Posted in flock, sheep, shepherd

The Shepherd speaks to His sheep

Posted on by elizabethprata

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. ” (Matthew 9:36-38 KJV).

Barnes Notes:

But when he saw the multitudes – That followed him from place to place. When he saw their anxiety to be instructed and saved.

He was moved with compassion on them – He pitied them.

Because they fainted – The word used here refers to the weariness and fatigue which results from labor and being burdened. He saw the people burdened with the rites of religion and the doctrines of the Pharisees; sinking down under their ignorance and the weight of their traditions; neglected by those who ought to have been enlightened teachers; and scattered and driven out without care and attention. With great beauty he compares them to sheep wandering without a shepherd. Judea was a land of flocks and herds. The faithful shepherd, by day and night, was with his flock. He defended it, made it to lie down in green pastures, and led it beside the still waters, Psalm 23:2. Without his care the sheep would stray away. They were in danger of wild beasts. They panted in the summer sun, and they did not know where the cooling shade and stream was. So, said the Saviour, is it with this people. No wonder that the compassionate Redeemer was moved with pity.

Jesus is a wonderful, wonderful Savior. Jesus went about preaching and proclaiming….and healing. Let’s look at the healing for a moment.

John wrote that Jesus did so many miracles that all the books of the world could not contain them. (John 21:25). We read the record of the types of miracles but certainly not the entire body of miraculous work that Jesus did. Most of the miracles were healing. (Matthew 9:36). You note the verse says Jesus drove out every sickness and every disease. This means every type and every last one. For all intents and purposes, the Land was cleansed from disease during Jesus’s ministry.

Blindness? Healed. (John 9:6-7). Paralyzed? Healed. (Mark 2:12). Internal injury? Healed. (Mark 5:21-43). Leprosy? Healed. (Matthew 8:1-4). No matter what the sickness or injury, whether it was from birth or recent, no matter if it was internal or external, Jesus healed them.

When Jesus was concluding His ministry, “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (Matthew 10:1). Healing continued (for a while, pp.19-26).

Why would Jesus be so consumed with not only proclaiming and preaching, but healing? MacArthur interprets that it is the compassion of Jesus that is the basis for Jesus doing this work. That Jesus wanted us to know that He cares, that God is concerned with each of them. Would a good shepherd see a sheep with an injury and not care for it? Of course He would bind their leg, minister to their illness. The sheep otherwise would be so scared and in such pain! A good shepherd helps His sheep.

The Pharisees had been preaching a distant God, a harsh god, an inattentive God. The people, as the opening verse stated, were sheep without a Shepherd. Even though God was on His throne and entirely involved in the people’s lives and His care for them just as potent as the day He created Adam, the people did not know it. They were being led by false teachers proclaiming false doctrine. The worst impact of that false doctrine was that they were fainting and scattering.

Notice a second thing about Jesus and His healing. It was instant and it was total. Each person He healed was made whole. If you read Colossians, Paul preaches that Jesus is ALL we need. All that Jesus does is perfect and entire. This includes the healings, as we see from the following sample verses:

“And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” (Mark 5:34)

“Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.” (Matthew 9:22)

“And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.” (John 5:9)

“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17:19).

The healings Jesus performed in His compassion as Shepherd unto His sheep were complete. It is the same with His spiritual healing. He makes us whole, instantly. Our sanctification (growth in Christ over our lives) is progressive, but when we are justified, the spiritual healing at the moment of our conversion is whole, complete, and entire. That is what the Book of Colossians is about. Read the Colossians 1-2 and note how many times you read the words ‘fullness’, ‘all’, ‘filled’, ‘fully’.

He is our all in all, His work is perfect and complete. It is complete in us. Far from being a distant and uncaring God, our Christ is loving and compassionate. He is our Shepherd, and we need never wander or faint again. Though we long for the restful pastures and still waters of the Kingdom in body and in presence, we do have that rest and calm now on earth until the Day. Our Shepherd is mighty and is standing at the center of our lives with His crook, caring for each of us every moment. His eye is upon His sheep. I pray that you hear His voice, speaking love and care to you now.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ” (John 10:14-16)

Selah.

Posted in satan, spiritual battle

Does satan still think he will win?

Posted on by elizabethprata

At church last night we got into an interesting discussion about satan. We are studying the verses in Colossians 2:14-15.

