Posted in black, ethnos, kingdom against kingdom, persecution, race, white

How easy it will be for the current race violence to turn to Christian persecution

Posted on by elizabethprata

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. (Proverbs 10:12)

This is an eternal truth. Though there are only a few words in this proverb, the truth of both halves of the verse (hate-love) cover the entire world. It covers all human behavior. It was true 6000 years ago (Cain vs. Abel) and it is true now (Muslim vs. Christian) and it will be true in the future (Armageddon unbeliever vs Jesus).

When a person hates, it stirs up strife. That strife first appears in the heart, which has its own evil passions. Another Proverb tells us that from the heart flow all springs of life, (Proverbs 4:23). Pulpit Commentary explains, “The fact here stated is that the moral conduct of life, its actions and proceedings, are determined by the condition of the heart. If the heart is pure, the life will be pure; if the heart is corrupt, the life will be corrupt. “

Next, if the heart is not guarded and the issues which spring forth in life are not dealt with, the mouth will begin to give voice to the strife within. (James 3:6a). Matthew 15:18 clearly ties the two together: “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.”

Finally, if the heart and the mouth are not restrained, then the person will begin to act on the corruption that is coming out. (Galatians 5:19-21). That is the way of the wicked.

We see this progression now in America. There is a rising race hatred which is causing riots, mobs, and individual beatings and killings, just on the basis of race. I am talking of black people killing white people simply on the basis of race-hatred.

A spate of news items in the last weeks has shown us that this particular kind of hatred is rising. Once hatred is found in the heart, if it is not addressed, and it rises to the mouth, it then is expressed in violence. This seems to open the floodgates. Just think of the spate of mob violence at fast food restaurants we saw in the news about 6 months ago. It seemed that every day there was some sort of altercation from a customer who, enraged for some reason or other, beat the cashier for a wrong order or a wrong look. Hatred and violence comes in waves, and now we see it in race violence.

I envision that hatred easily turned from race baiting and violence against white people to violence against Christians. After all, this is satan’s ultimate goal.

Jesus said that this would be the state of things in the Tribulation. In Matthew 24:7 He said, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”

The word for nation against nation is ethnos. It means a people group against a people group. The Greek is defined here in Strong’s concordance, ‘people joined by practicing similar customs or common culture’. This is a perfect definition of white against black, or as in Bosnia, Bosnian Croat against Bosnian Serb. Gentile against Christian. In other words, a people who live in the same nation, but are otherwise divided by artificial lines within their same culture.

I am deeply concerned that the hatred we are seeing today in America, percolating in hearts and rising to the surface to evidence itself against those of different color, will soon be perpetrated against the Christians. It would only take a slight spark to ignite that fire. This is because it’s what the world is hurtling toward, anyway. By the time the Tribulation comes, the entire world, every nation, every people group, and every kingdom will hate the Christians and make war with them- and overcome them. (Revelation 13:7, Revelation 12:7).

Our job is to make disciples, share the Good News of the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, even as the world increasingly rejects this message. However, there are still people being converted. There will still be people converted by His grace throughout even the darkest days of the Tribulation, before the mark of the beast settles the dividing lines once and for all. So certainly now, share the Good News!

As for us who are already in Christ, please be ready with a mental mindset and a heart condition of coming persecution in the US…Canada…Australia… “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” (1 John 3:13)

Therefore, do not react with surprise or anger at anything from mild rejection to killing persecution, for “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Here are the news clips from the race violence

3 Blacks Randomly Kill White Man In TN. Mainstream Media Silent
“Memphis–A young white male was walking to his car on a city street late at night on August 12, when he was confronted by a trio of black individuals. They shot him dead. Police have arrested three people and charged them with first degree murder. But some in the victim’s family can’t understand why the shooting is being called a “failed robbery” when they say the evidence suggests something possibly more sinister: a hate crime.”

WWII vet, beaten by teens outside Eagles Lodge, dies
“WWII veteran Delbert Belton survived being wounded in action during the Battle of Okinawa only to be beaten and left for dead by two [Black]teens at the Eagles Lodge in Spokane on Wednesday evening. Belton, 89, died from the injuries he suffered in the beating Thursday morning at Sacred Heart Medical Center.“

Don’t Ignore Race in Christopher Lane’s Murder
“Australian Christopher Lane was killed on Monday in Oklahoma by three teens, one of whom has said they were just “bored.” The right is complaining that the media is making nothing of the fact that two of the teens were black whereas Lane was white, as opposed to the massive alarm sounded in cases such as white (or white-ish) George Zimmerman killing black Trayvon Martin. And again the cry was heard that there is more “black-on-black” or “black-on-white” crime than “white-on-black,” and that young black men are in fact more of a problem than people like Zimmerman.”

