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charismatic, doctrine, error, God in a box, personal revelation, truth

Help! God is in a box! We have to get Him out!

Posted on September 21, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

This week I read a book to the kids at school called “Not A Box” by Antoinette Portis. It is a book about imagination. An unseen narrator asks a rabbit, “Why are you sitting in that box?” The ensuing pages record the rabbit’s responses, insisting it is not a box, whilst the illustrations show indeed that in the rabbit’s mind, the box is indeed something else and the rabbit is busy outside of it.

I write frequently of the absolute integrity and truthfulness of scripture and that the only reason we can say the bible is absolutely true is because it is the revealed word from a living and holy God. His word is contained in the bible and nowhere else. To be sure, we can see His qualities in creation, which revealed His creative power and His divine nature (Romans 1:19-20). But His revealed will to humans? In the bible and the bible alone.

However, Charismatics rely on experience as a standard of what God is revealing to them. They put their experience as high or even higher than the Word as revealed in the bible. If something spiritual happened to them, they believe it is real, and it therefore really reveals something God is doing, or saying, or thinking, or whatever.

When I show that that charismatic experiences count as nothing, that they are unbiblical and unworthy of attention, I receive responses saying, “Don’t put God in a box!” Or, “Don’t limit God!”

Let’s take a look at what a person is really saying when they say those things.

The issue: IS God in a box?

First, God cannot ever be ‘put in a box’ nor can God ever be ‘limited’ by humans. The thought is simply absurd. However, as He has chosen to reveal Himself and His will, He is confined to pages of scripture. Secondly, experience never trumps scripture. Ever. You can have all the “passion” you want for God, to the point that at spiritual events you jerk around so much look you like bacon in a fry pan, but that is not truth, it’s not doctrine, and it’s not from God. That isn’t even passion. It’s only impulses, and you’re being led astray. (2 Timothy 3:6).

If a person has a dream or a vision that is especially vivid, they say it is from God, that God is talking directly to them (And I mean YOU, Beth Moore…Sarah Young…Kim Walker Smith…). They ascribe all due spiritual gravitas to their experience and go about replaying it for any and all who would listen (and many who would not). They make themselves the hero of the story.

If confronted with the fact that though the Spirit is alive and working in sanctified Christians, but that tongues and miracles and signs have ceased, that is when they trot out the charge that by our denying their experience as perfectly and uniquely sent to them by God, we are putting God in a box, and we are limiting Him.

We know He is limitless, that is not the issue. However He has said He will operate in certain ways. During this Church Age He has said that He will use the Spirit to grow us in sanctification and will illuminate the scriptures for us. (John 16:13-14 ). He won’t suddenly decide to sky-write the messages He wants us to know. He can. But He won’t.

He has said that He listens to prayer as a method of communication. (Philippians 4:6). However, He won’t suddenly put notes in our mailbox (like in The Shack) or call us personally. He can. But He won’t.

Though we know He is alive, He is in heaven and will not come back until the Day. (Matthew 26:64). He won’t appear in our bathroom while we are shaving and put His arm around us. He can. But He won’t.

We know He CAN do those things, but we have confidence that He won’t. Why? He speaks through His word, His Son, and His Spirit. (2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:1-2, John 14:17, 1 Corinthians 3:16). He has said how He will operate. He spoke through men to write down His inspired word. And He doesn’t break His promises.

“Inspiration is the doctrine that the Bible was written by the influence of God. It is, therefore, without error in the original documents. It is accurate and authoritatively represents God’s teachings (2 Tim. 3:16). As such it is a revelation from God which implies direct knowledge about God, creation, man, salvation, the future, etc. It is an illumination in that it shows us what we could not know apart from it. “

We cannot know apart from it. That includes knowing something of God because He supposedly rained gold dust down, or put a thought in your head or seemed to heal a guy at a faith crusade.

Yet the Charismatic will cite John 21:25, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” And they will say that “See? Jesus did many other things. We can’t limit Him!”