Verse 15, ESV: “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

NIV: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

KJV: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

The question was, do we think the cross chastened satan enough so that after the cross he understood he is a cooked goose, and now is just taking as many down with him as possible? Or is he uncowed by the cross and continuing in his pursuit of exaltation over God? In other words, what impact did the cross have on him when Jesus descended and made a spectacle of the demons and their evil leader, satan?

Here are my thoughts on it.

Why do I believe satan thinks he will win, and that the cross did not sway his thinking on this score one bit?

1. The nature of sin.

We’re told that the unregenerated heart is totally depraved. We’re told that it only goes from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Tim 3:13). That they grow only more and more ungodly (2 Tim 2:16). That there is a progression to sin that descends us and never ascends (Romans 1). In addition we’re told specifically about satan that he is the father of lies and to destroy. (John 8:44; John 10:10).

We know that sin makes us stupid (Romans 1, Ephesians 4:17-18 …) We are speculating on satan’s reaction to his defeat at the cross as if he were a rational being reacting naturally to a defeat as we would react to it. He isn’t and he won’t. We can’t use a logical mindset to apply to his subsequent actions to that defeat. Sin makes us stupider and stupider. He is not in his right mind. As Ephesians says, our minds become futile. The cross would be a setback and not a defeat- in his stupid, sin-drenched, futile, darkened mind.

So due to what we are told about the nature of sin, there is no reason to think that satan is any different than he was at the outset of his fall as described in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, arrogant and prideful, and every biblical reason to know he is worse. I think the cross did not chasten him at all. In fact it probably acted as a catalyst for satan to redouble his efforts. We know satan is defeated. I do not believe he does. His behavior has shown us that. Here are some examples:

2. Arrogance from the beginning

Though he was the guardian cherub, THE chief guard of the guards as it were, and served God in His temple, and no one was closer to God than he was, satan’s intent from the beginning was to conquer God. He said,

“I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:14b-15)

Satan saw God create the earth with the power of his own voice, he watched God create a human and breathe His life into him, and yet satan still thought he could exalt himself above God. THAT is arrogance of all arrogance.

2b. Arrogance continued through Jesus’s earthly ministry (Luke 4)

I believe satan’s arrogance was deepened by the time Jesus came to earth, because satan tempted Jesus. Wow. He offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth and Jesus did not correct satan, but simply refused the offer. Satan’s leash is a leash but satan, I think, has forgotten he is one a leash at all. I think he thinks that because he has access to heaven, 1/3 of the angels on his side, and is god of this world that he can and will continue to gain territory.

3. Satan’s fury at being tossed out of heaven, (Rev 12:7-17).

In Rev 12:13 it says “When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.” The common interpretation, I understand, is that has had access to heaven since his fall, but at this point in the Tribulation, satan is barred further access to heaven, along with his 1/3 fallen angel army. In fact, this is what sparks the Great Tribulation. He is so furious he fiercely persecutes the Israel/Jews in the 2nd half of the Tribulation, and then the Christians. He’s shocked, shocked, at being thrown out. It even takes him a bit of time to absorb the fact. See–

…where the verse says “when he realized he had been thrown down”. If satan has to take time to even realize he has lost the war in heaven, he must have thought that his access would have gone on forever. The word in the verse for “he realized” means he perceived or discerned, “to see with the mind” (i.e. spiritually see), i.e. perceive (with inward spiritual perception). (Strong’s). In this case I propose that if he is just realizing it in the Tribulation that he lost territory, then prior to that he didn’t have a clue he even could lose. The cross notwithstanding…

3b. The permanence of his intent to conquer God

Satan’s reaction to this loss of access to heaven is cold evil fury (Rev 12:17). The Greek word for his fury means settled anger (opposition), i.e. rising up from an ongoing (fixed) opposition. This tells me that his anger was as fixed as it was the day he declared war on God by saying he will exalt himself above God. It means an unwavering, settled anger. So once again I interpret that satan is still arrogant and still believes he will win even at the future date of the Great Tribulation’s outset. He starts to get a clue in Rev 12 where the angel says ‘people, rejoice because the devil knows his time is short.’ But that does not stop him at all. The cross notwithstanding. As a matter of fact… it only spurs him on. Because next on the schedule of events is…

4. Armageddon

As John MacArthur preaches the verses in Rev 16, we see all the armies of the world that satan has demonically influenced to assemble at Armageddon. Why do they all gather there? There is one world government and one world leader…so they don’t come to fight against the antichrist…and not against each other, because they are all there as one military unit. Do they come to fight against Israel? Perhaps, MacArthur says, but more to the point they have gathered to fight against GOD. Even that that late date, satan still thinks he will win. His armies at Har Megiddo are there to fight against Jesus Himself. The cross notwithstanding!