RACE IN AMERICA: ‘Black mob violence’ – the forbidden words
“The murder of the Australian man in Oklahoma was horrific, but not unique. Or even rare. A similar episode of black mob violence happened just a few days ago in Memphis. And a few days before that in St. Paul. And before that in Burlington. And before that in Delaware, New Haven, Madison, Denver, Flint, Peoria, Springfield, Greensboro, Green Bay, and on and on and on. This is a long list with more than 500 cases of recent black mob violence in more than 100 cities, big and small, many on video – and all unreported as being part of an epidemic of black mob violence throughout America. “Beat Whitey Night,” for example: Two summers ago, black mobs beat and robbed dozens of patrons at the Iowa State Fair for three nights in a row. They also attacked police. Ever hear about it? Didn’t think so. That is because most editors are not comfortable with the words “black mob violence.” No matter that black mob violence exists plainly and exponentially out of proportion.”

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

The hatred for another person based on skin, now that it has been expressed in violence so regularly, will be all that much easier to express in violence against Christians. It’s coming. Fortunately, the Good News is already here.

Posted in damascus, gas, Isaiah, prophecy, syria

Update on the situation in Syria

Posted on by elizabethprata

Here is a quick update on the situation in Syria. It seems that it is becoming more tenuous by the day. Below, an explanation of what the bible says about the future of Damascus

August 21

UK Telegraph photo

Al Jazeera reported, “Hundreds reported killed in Syria gas attack“
“Opposition groups say hundreds killed when government forces fired rockets with chemical warheads into Damascus suburbs.’

August 22

The next day, “Aid group tallies 355 dead after Syria’s alleged chemical attack; government blames rebels“
“Syrian state media accused rebels of using chemical arms against government troops in clashes Saturday near Damascus, while an international aid group said it has tallied 355 deaths from the purported chemical weapons attack earlier this week. Doctors Without Borders said three hospitals it supports in the eastern Damascus region reported receiving roughly 3,600 patients with “neurotoxic symptoms” over less than three hours on Wednesday morning, when the attack in the eastern Ghouta area took place. Of those, 355 died, said the Paris-based group. Death tolls have varied over the alleged attack, with Syrian anti-government activists reporting between 136 and 1,300 being killed.”

The Havana Times reported, “Syrian Activist on Ghouta Attack: “I Haven’t Seen Such Death in My Whole Life”
“The alleged attack occurred just days after U.N. inspectors arrived in the country to investigate previous attacks. We’re joined from Syria by Razan Zaitouneh, a lawyer and human rights activist who works with the Human Rights Violation Documentation Center. “We couldn’t believe our eyes,” Zaitouneh says of witnessing the attack’s aftermath. “I haven’t seen such death in my whole life.”

U.N. chemical weapons experts visit a hospital where wounded people
affected by an apparent gas attack are being treated, in the southwestern
Damascus suburb of Mouadamiya, August 26, 2013.
Credit: Reuters/Abo Alnour Alhaji

August 23-25

Syria to let UN inspect ‘gas attack’ site
“United Nations inspectors are to be granted access to the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus, Syrian state TV has said, with the UN saying that the Syrian government has also agreed to observe a ceasefire during the visit. It followed an agreement between the Syrian foreign minister and the head of a UN delegation to the country on Sunday. The agreement “is effective immediately and it will allow UN delegation to investigate allegations of using chemical weapons on August 22 in Damascus suburbs”, the state TV reported.”

August 26

Bashar Al Assad

Fearing a U.S. strike, Syria warns of global “chaos”
“A senior Syrian official said Monday that his country will defend itself against any international attack and will not be an easy target as the U.S. and other countries ramp up rhetoric in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack last week on a rebel-held neighborhood of the Syrian capital. In an interview with The Associated Press in Damascus, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad said airstrikes or other action against Syria would also trigger “chaos” and threaten worldwide peace and security.”

August 26

Kerry Says Chemical Arms Attack in Syria Is ‘Undeniable’

US Secretary of State Kerry said today:

Secretary of State John Kerry

“Well, for the last several days, President Obama and his entire national security team have been reviewing the situation in Syria. And today, I want to provide an update on our efforts as we consider our response to the use of chemical weapons. What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world. It defies any code of morality. Let me be clear: The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. By any standard, it is inexcusable and — despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured — it is undeniable.”

What does the bible say about Syria in the end times?

Syria is one of the nations that has been mentioned in the bible consistently since the beginning. The city of Damascus was first mentioned in Genesis 14:15. Abraham’s servant Eliezar was from Damascus (Genesis 15:2). It is an ancient city and an ancient nation.