We are not limiting Him by acknowledging what scripture says, that He performed many other wondrous things during His incarnation. It’s just that we don’t know what they were. Any speculations on what those things were is just that: speculation, guesswork, and vaporous estimations. If God had wanted us to know them, He would have put them in scripture. That He didn’t is no excuse to make some up. He told us not to go beyond what is written. (1 Corinthians 4:6)

The truth of the matter:

The problem is, the people who take God out of the box are really people who want to make God into what they want Him to be. It sounds all humble and everything to claim that it is limiting God by sticking to who He says He is in pages of holy writ. But it is really not humility. It’s pride. It is pride in their vision, pride in their alleged special relationship to Christ, who, after all, gave them a second blessing when they asked to be ‘filled with the Spirit.

His sovereign will is different from His revealed will. He has hidden from us some things He intends to do. The most glaring examples of His inscrutability on some matters are:
–what He was doing before creation and also,
–what we will do in eternity.

His revealed will, however, is just that: revealed. He has set down in words through men via the Spirit what He wants us to know about Him and what He wants us to know about what He plans to do and what he wants us to know to do for Him.

Therefore God IS IN A BOX, at least, as far as the pages of scripture go. And there He will stay this side of the veil.

Because, you see, once we take God out of the box, we make Him into whatever we want Him to be in our imagination. Once you take Him out of the pages of scripture, you say, ‘It’s not a box. It’s a highrise. My God is a fireman.”

Erroll Hulse wrote in his book, “The Blessings, Main Problem and Dangers of the Charismatic Experience,” that many Charismatics have a “Preoccupation with experience.”

“During 1977 a believer described two revivals which he had witnessed in Borneo. The first was classical in the sense that it was typical of revivals down through the centuries. Preaching, conviction of sin, repentance and transformation of life were the predominating features. The second revival which followed a couple of years later was Charismatic in character. The speaker himself reflected the impact that the second revival had made upon him personally. He gave description after description of visions, exorcisms, healings, spirit baptisms and sensational events such as preservation in the jungle and the moving of lights in meetings. One felt while listening to this account that the Word of God had been supplanted by all the externals. It is possible to become so enamoured with the extraordinary and with excitements and sensational happenings that such matters become the daily diet of believers. Eventually it is all they can talk about which is the hallmark of most Charismatic books. Scripture is supplanted by the narration of events which goes on ad infinitum.“

When you take God out of the box (pages of scripture) then you can say “It’s not a box. My God is a robot. But that’s OK if your God is a fireman. It would be limiting God by making Him be a definite thing.”

Many Charismatics who want God out of that box claim that by us conservatives sticking to scripture, we are denying the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. Not so. The great theologian J. Gresham Machan wrote,

Meanwhile we have the Holy Spirit, and we have the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments that the Holy Spirit uses. Much mischief has been wrought in the church by false notions of ‘the witness of the Spirit’; it has sometimes been supposed that the Holy Spirit makes us independent of the Bible. Just the opposite is the case.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He does not contradict in one generation what He has said in another. He does not contradict the Scriptures that He himself has given. On the contrary, what He really does is to make the words of Scripture glow with a heavenly light and burn in the hearts of men. Those Scriptures are placed in your hands. You may not say with the prophets of old: ‘God has spoken directly and independently to me; I appeal to no external authority; when I speak it is “Thus saith the Lord.”’ But you can do something else. You can mount your pulpit stairs; open reverently the Bible on the desk; pray to the gracious Spirit to make plain the words that He has spoken; and so unfold to needy people the Word of God.

Taking God out of the box (pages of scripture) opens one up to all sorts of mischief, as Machen wrote. We ascribe works to Him that He did not do. We ascribe attributes to Him He does not possess. We ascribe writings to Him He did not inspire. Taking God out of the box once too often, and you may find that it is satan you have loosed in your life, and not the Holy Spirit.

Hulse concludes,

Source

Jesus is Lord indeed. He has been exalted, crowned, celebrated and is adulated because he has procured our justification by the agonies on the cross. Any obscuring of that, his greatest achievement, is to defame his glory. If experience is permitted to gobble up doctrine, if love is allowed to devour principle, if sentiment is suffered to obscure justification by faith only — then how will the world’s multitudes be saved? How can Jesus be Lord for them? Satan will continue to have his dominion over them. Those who are ready to unite on the basis of love and common Charismatic experience at the expense of Justification should remember that in doing so they will be celebrating the lordship of Satan, not the Lordship of Christ.