5. Millennium Rebellion

Even after defeat at the cross, being tossed out of heaven, losing at Armageddon, and after being locked up for 1000 years, the first thing satan does after getting out (at the end of the millennium,) is that satan foments a rebellion. A big one. Rev 20:8-9, “will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,”

This evil angel believes he can win until the very second he is thrown into the lake of fire!

I believe the cross was a severe blow in satan’s mind but not a defeat in his mind, (we know that it was the final nail in his coffin, of course) but that the cross only redoubled his efforts. My opinion is: he thinks he will win. He is relentless in his hatred, which is total. Sin only deludes further and further as we know from Romans 1. And those reasons above are the basis for me having formed that opinion. But it is only an opinion. I can’t be dogmatic about it. What do you think?

The point I want to make is that we should never underestimate the persistence of sin in our lives. Jesus broke those chains for us and therefore satan has no power over  us- if we cling to Jesus tightly. We must always appeal to the Holy Spirit to help us resist our natural inclination to sin (as long as we are in our bodies).We can be influenced by satan and tempted to sin and as we see from the progression of his activity throughout the ages, he is relentless.

As for the lost, if you have unsaved people in your family or your workplace or your school…please remember satan’s monumental arrogance, pride, and aim to totally destroy. Their chains have not been broken and they are under satan’s sway. Pray for them and have patience with them. They do not know what they are doing!

Let me know what you think on this subject or any other.

Peace,

EP

Posted in rapture

Rapture: an animated short

Posted on by elizabethprata

Are you ready? No? Here’s how

How can I be saved?

Question: “How can I be saved?”

Answer: This simple, yet profound, question is the most important question that can be asked. ”How can I be saved?” deals with where we will spend eternity after our lives in this world are over. There is no more important issue than our eternal destiny. Thankfully, the Bible is abundantly clear on how a person can be saved. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

How can I be saved? Why do I need to be saved?

We are all infected with sin (Romans 3:23). We are born with sin (Psalm 51:5), and we all personally choose to sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). Sin is what makes us unsaved. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is what has us on the path to eternal destruction.

How can I be saved? Saved from what?
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Because of our sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). While the physical consequence of sin is physical death, that is not the only kind of death that results from sin. All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and infinite God (Psalm 51:4). Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite. What we need to be saved from is eternal destruction (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15).

How can I be saved? How did God provide salvation?

Because the just penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the penalty, because only He is infinite and eternal. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh, lived among us, and taught us. When the people rejected Him and His message, and sought to kill Him, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John 10:15). Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an eternal and infinite value. Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2). He took the consequences we deserved. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His death was indeed the perfectly sufficient sacrifice for sin.

How can I be saved? What do I need to do?

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all of the work. All you must do is receive, in faith, the salvation God offers (Ephesians 2:8-9). Fully trust in Jesus alone as the payment for your sins. Believe in Him, and you will not perish (John 3:16). God is offering you salvation as a gift. All you have to do is accept it. Jesus is the way of salvation (John 14:6).

Posted in election, Obama

More follow-ups to the election results

Posted on by elizabethprata

Joel Rosenberg has a measured and sober reaction essay. He asks,

“Is the implosion of America more or less likely now?“
“Many evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics are stunned and grieving by the fact that the President’s support for abortion on demand, same-sex marriage, massive deficits and national debt, nationalized health care, and large defense cuts have been ratified by the majority of the American people, as has his policies of appeasing the mullahs in Iran, misreading and mishandling the Arab Spring, and creating distance and daylight between the U.S. and Israel.”

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ChantryNotes has a good piece, examining

How I Absorbed Three Punches and Stood Up Anyway

In it he explores three themes:

1. The reelection of President Obama demonstrates the wickedness of America. Make no mistake about it: a vote for the President was a wicked act.
2. The reelection of President Obama demonstrates the stupidity of America. The Scriptures teach that sin makes us stupid.
3. The reelection of President Obama demonstrates God’s judgment on America. It’s pretty hard to overstate how bad this election is.