However, despite the 6000 years of history we can trace back to Damascus and the nation of Syria itself, there is one stark piece of prophecy which we can safely say has not come to pass within all that history yet: Isaiah 17:1 says that Damascus will be destroyed. Never has that ancient city been uninhabited. The prophecy says that the city will be razed and made into rubble, so that no one lives there. This has never happened to Damascus:

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. (Isaiah 17:1)

The prophecy of Isaiah speaks of a partial fulfillment in the next verses (vv. 2-3) when the Assyrians conquered Damascus in 732BC. However the city was never razed as verse 1 indicates. That is still to come.

The city of Damascus is slowly being ruined because of this two-year-old conflict in Syria. The prophecy seems to indicate that the final disposition of Damascus will be complete obliteration, desertion, and uninhabited.

If the US and other nations attack Syria, perhaps the president of Syria, Bashar al Assad will indeed unleash global chaos. Perhaps that time is now, if these unfulfilled prophecies we have been waiting so long to see will come to fruition soon. Not that we hope for people to die and go to their doom, but we do want to see the Lord come in justice and establish peace upon the earth. O, Lord, come quickly.

Meanwhile, keep watching events, but more importantly, keep reading your bible. That is the only barometer of truth.

Posted in end time, geyser, rome, volcano

Rome geyser at Fiumicino airport: A Comment in Light of the End Times

Posted on by elizabethprata

This weekend an unusual event occurred in Rome. Motorists on Saturday noticed smoke emanating from the ground, more specifically, from a hole which opened up close to a runway at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. The hole is estimated in size to be 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep. The UK Telegraph reports that the smoke was in fact gas, “suspected to be a cocktail of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and methane. Tests are now underway. “

 “While initial reports suggested the gas came from rotting organic matter trapped underground, one expert said volcanic activity was more likely. “From Mount Etna in Sicily up to the Alban hills around Rome there is a good deal of underground volcanic activity,” Alberto Basili, a seismologist at the Italian National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology, told the Daily Telegraph.The area covers Mount Vesuvius, which buried the Roman city of Pompeii when it erupted in 79AD, to a number of lakes formed in extinct volcanoes north of Rome.”

Location of Fiumicino airport, Rome. Wiki map

There is quite a bit of volcanic activity in Italy. One of the most famous of eruptions to ever have taken place is the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in Pompeii. The volcano suddenly erupted in 79AD and completely covered the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, just 130 miles from Rome.

Wikipedia explains of Vesuvius, “Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. Today, it is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards explosive (Plinian) eruptions. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.”

Did you know that Vesuvius was still active? I didn’t. Vesuvius last erupted in 1944.

The gas that experts suspect is part of the mixture wafting from the hole is hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is noted for its pungent smell of rotten eggs. The Minnesota Rural Water Association explains,

“Hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) can occur in wells anywhere in Minnesota, and gives the water a characteristic “rotten egg” taste or odor. … Hydrogen sulfide gas can result from a number of different sources. It can occur naturally in groundwater. It can be produced by certain “sulfur bacteria” in the groundwater, in the well, or in the water distribution system. It can be produced also by sulfur bacteria or chemical reactions inside water heaters. In rare instances, it can result from pollution.”

“What causes hydrogen sulfide gas to form in groundwater? Decay of organic matter such as vegetation, or chemical reactions with some sulfur-containing minerals in the soil and rock, may naturally create hydrogen sulfide in gas in groundwater. As groundwater moves through soil and rock formations containing minerals of sulfate, some of these minerals dissolve in the water. A unique group of bacteria, called “sulfur bacteria” or “sulfate-reducing bacteria” can change sulfate and other sulfur containing compounds, including natural organic materials, to hydrogen sulfide gas.”

Decay of organic matter was one of the possible reasons the smell came from the opened hole, as stated in the Telegraph article. Another expert said, no, it is likely volcanic in origin.

Hydrogen sulfide is also known as sulfur. Sulfur occurs naturally as the pure element (native sulfur) and as sulfide and sulfate minerals. When sulfur is a gas it is called hydrogen sulfide.

Another name for sulfur is brimstone. Yes, THAT brimstone. The exact element that rained down on Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim in times past. (Deuteronomy 29:23). It is the element that is prophesied to kill a third of mankind from the smoke emanating from the horses’ mouths, in Revelation 9:17-18, in times future. The Lake of Fire is filled with brimstone (sulfur) which will eternally burn. (Revelation 19:20).

Whatever is happening under Rome’s airport will be revealed in time while the experts look at the situation. The point of this post is not to explain it, but to draw your attention to something else.