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Four hundred pomegranates!

Posted on September 19, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I am reading 1st Kings. I read 1 Kings 6, 7 and 8. Solomon built the Temple, his Palace, and in chapter 8, prayed blessings unto God.

I was entranced in chapter 7 by the description of the temple artifacts. Whoa, the cherubim wings! Fifteen feet wide?! They are very powerful angels in real life and if they look like they do as represented in bronze in the description of the temple that are awesome!

Le Moyne’s Botanical Watercolors, 1585

I also got stuck on the detail the LORD put in the chapter about the 400 pomegranates.

“Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord: the two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars; and the four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; the ten stands, and the ten basins on the stands; and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath the sea.” (1 Kings 7:40-44)

I got to thinking,
“Why 400 pomegranates?”
“What was Hiram thinking when he made all those pomegranates?”
“Did Hiram get tired of making 400 pomegranates?”
“Why pomegranates?”

The other questions can’t be answered this side of the veil, but I can always ask Hiram when I get there.

As to the pomegranates, I did find out a lot of stuff from the bible. Thanks to Wayne Blank of Keyway Bible Study, here is the lowdown on pomegranates.

The LORD was bringing the people out of bondage and delivering them to a land rich with provision. One of those provisions was fruit of the land, and one of those fruits was pomegranates.

photo credit: chany14 via photopin cc

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.” (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)

Joel spoke of the pomegranate’s absence being the opposite of provision. When disobedience comes in, everything dries up. In Joel 1:12 we read,

“The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.”

Wikimedia commons

Back to 1 Kings, in addition to the pomegranates being cast in bronze for the temple adornment, the LORD had ordered Moses to direct the priests to make specific garments in which they would carry out their duties. The hem of the robe must be adorned with pomegranates.

“He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue, and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear. On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates— bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Exodus 39:22-26)

The pomegranate is a good candidate for the forbidden fruit that was eaten in the Garden, though we cannot be sure. As a personal anecdote, we used to eat them at Thanksgiving. Every family has their traditions, and in ours, my mother always used to buy lots of shelled nuts and put them in a bowl with nutcrackers. Filberts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, Brazil nuts…they were all there and I enjoyed them each year. They were the one-per-year friends. Me and my cousins would sit around and pick nuts and laugh and talk.

She also used to put out a bowl of pomegranates. I don’t know why that particular fruit, but there they were. I remember them as being delicious, juicy, and refreshing.

If you enjoy studying flora and fauna, try a study of the bible’s natural history. The birds, insects, animals, and plants in the bible is a wonderful study. I can’t wait to find out why the Lord prefers pomegranates, what their symbolism is and what they mean to Him.

Meanwhile, I wonder…was a pomegranate the fruit that Eve and Adam ate in the Garden? Will a pomegranate tree be one of the fruit trees lining the River of Life in the Millennium?

“And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:12)

LOL, that is the original “Fruit of the Month Club”!

false doctrine, galatians

Did you know Galatians was so harsh?

Posted on September 19, 2013 by elizabethprata

We tend to think of Revelation being the “hard” chapter. But Paul’s little missive to the Galatians has some tough language in it, and stern words for the Christians of his day and for Christians of all time. Paul sends curses out twice in this short passage. False doctrine is extremely important to tend to. A little leaven spoils the whole lump.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9).

Paul mentions here that:

–Christians desert solid doctrine
–Christians accept a different gospel
–Christians be warned that some come in who trouble us
–Christians be warned that some who come in purposely distort the Gospel
–Do not ‘dialog’ with the Gospel-perverters. Instead, let them be accursed!

“Have you ever noticed how difficult sometimes it is to reject a false system because the people in it are so nice? Paul says, “I don’t care if it’s me or if it’s a beautiful angel from heaven, let him be accursed.” So many buy false doctrine because the package is so nice. Don’t you know Satan knows that?” (source)

Far from being tolerant, lackadaisical, inclusive; Christians should be exclusive, intolerant of false doctrine, and vigorous in defending Christ.

christ, occupy wall street, riches

I am the 1%

Posted on September 17, 2013 by elizabethprata

“The Occupy Wall Street slogan, We are the 99%, refers to income inequality and wealth distribution in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population.” (Wikipedia)

The OWS movement promotes a Marxist version of “social justice” and is not Christian in the least.

