesn’t matter either, He used Mary, Rahab, Anna, Miriam, Lydia, Huldah… His power will flow through you and enable you.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

If you are weak but being used of God, you are operating from a position of the strongest in the universe. Any and all persons in Christ with the Spirit in them will be used of God for His purposes. Any time, any where, there is no retirement rocking chair mentality. He uses you every day and despite your protestations over your age, location, status, or disability- He uses you. If He chooses you for a certain task, He will enable you to finish it.

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” (1 Corinthians 1:26)

The one thing these all had in common, was that they loved the Lord. Do you love Him? I hope you do. Jesus is the unique individual of the universe, distinct in holiness and perfection.

antichrist, pope francis

Pope says there is no need to convert anyone

Posted on October 7, 2013 by elizabethprata

The Pope: how the Church will change, Dialogue between Francis and La Repubblica’s founder, Eugenio Scalfari: (La Repubblica is the Italian newspaper)

And here I am. The Pope comes in and shakes my hand, and we sit down. The Pope smiles and says: “Some of my colleagues who know you told me that you will try to convert me.”

It’s a joke, I tell him. My friends think it is you want to convert me.
He smiles again and replies: “Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us. Sometimes after a meeting I want to arrange another one because new ideas are born and I discover new needs. This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.”

Your Holiness, is there is a single vision of the Good? And who decides what it is?
“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is Good.”

Your Holiness, you wrote that in your letter to me. The conscience is autonomous, you said, and everyone must obey his conscience. I think that’s one of the most courageous steps taken by a Pope.
“And I repeat it here. Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

Is the Church doing that?
“Yes, that is the purpose of our mission: to identify the material and immaterial needs of the people and try to meet them as we can. Do you know what agape is?”

Yes, I know.
“It is love of others, as our Lord preached. It is not proselytizing, it is love. Love for one’s neighbor, that leavening that serves the common good.”

Love your neighbor as yourself.
“Exactly so.”

Jesus in his preaching said that agape, love for others, is the only way to love God. Correct me if I’m wrong.
“You’re not wrong. The Son of God became incarnate in the souls of men to instill the feeling of brotherhood. All are brothers and all children of God. Abba, as he called the Father. I will show you the way, he said. Follow me and you will find the Father and you will all be his children and he will take delight in you. Agape, the love of each one of us for the other, from the closest to the furthest, is in fact the only way that Jesus has given us to find the way of salvation and of the Beatitudes.”

Creation Grace: God as artist

Posted on October 6, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

On Sundays I usually put up a photo of mine, showing a piece of the earth. I want to honor God’s creative power. We worship Him on this holy day and part of that worship includes praising His eternal characteristics. He is Creator. As Charles Spurgeon said,

“Was he powerful? Was he the mighty God when he spake the world out of the womb of nonexistence? Was he the Omnipotent when he piled the mountains and scooped out the hollow places for the rolling deep?”

God is incredibly powerful, we know that. But within His creative power is a beauty and a delicacy. He could have made a world that is utilitarian only, in drab colors of gray and brown. Earth could look like Mars, after all. He could have made all the animals look almost alike. Or all of us amoebas. He didn’t. His imagination, ability to not just create, but to create beautifully, is awe-inspiring.

Each bird has its own call. We have the harsh cry of the bluejay and the tweet of the songster warbler. Each bird has its own movement. We have the flits of the hummingbird and the soaring glide of the eagle.

Each animal has its own beauty, even jellyfish! Even bluebottle flies have a neon iridescence that catches the eye (just before you swat them…). Let’s take a look at creation grace and the beauty within it.

He didn’t have to create colorful fall foliage…but He did

Fall foliage, Crystal Lake, Gray ME. EPrata photo

He didn’t have to create colorful flowers…But he did

Wildflower, Comer, GA. EPrata photo

From chickens to tapirs to cats, He made them diverse

Georgia Chicken House, Danielsville GA. EPrata photo

Tapir, Amazon. EPrata photo

Barn Cat, Gray ME. EPrata photo

The sun & moon ” for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth” (Genesis 1:15).

He paints the sky!