Revelation.

The book of Revelation is a book that prophesies what will happen in the last days of the last days. The events depicted there (ans in other Old Testament books as well) will bring this age to a conclusion. It is the last 7 years of history.

The Tribulation will be a time when the LORD will unleash His stored-up wrath upon the rebellious world.

The purpose of the Tribulation is clearly laid out in scripture. This not an ordinary kind of tribulation, as in trials, or troubles, or persecution. Oftentimes the pre-tribulation naysayers will deny that the church will be whisked out of the way of this period prior to its beginning, by saying ‘why should the church escape, we have always had trouble, and we have always been persecuted.”

However, Jesus made a distinction about this particular time period as being different in purpose and in intensity. He said in Matthew 24:21a, that “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.”

It is THE Tribulation, not mere troubles that the world has always hassled people on the earth. And it will be so bad that left untouched to take its natural course, the trouble would kill all flesh. the earth. As GotQuestions explains,

“The Tribulation is a future time period when the Lord will accomplish at least two aspects of His plan: 1) He will complete His discipline of the nation Israel (Daniel 9:24), and 2) He will judge the unbelieving, godless inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 6 – 18). The length of the Tribulation is seven years. This is determined by an understanding of the seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27; also see the article on the Tribulation). The Great Tribulation is the last half of the Tribulation period, three and one-half years in length. It is distinguished from the Tribulation period because the Beast, or Antichrist, will be revealed, and the wrath of God will greatly intensify during this time. Thus, it is important at this point to emphasize that the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation are not synonymous terms.”

Daniel 9:24-27 lays it out. Please read that chapter in context for the full understanding.

During this time of the Tribulation (AKA “Time of Jacob’s Trouble), the earth will continually shake and quake. Large earthquakes will happen. In one, 7,000 will die in Israel. (Revelation 11:13). In another instance, when Russia and the Gog coalition attacks Israel, there will be a large earthquake (Ezekiel 38:19). In Revelation 16:18 another quake occurs, one which is described, “a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.”

So many things happen in such rapid succession, the left-behind, unbelieving world will not have time to emotionally or mentally process it all. A quarter of the earth’s population dies in the first openings of the seal judgments. A third of the grass and vegetation dies. A third of the seas are filled with blood and the animals die. (Revelation 8:7-9). A third of the ships are destroyed.

Can you imagine a third of the world’s seagoing vessels, carrying important cargo, food, and military personnel, destroyed? No food. And, the loss of life? Astronomical.

It will be an incomprehensible time.

When the hole at Fiumicino opened up, just imagine that happening every day, and that the hole isn’t a mere 6 feet, but hundreds of feet. And earthquakes and 100 pound hail and mountains crashing into earth and the sun going partially dark and demons flying around…

The incident at the Rome airport is one that is certainly concerning. As a reminder of what is to come, it is definitely worth pondering the implications of globally repetitive chaotic events on a scale that far exceeds what happened at Fiumicino this week.

Please let this be a reminder of being a good witness for Christ and to evangelize one and all. We are all sinners saved by grace. I was a sinner due for wrath before my conversion. Please share the Good News with people, so they can hear the wonderful opportunity awaiting them of forgiveness and escape from wrath. Christ took it, and if we repent before the rapture, we will not endure it.

Posted in geyser, rome, volcano

Volcanic ‘geyser’ erupts close to Rome airport

Posted on by elizabethprata

UK Telegraph reports

“Italian experts have been puzzled by the overnight appearance of a geyser crater spraying clouds of gas 15 feet in the air, yards from the end of the runway at one of Europe’s busiest airports.”

This seems to be a recurring refrain these days, “experts have been puzzled” or “scientists perplexed.” Here is the rest of the news article-

The crater measured about six feet wide and three feet deep

Motorists on Saturday were alarmed to notice hot, stinking gas spurting from a newly formed crater in the middle of a roundabout close to the perimeter fence of Rome’s Fiumicino airport — less than 900 yards from the end of a runway.

Spectators gathered around the smoking crater, which measured about six feet wide and three feet deep, before firefighters and vulcanologists arrived to seal off the roundabout to prevent inhalation of the gas, suspected to be a coc-ktail of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and methane. Tests are now underway.

While initial reports suggested the gas came from rotting organic matter trapped underground, one expert said volcanic activity was more likely.

Volcano expert Erik Klemetti (@eruptionsblog) says it’s weird, but that no volcanoes exist in or around Rome, but there are plenty of hot springs. He is looking for a map of such springs now.