“Early Christians, for example, demonstrated how a system of distribution could be set up to meet the needs of everyone within a local church community (Cf. Acts 2:43-45, Acts 5:1-11, Acts 6:1-6). This communal sharing was a voluntary method of meeting pressing needs within the church. Of course, this was a far cry from the politically driven socio-economic Marxism, communism, and socialism that exist in present times, all which grant citizens the right to possess a large share of society’s burdens but only a small (though equal) share of its benefits.” – See more

Christian, if you have become involved in movements to donate money to causes which strive to render poverty non-existent (Bono’s ONE, for example, or Passion stamping out sex trafficking cause) or any other cause that uses your God-given money to stamp out social ills, especially to the neglect of giving to your local church, then shame on you.

For does not God raise up rich and poor? Install kings and depose them? Place each one of us in their own nation, state, sphere?

Job, Abram, David, Solomon, Paul, Nicodemus, Lydia, Susannah, Joseph of Arimathea, the three Magi, Matthew/Levi, and so on were in turn very rich. Were they somehow ‘wrong’ to be rich? Job’s fortune increased to a high degree, then God took it away, then God restored it. Was God wrong to make Job rich again? Could he have not given what Job had to the poor who existed all around him?

Jesus even raised up and used rich men for His name who were not believers, Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar, and used them for His name.

In terms of Occupy Wall Street, I am the 99%. I am very poor. I have a minimal income. It has actually gone down in recent years, due to the school system rendering furlough days on us. (Unpaid days). I skip grocery shopping twice a month now, choosing to shop only bi-weekly. To save gas, I don’t drive anywhere except work and church. I have no savings and I live paycheck to paycheck. I buy nothing for myself, except very occasionally, a book, and new socks. According to the world’s standard, I am the working poor and part of the 99%.

Does that entitle me to another guy’s money? NEVER! I would not have it so. I don’t need it!

Because in fact, I AM THE 1%.

I don’t judge my lifestyle according to the world. I am satisfied with Christ’s provision. I always have enough to eat. I have a nice, clean, safe place to live. I have clothes and a vehicle and a job. I am cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I have books to read, the bible to study and friends to share with.

I have Christ.

He is all I need. His provision of His blood, freely given on the cross, is all the treasure I need or want, Because that is all there is

Christian it is always good to remember that we are not of this world. If you are in Him, you are spiritually wealthy and of the 1%.

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

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Further reading:

A biblical view of ‘social justice’

revelation, stars, wrath

The stars will fall from the sky as figs from a tree

Posted on September 16, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Some of the prophecies to come are so beyond imagining that they defy bringing into illustration. Chris Koelle did an amazing and in my opinion, supernaturally spooky job of making the book of Revelation into a graphic book. His art did manage to bring to two dimensions what is nearly incomprehensible to imagine in three.

In the photo below, it has nothing to do with the bible or prophecies or anything religious. A photographer, Lincoln Harrison, simply photographed stars with a long exposure, and …well, let these guys at My Modern Met, (where I found Harrison’s photography) explain.

“Photographer Lincoln Harrison continues to amaze us with his extensive collection of surreal Startrails. …Recently, he produced a series in which each composition is filled with streaks of gorgeous light bursting across the atmosphere. Harrison documents the majestic night sky by using long exposures combined with a creative zoom technique, and then layering two images together in post-production.“

The photograph immediately reminded me of the scene in Revelation where the stars fall from the sky. Here it is, with parallel verses:

“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (Revelation 6:12-14)

“All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.” (Isaiah 34:4)

“The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” (Joel 2:31)

The scene will be utterly terrifying. Men will drop dead on the spot. “People fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:26). Imagine standing next to the tree and seeing this happen!

Repent of your sins and escape all these things.

Here is a true fact: “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31).