Sunset, Comer GA. EPrata photo

Sunset Daytona FL. EPrata photo

Sunset Lubec ME. EPrata photo

From the velvet beauty of the magnolia…

EPrata photo

to the sudden deadliness of the pitcher plant…

Bog, Campobello New Brunswick Canada. EPrata photo

to the prickliness of the cactus…

Cactus, EPrata photo

The Lord creates, and He creates beautifully!

If you would like to see some truly beautiful photos of earth taken by talented photographers, here are some links well worth visiting. As you view the photos, praise the Creator who not only made us and made this place to live, but He chose not to make it solely utilitarian, but beautiful, too.

Ten Years of Gorgeous Images of Earth

Earth as Art: Stunning Images From Space

NatGeo: Extreme Earth

magnify

O Magnify the Lord With Me

Posted on October 5, 2013 by elizabethprata

A beautiful 3-minute clip, from pastor Bob Jennings of Grace Community Church of San Antonio (I’ll Be Honest). He is speaking at a wedding of a lovely young couple. May it lift your soul.

immutable, purpose, rick warren, spurgeon

Finding God’s will for your life

Posted on October 4, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

True Christians are consumed with obeying God and serving Him, because we love Him so much. That’s why so many people say they want to “find God’s will for their life.” Finding God’s will is at the top of their list of ways we want to serve Him. Christians ache when they feel that they are missing out on doing service for God, and they fear. ‘What if I’m not finding it?’ they wonder. ‘What if He wants me to be a missionary in Burma and I haven’t read the signs correctly and I’m just here in Dayton, not doing much?’

Rugendas, c. 1820, “Village of Christianized Tapuyos indians”

The book Radical by David Platt touched on this invisible fear among many Christians. The book Radical is, according to Kevin DeYoung, “an all-out assault on cheap grace, easy-believism, consumer Christianity.”

And is against the Christian laziness that comes with it. I agree that those things should be avoided and denounced. But despite the softening language, Platt’s overall tone is that we should throw it all over, sell all our stuff, and run off to Burma as a missionary.

DeYoung admires Platt but has five concerns of the book, and mentions this fourth: “I worry that radical and crazy Christianity cannot be sustained. If the message of Jesus translates into “Give more away” or “Sacrifice for the gospel” or “Get more radical” we will end up with burned out evangelicals. Even when Jesus said his hard saying (and he said a lot of them) it was not his basic stump speech. His message was repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15). When Jesus challenged the crowds to count the cost or let the dead bury their dead it was to make clear that following him was not all about miracles and wonders, it was about giving him the preeminence. The emphasis was doxological first and foremost. Worship Christ. Believe in Christ. Walk with Christ. And therefore, before you follow Christ be prepared for opposition.”

“I don’t worry for David’s theology, but I worry that some young Christians reading his book might walk away wondering if a life spent working as a loan officer, tithing to their church, praying for their kids, learning to love Christ more, and serving in the Sunday school could possibly be pleasing to God. We need to find a way to attack the American dream while still allowing for differing vocations and that sort of ordinary Christian life that can plod along for fifty years. I imagine David wants this same thing. I’m just not sure this came through consistently in the book.“

Rick Warren, Source

The book was a catalyst for the lurking doubt that rests in many Christians that they aren’t doing enough. That they are missing their purpose. (thanks a bunch, Rick Warren). So what is the answer?

The bible. God wrote down about Himself, what He wanted us to know about Him. He also put in there by the inspired Holy Spirit what He wants us to do and not do, and to take comfort in His promises. His purpose for us is in there.

He has several purposes for us all. ALL.

God wants us to believe. That is our primary purpose in life. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15. Also 2 Peter 3:9 & Acts 22:16).

After belief, we are to be a witness, teaching and making disciples. That is the Christian’s purpose in life. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Our chief purpose in Christian life is to glorify God. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This next part is from MacArthur’s outline from his essay “How to live for God’s glory”

Confess Your Sins. (1 John 1:9)
Bear Fruit. (John 15:8; Colossians 1:10)
Give Praise to God. (Psalm 50:23)
Be Content. (Philippians 4:11)
Pray According to God’s Will. (John 14:13)
Proclaim God’s Word. (2 Thessalonians 3:1)

In the past, God made it clear to those whom He chose as to what their purpose was. Moses was to be His prophet. Jeremiah was to preach repentance. David was to be King. He spoke through a burning bush, a cloud, a still small voice, and even a donkey. He said what He said clearly and definitively- and directly.