Stay tuned

Posted in comfort, martyr, strength in the Lord

Sunday Martyr Moment: Sanctus, Blandina, and Ponticus

Posted on 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:

Continuing the Fourth Persecution under Marcus Aurelius, 162AD

Some of the restless northern nations having risen in arms against Rome, the emperor marched to encounter them. He was, however, drawn into an ambuscade, and dreaded the loss of his whole army. Enveloped with mountains, surrounded by enemies, and perishing with thirst, the pagan deities were invoked in vain; when the men belonging to the militine, or thundering legion, who were all Christians, were commanded to call upon their God for succor. A miraculous deliverance immediately ensued; a prodigious quantity of rain fell, which, being caught by the men, and filling their dykes, afforded a sudden and astonishing relief. It appears that the storm which miraculously flashed in the face of the enemy so intimidated them, that part deserted to the Roman army; the rest were defeated, and the revolted provinces entirely recovered.

This affair occasioned the persecution to subside for some time, at least in those parts immediately under the inspection of the emperor; but we find that it soon after raged in France, particularly at Lyons, where the tortures to which many of the Christians were put, almost exceed the powers of description.

Sanctus, a deacon of Vienna; red hot plates of brass were placed upon the tenderest parts of his body; and kept there till they burned through to his bones.

Blandina, a Christian lady, of a weak constitution; who was not thought to be able to resist torture, but whose fortitude was so great that her tormentors became exhausted with their devilish work, and was afterward taken into an amphitheater with three others, suspended on a piece of wood stuck in the ground, and exposed as food for wild lions. While awaiting her suffering, she prayed earnestly for her companions and encouraged them. But none of the lions would touch her, so she was put back into prison. This happened twice.

When she was again produced for the third and last time, she was accompanied by Ponticus, a youth of fifteen, and the constancy of their faith so enraged the multitude that neither the sex of the one nor the youth of the other were respected, being exposed to all manner of punishments and tortures. Being strengthened by Blandina, he persevered unto death; and she, after enduring all the torments heretofore mentioned, was at length slain with the sword.

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

Lord, I am weak of fortitude, but I can be strengthened supernaturally, like Blandina, to endure all things. Would I be strong enough to pray for and encourage compatriots whilst impaled on a stick, suspended above milling and hungry lions? No. But I can do all things through You who strengthens me. You did not desert Blandina in her trial, and no matter what comes for me and my faithful brethren now or in the future, you will not desert us. You are Lord, and You are faithful.

Posted in birds, creation grace

Creation Grace: The birds

Posted on by elizabethprata
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
(Psalm 104:10-13)

EPrata photo

Be encouraged! “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

Posted in false doctrine, joseph prince

False doctrine is like John Prine’s Bruised Orange lyric

Posted on by elizabethprata

A friend of mine recently asked me how my summer went. I said god and asked her about hers. She is a lady with whom I speak about Jesus quite often. She replied that she loves her summers so she can listen to sermons and study what the person said in it. I asked who she listened to and she said she loves Joyce Meyer, and Joseph Prince. “I love them!” she said.

Joseph Prince is a false teacher.

Joyce Meyer is a false teacher.

I went away mournful. I am also perplexed. I often speak of Jesus in my daily life, whether at work, or church, or at the store. I often speak of false doctrine and false teachers, specifically on my blog and in general at church. Sometimes if a specific situation comes up, I make an appointment and lay out specific concerns to my pastors or elders, and step back to prayerfully allow them to do their leading and pastoring regarding what I’ve shared.

But outside of church, I find it difficult to approach people one-on-one when confronted with a statement such as the one I was confronted with last week.

False teaching is a serious, serious issue. It is not one where we can step back and simply say, “Well, they have most of their faith right. I’ll stay quiet.”

If I do that, I am being disobedient. We know the bible warns us again and again that false teachers will come (2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 John 4:1, Matthew 7:15, Galatians 1:6-9 …). We are commanded to do certain things about false teachers and their false doctrine, such as warn, test, rebuke, beware, resist, avoid. (Romans 16:17-18, Colossians 2:8, 1 Timothy 5:20, 2 John 1:10). This is because false doctrine kills, perverts, confuses, deceives, exploits, and destroys. (2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 Timothy 4:1, Jude 1:4, 2 Peter 2:1, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, 2 Peter 2:3…). The end for these teachers is cursing, darkest hell, and destruction. (Galatians 1:6-9, Jude 1:13, 2 Peter 2:3).

Dr John MacArthur says of the importance of warning of error, firstly that it will cost the person a lot of money. False teachers exploit the unwary with greed. The unwary ones will get caught up in false teachers telling them that if they give money they will receive health or wealth or prosperity. It’s crass, but it is true that the false teachers say this. More unfortunately it’s true that the desperate believe it and send check after check.