If you are saved, you are free from the chains of death! Made possible by the ONE MAN who lived a sinless life, and laid it down in voluntary submission to His Father’s will, on behalf of His bride to be. Us.

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How social justice and evolution are incompatible

Posted on September 16, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

A liberal friend put up something on her Facebook page today that made me think. It was of a hand-written sign posted in a person’s window. The sign said:

The 99% refers in large part to a movement called Occupy Wall Street. Wikipedia explains the Occupy movement:

“The main issues raised by Occupy Wall Street were social and economic inequality, greed, corruption and the perceived undue influence of corporations on government—particularly from the financial services sector. The OWS slogan, We are the 99%, refers to income inequality and wealth distribution in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population.”

So the Occupy people are hot for taking from the rich to give to the poor so the poor will survive.

Next thought:

Evolution is one thing when applied to animals…

Many liberals also believe in the theory of evolution, in which the survival of the fittest is an important element. In this theory, it can be summed up using the Online Free Dictionary that “Natural selection conceived of as a struggle for life in which only those organisms best adapted to existing conditions are able to survive and reproduce.”

Now here is my question. The Occupy Movement is consumed with rendering ‘economic equality’ for all citizens, so that they all have an equal chance at survival, and no one has a benefit or a leg up on another guy. However, as liberals are almost uniformly believers in evolution also, doesn’t social justice contradict evolution’s survival of the fittest?

In other words, why aren’t liberals making signs on their Facebook page that say to the medicare guy of the 99% “Die, old man, so the species can survive! Yay species! Only the fittest survive! There’ll be more for the rest of us!”

But when evolution is applied to modern humans,
it’s a different story altogether

Of course I am being facetious. I personally do not subscribe to any of the above positions (Occupy Wall Street, Evolution, or forced charity.) I am simply pointing out the inherent foolishness of the worldly philosophies and the fact that anyone can see that they contradict each other. They are illogical singly and in total.

Colossians 2:8 says “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” (NLT)

Why not let let anyone capture you with empty philosophies? For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” (1 Corinthians 3:19)

As Paul put it, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” (Ephesians 4:17).

We’re so grateful that the Light has come into our minds, so we can see the truth of God and the beauty of Christ. Praise Jesus that our thoughts are not futile, but fruitful.

praise

Worthy is the Lamb!

Posted on September 15, 2013 by elizabethprata

You remember the father of the sick child who said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

I think about the rapture a lot. In church today we sang about rising to meet Christ in the air.

I am waiting patiently for Him to call us. But sometimes I get so impatient for the rapture, I cry “Lord! I am patient! Help my impatience!”

Worthy is the Lamb!

Worthy is the Lamb! To receive His bride!

Worthy is the Lamb! To open the scroll!

Worthy is the Lamb! To render judgment!

“and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” (Revelation 1:13-16).

Worthy is the Lamb!

felicitas, martyr, perpetua

Sunday Martyr moment: Perpetua and Felicitas

Posted on September 15, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. According to this summary from Christian Book Summaries,

Writing in the mid-1500s, John Foxe was living in the midst of intense religious persecution at the hands of the dominant Roman Catholic Church. In graphic detail, he offers accounts of Christians being martyred for their belief in Jesus Christ, describing how God gave them extraordinary courage and stamina to endure unthinkable torture.

From the same link, the book’s purpose was fourfold:

Showcase the courage of true believers who have willingly taken a stand for Jesus Christ throughout the ages, even if it meant death,
Demonstrate the grace of God in the lives of those martyred for their faith,
Expose the ruthlessness of religious and political leaders as they sought to suppress those with differing beliefs,
Celebrate the courage of those who risked their lives to translate the Bible into the common language of the people.

Text from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

The persecutions now extending to Northern Africa, which was a Roman province. Many were martyred in that quarter of the globe; here are but a few.

Perpetua, a married lady, of about twenty-two years who was still nursing a child. Those who suffered with her were, Felicitas, her slave, big with child at the time of her being apprehended, and Revocatus, a slave who was being taught the principles of Christianity. The names of the other prisoners, destined to suffer upon this occasion, were Saturninus, Secundulus, and Satur.