Just because he isn’t speaking like that any more does not mean He isn’t speaking. Or, rather, has not spoken. Hebrews 1:1-2 says that God’s final word is through His Son–

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

His Son is the Word and His word can be found in the bible. That is where we find our purpose.

“But what if I am to be called as a missionary? Or a preacher? Or to do a certain work in a certain place as a layperson? How will I know if there is a specific purpose, then?”

Do we think that just because He doesn’t come down to us and speak directly through a burning bush, that we cannot understand that if He has a specific call for our lives that He can’t or won’t make it clear? He is powerful! As Spurgeon praises Him in His power so eloquently,

“He changes not in his attributes. Whatever the attributes of God were of old, that they are now; and of each of them we may sing “As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.” Was he powerful? Was he the mighty God when he spake the world out of the womb of nonexistence? Was he the Omnipotent when he piled the mountains and scooped out the hollow places for the rolling deep? Yes, he was powerful then, and his arm is unpalsied now, he is the same giant in his might; the sap of his nourishment is undried, and the strength of his soul stands the same for ever.”

He has the power to instill in you the burning desire to be a preacher. As He did Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:16, or Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:9.

Has He given you the gift of teaching? Do people remark on your teaching or preaching, whether you have done it impromptu or in formal settings? (Ephesians 4:11).

Even if we have submitted to His obvious working of circumstances in our lives so that we are now beginning to understand the specific purpose, He will also still sovereignly work to guide you within it! See Paul in Acts 16:6-8,

Mosaic, ‘Man of Macedonia appearing to Paul’

“And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.”

In the next verse Paul received a vision of where He was in fact to go. Though we do not receive direct visions anymore like this, do we not think the Spirit isn’t still working and guiding us within our lives to HIS purpose? Of course He is.

Because that is what it is all about, God’s purpose, not our purpose. We believe, submit, and serve. He guides and organizes the rest. Do we believe that God is so timid that our busy lives can block Him out, and that it is even remotely possible for us to miss a specific purpose He has outlined for us?

No.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)

Queen Esther – Andrea del Castagno, c.1450

God had a purpose and He wanted Queen Esther to be a part of its fulfillment. Esther’s uncle Mordecai was talking to her about doing it. It seems that Esther already had an inkling about what she was to do. Mordecai cemented it. We usually focus on the last part of Mordecai’s answer, “for such a time as this” but what about the first part?

“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14-15)

‘If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place’. So you see, God providentially works all things to the good, and we are not so powerful that we miss His call, and He is not so tenuous that it all falls apart if we refuse it.

God has a purpose. If you know what your purpose is- and you will, because God makes it clear, and you refuse the call to be a missionary or preacher or whatever, God will still fulfill what He wants to fulfill. His plans are immutable.

Our purpose is to believe, witness, make disciples, and glorify Him. We all have that purpose. In addition, He sent the Spirit to dispense Gifts as He wills, so that His purposes will be executed though us and by the fruits we bear by His Spirit’s power. If we are to have a specific call, He will make it known. Moses was 40 years old when we learned he killed a man, and he waited another 40 years until God used him for his last 40. Moses was used by God from age 80-120. So even one of the great patriarchs of the bible was not called to a specific purpose until late in life. However, Moses’s entire life was used of God’s purpose! Moses just didn’t know it. It is the same with us.

Not everyone has a call to run off to Burma or to preach to the masses. Most of us, I dare say, are simply operating in our mundane spheres, planting seeds and bearing fruit. If we have a call to perform a specific purpose, we will understand it when it comes. Until then, rest secure in His providence and His power. It’s not our purpose in life that is the point, but His purposes.

attributes, God, jeremiah, lamentations

One hundred percent guarantee for how to get out of the doldrums

Posted on October 3, 2013 by elizabethprata

Tears! Grief! Woe! Famine! Death! Pain! Jeremiah!