But even more importantly, MacArthur explained,

“People caught up in error are cut off from God’s blessing. God blesses obedience to the truth. The truth is everything. The most important thing in the universe is divine truth. And these people who hold a bible in their hand but are under false teachers are never led to the knowledge of the truth that produces the blessing.”

Therefore, how can I remain silent when a precious lady tells me she spends her long summer days ingesting poison? I cannot. She is in danger. I will prayerfully seek wisdom and counsel from my Holy Spirit, and ask Him to guide me into an opportune moment to share the truth with her. I don’t know her from church, so It will take special maneuvering to come alongside her again, but I must bow to the weight of glory and seek a chance to share with her that the danger of the hidden reefs is just as killing as the observable reefs.

I am reminded of a haunting and a sad song by John Prine. His song Bruised Orange recounts a tragedy that occurred long ago when songwriter and singer Prine was young.

Blogger Chimesfreedom recounted  the episode that affected Prine so much.

“The John Prine website quotes Prine explaining the inspiration for the opening lines of the song one day as he was driving to do his job shoveling snow at a church. Turns out one of the altar boys on his way to the Catholic church was walking down the train tracks. God only knows where his mind was, but a local commuter train come from behind and they had to put him in bushel baskets – what was left. I saw a group of mothers standing near the accident, not knowing whose boys it was. When they finally identified the boy, the mother broke down, and the other mothers consoled her with a great sense of relief.

Wikimedia commons

The relevant lyrics go thus:

Like a long ago Sunday when I walked through the alley,
On a cold winter’s morning to a church house,
Just to shovel some snow.

I heard sirens on the train track howl naked gettin’ nuder,
An altar boy’s been hit by a local commuter,
Just from walking with his back turned
To the train that was coming so slow.

False doctrine is like that. You could be ambling mindlessly along the tracks, lost in your own thoughts, your own world, and though the train is coming so slowly, and you could have escaped it. The slow train inexorably bears down on you with just as much killing potential as if it was a bullet train coming out of nowhere. And indeed, if you stay on that track, though the train of false doctrine is coming slowly, it will still kill you. You will be dead.

False doctrine is a tragedy because it is avoidable. You can see it coming. You can get off the track. But if  you fail to heed the warning signals, you will be dead. If you are lost in your thoughts and no one warns you of the coming disaster, you will be dead. That is why it is important to warn people about it. If you had seen that young boy on a cold winter’s morning so long ago, ambling down the tracks, would you have said, “Well, surely he will turn around and see the train in time. I’ll stay quiet and hope for the best”? Of course not. It is the same with false doctrine.

Speak up. Warn.

Wikimedia Commons

Posted in christianity, everest, jiro dreams of sushi

Movie Review: "Jiro Dreams of Sushi", and a Christian comment about this secular movie

Posted on by elizabethprata

I watched a foreign film called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It was the documentary about a Japanese chef who is the world’s premier sushi chef. He is the oldest chef to ever receive three Michelin stars (the most). He has been making sushi for 76 years. He is 86 years old. He was 85 when they made the documentary.

The movie showed Jiro Ono’s work ethic and his attempt to make each and every piece of sushi better than the last. He has spent his life striving for perfection. To that end, he has become world renowned. His sushi dinner costs $300 and diners must make a reservation over a month in advance.

Jiro Ono

The documentary focused on each aspect of running the restaurant and making the food: the rice from purchase to serving; the fish, each kind. For example, the octopus is usually massaged for 30 minutes to tenderize it, but at Jiro’s it is massaged for 50-60 minutes. We were shown the fish market and all that goes into selecting the shrimp, tuna, and eel, among other fish. How Jiro caters to each guest individually. We see his knife skills and he discusses his life philosophy. The documentary also shows him as a man living a life; biking to work, raising children, visiting friends on a rare day off.

Jiro, right with his eldest son, left.

He was abandoned at age 9 by his alcoholic father and his mother kicked him out, saying “You have no home to come back to.” He apprenticed in a sushi restaurant at age 10 and for the next 75 years, this is what he has been doing, 18 hours a day, day in and day out. When he is not doing it, he is thinking about it, and when he is not thinking about it, he is dreaming of it.

The movie itself contains nothing objectionable. There are no profanities, no lascivious women or men, and everyone is dressed appropriately. There was a scene at the Buddhist cemetery, which was sad because it was not a Christian cemetery where there would be hope of reunion one day.

Jiro’s Son Yoshikazu bikes to the Fish Market

Blogger Travis Wagner remarked of the documentary, it is an “endearing reflection on the life of an accomplished and hard-working individual.” Quite true. The film is certainly that.