On the day appointed for their execution, they were led to the amphitheater. Satur, Saturninus, and Revocatus were ordered to run the gauntlet between the hunters, or such as had the care of the wild beasts. The hunters being drawn up in two ranks, they ran between, and were severely lashed as they passed.

Perpetua

After an appearance before the proconsul Minutius in which she was offered freedom if she sacrificed to the idols, Perpetua had her still-nursing baby taken from her and was thrown into prison. Describing her faith and life in prison, she told her father, “The dungeon is to me a palace.” Later she and the other prisoners appeared before Hilarianus, the judge. He, also, offered to set her free if she sacrificed. Her father was there with her baby and he begged her to do so. She replied “I will not sacrifice.”

“Are you a Christian?” asked Hilarianus.
“I am a Christian,” Perpetua answered.

All of the Christians with her stood fast for Christ, and they were ordered to be killed by wild beasts for the enjoyment of the crowd on the next pagan holiday. The men were to be torn apart by lions and the women set upon by bulls.

“It will all happen in the prisoner’s dock as God wills, for you may be sure that we are not left to ourselves but are all in his power.”
On the day of their execution, Perpetua and Felicitas were first stripped naked and hung in nets, but were removed and clothed when the crowd objected. Upon returning to the arena Perpetua was tossed about by a mad bull and was stunned but not seriously hurt. Felicitas, however, was badly gored. Perpetua hurried to her side and held her while they waited for the bull to charge them again, but it refused to do so.They were dragged from the arena much to the crowd’s disappointment.

After a short time, they were brought back to be killed by gladiators. Felicitas was killed quickly, but the young, inexperienced gladiator assigned to kill Perpetua trembled violently and could only stab her weakly several times. Perpetua held his sword blade and guided it to a vital part of her body.

The fate of the men were similar. Satur and Revocatus were killed by the wild beasts, Saturninus was beheaded, and Secundulus died of his wounds in prison.

These executions were in 205, on the eighth day of March.

Painting showing the martyrdom of Perpetua,
Felicitas, Revocatus, Saturninus and Secundulus,
from the Menologion of Basil II (c. 1000 AD)

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Perpetua kept a diary of the time she was arrested and imprisoned. It ends prior to her being led to the arena. Thanks to her diary, and that of another prisoner’s we have a picture of the persecuted life of early Christians. Perpetua was a disciple, new to the faith and un-baptized. However, her faith remained so strong during trial and persecution, and her eventual martyrdom so impressed Augustine that he preached four sermons about her.

From Perpetua’s diary, we read

“Her father immediately came to her in prison. He was a pagan, and he saw an easy way for Perpetua to save herself. He entreated her simply to deny she was a Christian.

“Father do you see this vase here?” she replied. “Could it be called by any other name than what it is?”

“No,” he replied.

“Well, neither can I be called anything other than what I am, a Christian.”

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Are you a Christian? The name means something very powerful and important. It means we are ambassadors of His message, receptacles of His Spirit, children of the Most High.

In school we tell the fifth graders, “Act like somebody.” Christians have an even higher calling- act like a Christian. We are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works’ (Ephesians 2:10). Let us always declare His praises, (1 Peter 2:9) and live lives that are “holy and pleasing to God.” (Romans 12:1). When or if we are called upon to death by martydom, let us die a death that is pleasing to God also.

creation, ecclesiastes, seasons

Creation grace: Seasons

Posted on September 15, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

evangelism, glorify, holy spirit

When they reject the Gospel…God is also glorified. Evangelism part 3/3

Posted on September 14, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

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via photopin cc

We are commanded to share the Good News, make disciples, and teach (Matthew 28:19-20). We love Jesus so much that when we share Him and His unique and magnificent work on the cross, we think, why doesn’t everyone just see how clearly He loves us? Why don’t they see how great of a sinner we really are?” But we also know that minds are blinded and hearts are dead. (2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 4:18). Not all will accept the truth.

Jesus was very popular, with all His miracles and feedings and casting out demons. But after He’d fed the five thousand, He shared some hard truths.

When many of his followers heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?” (John 6:60-61)

They did.