The book of Jeremiah “recounts more of his own life than any other prophet, telling of his ministry, the reactions of his audiences, testings, and his personal feelings. … The main theme of Jeremiah is judgment upon Judah (chaps. 1–29) with restoration in the future messianic kingdom (23:3–8; 30–33).” (source)

“Jeremiah Lamenting the
Destruction of Jerusalem” (Rembrandt)

Jeremiah also wrote the book of Lamentations, “No other entire OT book contains only laments, as does this distressful dirge, marking the funeral of the once beautiful city of Jerusalem. This book keeps alive the memory of that fall and teaches all believers how to deal with suffering.” (source)

In the first two and a half chapters of Lamentations, a word that means lament, loud cries, Jeremiah records woe and distress unparalleled in all the bible. “Jeremiah wrote Lamentations as an eyewitness (cf. 1:13–15; 2:6,9; 4:1–12), possibly with Baruch’s secretarial help (cf. Jer. 36:4; 45:1), during or soon after Jerusalem’s fall in 586 B.C. It was mid-July when the city fell and mid-August when the temple was burned. Likely, Jeremiah saw the destruction of walls, towers, homes, palace, and temple; he wrote while the event remained painfully fresh in his memory, but before his forced departure to Egypt.” (source)

Jeremiah opens Lamentations chapter 3 this way:

“I am the man who has seen affliction

under the rod of his wrath;

2 he has driven and brought me

into darkness without any light;

3 surely against me he turns his hand

again and again the whole day long.

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;

he has broken my bones;

5 he has besieged and enveloped me

with bitterness and tribulation;

6 he has made me dwell in darkness

like the dead of long ago.”

Not that Jeremiah personally was being punished for his sins, but that Jeremiah was eyewitness to the wrath that had come upon the Jewish people, who had refused to repent. Jerusalem was a smoking cinder and the people were carried away.

Jeremiah goes on for many more verses about his afflictions and woes. I can’t even conceive of his hardships. When the siege of Jerusalem occurred, the people were starved to death, literally. Women killed and ate each other, even their babies. (Jeremiah 19:9; Lamentations 2:20;). It was tough and Jeremiah, sensitive to God and to his fellow people, was part of it all.

Jeremiah’s frequent references to darkness is heartbreaking. Things are dark! Then in Lamentations 3:21 it all changes. Jeremiah turns a corner. How? Why? What can possibly get him out of his depression and distress? What can he possibly do or say or think that would lift him from the bible’s nearly deepest recorded personal woe? He makes this statement in Lamentations 3:21,

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:”

What is Jeremiah calling to mind?

The attributes of God.

He recites the truth of the steadfast love of the LORD, His mercies, His goodness to those who wait on Him, and His salvation.

I can guarantee the following statement 100%: If you are in distress, and you choose to ‘call to mind’ our precious Jesus and His attributes, nature, and character, you WILL feel better.

How can I guarantee this? Because if you fix your thoughts on those things, ‘call them to mind’ as Jeremiah says, you are thinking the best thoughts you can possibly think. There is no thought that is better. No thought that is higher. No action that is more pure.

Jesus is the universe’s greatest treasure. He is the unique individual of all the ages past, present and future. He is the purest, best, most majestic and wonderful Person of all, and all His attributes that come from Him are THE highest.

If you are afflicted with sorrow or trials, no matter what they are, do what Jeremiah did. Call those things to mind. Even better, preach them back to the LORD. Extol His virtues to Him and praise Him for those virtues.

You might try to lift yourself from a depressing time by thinking of your wedding day. Or your honeymoon. Or your last birthday party, or the most relaxing vacation you ever took. Or the accolade you just won at work. NONE of those happy things will ever come close to lifting you like it will if you ponder Jesus and His nature and attributes.

Because as I said, those thoughts are the top, best thoughts you can have. Nothing else compares.

Times are rough for many people now. I think of the Syrian Christians caught in the crossfire of the two-year civil war. Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad has a point when he says “we are fighting rebels who eat their enemies’ hearts.” The situation must be very similar to the destruction of Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s time. Pray for the Christians there to ponder Jesus all the more.

Even here in America, people are not adjusting well to their new economic circumstances and worried about their future. Many have received a report of cancer in their child or their parent. Many other events and circumstances worry us. However, lift your eyes to Jesus and deliberately call to mind his love, faithfulness, mercies, salvation and all the other wonderful attributes he possesses. If Jeremiah can do it, so can we. His book and the book of Lamentations is, in my opinion, in the bible to show us that no matter the suffering, He is so high and lifted up that when we fix our hearts and thoughts on Him, we will be high and lifted up too.

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