All in all I enjoyed the movie for seeing slices of modern Japanese life, and for the sushi itself, which was marvellously filmed and poetically presented. The movie is on Netflix and is subtitled.

The Christian comment I’d like to make is about shokunin. Jiro strives after a Japanese philosophy called shokunin. This life philosophy is defined here.

“The Japanese word shokunin is defined by both Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries as ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan,’ but such a literal description does not fully express the deeper meaning. The Japanese apprentice is taught that shokunin means not only having technical skills, but also implies an attitude and social consciousness. … The shokunin has a social obligation to work his/her best for the general welfare of the people. This obligation is both spiritual and material, in that no matter what it is, the shokunin’s responsibility is to fulfill the requirement.” – Tasio Odate

Another man wrote about shokunin here,

“One of the most important things I have learnt about in Japan is the spirit of Shokunin. It means craftsmanship, however it is much more than that. One of the essential things is to make something for the joy of making it, and to do it carefully, beautifully, and to your utmost best of your ability. In Japan one can see this in the incredible delicate designs, or amazing machinery, and even the pride and perfection of even the cleaning staff. Similarly for a student, designer, or technologist, if you can have the Shokunin spirit you can learn to strive for innovation and make something, not only think of something, but make it, to as much as possible perfection.”

Jiro is climbing the mountain of perfection. He said in the movie, “I want to be at the top. Except nobody knows where the top is.”

He admitted that in his pursuit of shokunin, he worked so many hours and was not present in raising his two boys. He left at 5AM and returned at 10PM, departing and returning after they were asleep. Once, his son saw him at home on Sunday and half joked “Mama, there is a strange man sleeping in our house!”

In another scene he and his son went to a different town to perform a ritual at the Buddhist graveyard. They watered the plant of his parents’ grave and they are supposed to say prayers, which the son did. Jiro muttered, “I don’t know why we come here. They didn’t take care of me.” His son stopped his praying and bowing, and responded, “Shhh! Do not say that in front of the ancestors!”

Overall I was saddened by this cinematic peek into the chef Jiro and Japanese life. I thought about the difference in our lives Jesus makes.

I mentioned that he is a shokunin, where he pursues a life philosophy of service through trying to achieve perfection. In Jiro’s case, his love of fish and his culinary talent had driven him toward a life philosophy of perfect service through presentation of perfect dishes to his customers for a perfect culinary experience.

At the end of one of the dinner services, the well-heeled customers were nodding and smiling and bowing as Japanese do, honoring Jiro for his skill and complimenting him on his efforts.

So, absent the Holy Spirit, what is the point of a life striven for perfection, working 18 hour days and dreaming of sushi? When Jiro dies, he will go to hell and what will be his legacy? Nothing. Smoke, disappearing even now as I type this. Do people remember a remarkable meal? Sometimes, for a while. Usually not. It is a fleshly consumption satisfying fleshly appetites, good for nothing except to keep us alive a day longer.

Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”

Sadly, Jiro is working for men.

Jiro’s obvious ability produced nothing, while the fruit of the Spirit shapes our talents for God-given purposes, honing those talents & abilities into a legacy that glorifies the Son, eternally. That is the difference between a non-believer’s talent and a God-given gift.

Jiro unfortunately is the example the Preacher mentioned in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26.

THE VANITY OF TOIL


“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.”

1 Peter 4:7-11 is about the speaking gifts and the serving gifts.

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

One may ask, “What is the difference between a talent and a gift?”

The difference is Jiro and shokunin. The comment Jiro made in the documentary summed up the non-Christian life. “I want to be at the top. But nobody knows where the top is.”

He understands that the top is- to use a visual example- in the clouds like the summit of Mt Everest, unscalable and hidden. It is unattainable on our own power. The top is not hidden to us Christians, though. And when one is in Christ using His gift of the Spirit for its proper use, the clouds clear and the sun glints off the snow capped top of the peak and you know that someday, you will be up there with the One who is shining that light. Jesus.

Working for Jesus makes all the difference even in the most mundane or boring of jobs. The point of working for Jesus is eternal joy in pleasing the eternal savior, a legacy that extends to heaven, and expansion of the kingdom, and pure joy in serving for His sake.

When his life inevitably ends, Jiro and all who are outside of Jesus will find that a life philosophy of shokunin was wildly off the mark. Being in Jesus, I know where ‘the top’ is, and that makes all the difference.

The Atlantic
Posted in heaven tourism, mike gendron, mohler, unbiblical

The economic sin of heaven tourism, unbiblical Christianese, expository preaching, God’s justice in Christ

Posted on by elizabethprata

We are nearing the end of the first full week of school. The kindergarten kids are tiring me out! I have just a few links for you tonight.