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“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:66)

Was Jesus doing it wrong? They wanted to stone Him, throw Him off a cliff, and eventually they did kill Him. Many left His ministry after teaching them God’s standards and His words. Did Jesus do it wrong? Should He have been less oft-putting? Watered it down so they would listen?

Jesus would have failed personal evangelism class in almost every Bible college and seminary I know. Matthew 19:16-22 describes a young man who looked like the hottest evangelistic prospect the Lord had encountered so far. He was ripe. He was eager. There was no way he would get away without receiving eternal life. But he did. Instead of getting him to make a decision, in a sense Jesus chased him off. He failed to draw the net. He failed to sign the young man up. Should we allow our ideas of evangelism to indict Jesus? I think we need to allow His example to critique contemporary evangelism. Christ’s confrontation of this young man gives us much-needed insight into reaching the lost. (source)

His truths and the reaction to them should not be alien to you if you’ve been sharing the Gospel at all. One where the Holy Spirit is present, anyway! The truth of the Gospel always divides or angers. Paul’s truths caused riots. Stephen’s sermon caused him to be killed by stoning. They tried to kill Jesus many times. Christians today in Muslim nations are killed outright for their preaching. Jesus said that even families will be divided. (Matthew 10:34-36).

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When there is a reaction, it is because people don’t like their sin exposed and don’t like even a discussion about it. Everyone wants to think they are good, and have a solid “moral compass.” The truth of it though is that we are all evil, rotten, and bad. Only God is good. And He is SO good He sent His Son to bring us evil bad rotten people iniquity to heaven under the covering of His blood. I wish the reaction would be over that fact, where people would shout for joy.

Back to evangelism. The word of God upsets.

When we evangelize the full Gospel, beginning with sin, wrath, and Law, and ending with the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected, it will seem to cause some to reject. I say seem because we don’t know what is in store for that person and what work the Holy Spirit will do.

In one case of a street preacher baldly and honestly sharing the truth, one man who had heard the Gospel several times before was suddenly convicted on that day. He repented and was saved.

In other cases, like the Rich Young Ruler, he heard and rejected, and went away sorrowful because he wanted to keep his possessions (and was oblivious to his sins). (Mark 10:17-22)

God is magnified in both cases. How?

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In the former, His Spirit drew the man to God and one sinner was rejoiced over by all of heaven (Luke 15:7). God is magnified immediately by His magnificent act of redemption.

In the second case, and in all cases where a person hears the Gospel and rejects it, God is also glorified, in the future. Here is a template of future glory onto God: God called Ezekiel to proclaim His word and go to where there was rebellion and stubbornness.

“And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (Ezekiel 2:3-5)

When they stand before Holy God they will know He was faithful and true to His promises. He offered redemption, and in stubbornness and sin, they rejected it. His is still glorified, because He is true to His Holy name.

“Salvation is always attributed to God. A sinner’s judgment is always attributed to sinner’s unwillingness to believe.” (source)

My job is to deliver the truth and to pray the Holy Spirit applies it to your heart. Many will not believe and will reject. Some may come to faith. It is in the hands of the Spirit. But the message that is watered down to make you feel comfortable and wonderful is not the message of the Great Commission nor is it the whole counsel of God. We deliver the message that Jesus told us to deliver, how the receiver feels about it is up to them.

Jonathan Edwards wrote of God glorifying Himself,

“But it was his design to make a true manifestation of his glory, such as should represent every attribute. If God glorified one attribute, and not another, such manifestation of his glory would be defective; and the representation would not be complete. If all God’s attributes are not manifested, the glory of none of them is manifested as it is: for the divine attributes reflect glory on one another.”

“Thus if God’s wisdom be manifested, and not his holiness, the glory of his wisdom would not be manifested as it is; for one part of the glory of the attribute of divine wisdom is, that it is a holy wisdom. So if his holiness were manifested, and not his wisdom, the glory of his holiness would not be manifested as it is; for one thing which belongs to the glory of God’s holiness is, that it is a wise holiness. So it is with respect to the attributes of mercy and justice.”

God is sovereign in salvation, and whether they listen or they do not listen, God is always glorified because His attributes of justice, holiness, and mercy, and all His other attributes, are plainly manifested.

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Evangelism part 1
Evangelism part 2