In the first one, Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaks on why expository preaching is SOOO important.

“The Sheer Weightlessness of so many Sermons: Why Expository Preaching Matters”
“One of the first steps to a recovery of authentic Christian preaching is to define exactly what we mean when we discuss authentic preaching as “exposition.” Many preachers claim to be expositors. But in many cases, this means merely that the preacher has a biblical text in mind, no matter how tenuous its relationship to the sermon.”

“Unfortunately, the appetite for serious preaching has virtually disappeared among many Christians who are content to have their fascinations with themselves encouraged from the pulpit.”

Read on. Dr Mohler does a great job as usual for making the case.

In this next link, Mike Gendron at Proclaiming the Gospel talks of the wishy-washy Christian-ese vocabulary words that have crept into our language but in fact are merely watering down the faith and making a mush of the crispness of the word.

Unbiblical Words in Today’s Christian Vocabulary
“Does it concern you that terms with no biblical foundation have crept into the contemporary Christian vocabulary? Most of the unbiblical terms being used today describe how a person becomes a Christian or how a professing Christians excuses their lifestyle of habitual sin. Some examples of the former include “accepting Jesus” and “inviting Jesus into your heart.” Two examples of the latter include “backsliding” and “carnal Christians.” These four terms give professing Christians a false sense of security that they are saved when they may never have been converted. We need to take great care that we are part of the solution and not part of the problem.”

The latest edition of NoCo90 (No Compromise Radio 90-Second Biblical Truth Clips) is about the Economic Sin of Lazarus.

I’ll summarize what Pastor Mike Abendroth of Bethlehem Bible Church in MA said in this very short but powerful video clip. Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the grave. His grave cloths were unbound from him, and Lazarus went on to live the rest of his natural life. What was heaven like, Lazarus? We don’t know. Lazarus is never recorded in the bible as saying anything about what he did, where he went or what it was like for him during the 4 days he was dead. Yet people today who allegedly die for a minute or an hour, and are brought back to consciousness if not life, are speaking about their experience in packed auditoriums, writing books that sell for big bucks, and making movies to gain economically from their so-called heavenly visit. In listening to Pastor Abendroth explain it in those terms you begin to see how crass the whole heaven tourism industry really is.

Then he said that if you want to read a book about a guy who rose from the dead and was in heaven, then remember that JESUS is that man, and He wrote a book about it, and that book is free.

Pastor Abendroth says it much better than I do, so please do click on the link to go to his Youtube account and listen for 90 seconds.

The Christian Pundit has a terrific essay on God’s Justice in Christ. I love to ponder His justice…even more than pondering His love. I hate sin and I can’t wait for Jesus to render justice on the world so that when the time comes, all will worship Him in perfection, truth, and sinlessness. I long for that day. Meanwhile, today, here is their essay on justice

God’s Justice in Christ

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Painting of the day

Jesus walks on water, Ivan Aivazovsky, 1888

Posted in celestial, noctilucent, rare, scotland

Incredibly rare celestial phenomenon, occurred with aurora borealis, making it even more rare

Posted on by elizabethprata

The Lord sure put on a show for us! The astronomer said that he took the video hoping for noctilucent clouds because conditions were ripe for them. That they rolled and put in a galloping display was tremendous boon for him, because they are usually stationery. Then after several hours when the Aurora put on a show too, he said he kept the camera rolling until his memory card was filled up. The actual footage time was about five hours, between 10pm and 3am. The time-lapse compressed it into 2:22.

Rare night clouds and glowing aurora: Astronomer captures incredible footage of two phenomena in Scottish night sky

  • Maciej Winiarczyk, 41, captured the images in Caithness, Scotland
  • Noctilucent, or ‘night-shining’, clouds are normally too faint to be seen
  • Half way through the video the clouds are joined by a spectacular aurora

“A stunning time-lapse video of a rare celestial show has been captured dancing across a night sky. The recording gives a rare glimpse of rolling noctilucent clouds and dancing aurora glimmering across the horizon.The astronomer witnessed the famous Northern Lights and ‘night clouds’ earlier this month, over a single night above Caithness, Scotland. It is unusual to see either phenomena, and incredibly rare to see both simultaneously.”

The video below is from BBC News, which reported: “We wanted to show you this stunning time-lapse video of a rare celestial show that’s been captured by an amateur astronomer in #Scotland. The recording is extraordinary because it shows us rolling ‘night-shining’ clouds – they’re very rare in themselves. But while Maciej Winiayczyk was filming them in the skies above Caithness, the aurora borealis also put on a vivid display.”

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10151802182840861