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I posted this earlier, from Pastor Phil Andrukaitis, pastor of First Baptist Church at South Portland Maine, a state which is reeling from its first-ever successful initiative legalizing homosexual marriage.

“Now What?”
So, how’s that cup of coffee tasting this morning as you listen to the election and referendum results?”

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Al Mohler looks at “Aftermath: Lessons learned from the 2012 election”

We are rightly and deeply concerned. We must pray that God will change President Obama’s heart on a host of issues, ranging from the sanctity of unborn life to the integrity of marriage.

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So enjoy and keep reading scripture. Remember, Jesus is building His church anddn the gates of hell will not prevail against it!

Posted in election results, encouragement, now what?

Election results: Now what? Some encouragement

Posted on by elizabethprata

My friend Pastor Phil Andrukaitis of First Baptist Church of South Portland Maine wrote a great essay this morning. Here is what Pastor Phil had to say. Very encouraging!

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“Now What?” 1st Corinthians 15:58

So, how’s that cup of coffee tasting this morning as you listen to the election and referendum results?

Reflecting on my pastoral ministry this past year while looking ahead, anticipating God’s next move as He aligns the nations according to His purpose, Paul’s words are a comfort to me. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1st Corinthians 15:58).

The Apostle Paul’s closing statement follows a lengthy discussion of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave whereby Christians are assured of divine encouragement and hope; their labors in the Lord are not useless.

Consequently, in regards to the direction our nation has chosen this past “Election Day,” the church’s greatest need at this time is to pray to God our Father and to meditate on Scripture because the fruitfulness of ministry comes from the fellowship of our intimacy with God.

Pastors are called and gifted to serve God’s people for the work of “equipping the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:11-12). However, their work is often hindered because of the “wrestling against…spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). In addition, the presence of sin in our lives, though its power has been broken (Rom. 6:1-14), hinders the Spirit’s work of conforming believers into Christ’s image. Therefore, because of this constant spiritual conflict, our hearts experience joys and sorrows, life and death, successes and disappointments, praises and criticisms. Nevertheless, Scripture reveals encouraging truths so that we may press on with the ministry:

• Jesus is building His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail (Mt. 16:18).
• He Who began a good work in you will complete that work (Phil. 1:6).
• Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1st Jn. 4:4).

God has sustained and blessed His local churches that are committed to making disciples of Christ. However, to continually fulfill this biblical mandate, local churches need to prepare today’s generations for tomorrow’s chaotic world. This is my vision for my church family and for the entire “body of Christ”: I envision a host of courageous Christians, young and old, standing “face-to-face” and “toe-to-toe” against the ever-increasing wicked forces that rage against God and His people, while rescuing the lost with the gospel. Therefore, that is why I am working to implement several strategies among my church family in order to fulfill our goals.

My fellow Christians, the days of pragmatically “doing church” in a culture that is post-Christian are over. God is raising up a younger generation that seeks to reach our society; however, the framework under which the older church generation operated and our present day ministry tools are proving to be ineffective. If we fail to carefully listen to them, pray for them and for one another, and support them with encouraging words and finances, many local churches will slowly die with the older church generation.

I believe that great ministry opportunities lie ahead for Christians in a nation that is under God’s judgment. Our sinful nation needs the prayers and ministry of the church. As Jesus said from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The Christian’s ministry will not be easy because Satan continues to rage against God and His people, especially local churches that want to make a difference, not coast along into heaven.

Come and join me and others, who want to raise up courageous Christians for tomorrow’s chaotic world. Let us bring the battle and chaos to Satan’s domain by “fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and keeping the faith” (2nd Tim.4:7) with the gospel of Jesus. Amen.

~~~~~2nd Timothy 2:10, Pastor Phil~~~~~

Posted in Uncategorized

Election results: Judgment on America

Posted on by elizabethprata

We are waking up to an amazing day in America. As a nation, we have chosen a platform that chucks God, endorses and promotes baby killing, redefines marriage as God has ordained it, and embraces a man who is the embodiment of all the above.

It is also amazing that the nation re-elected Obama in this weak economy, something American’s don’t normally do. Usually they choose the other guy when the economy tanks.

In Maine, the heated battle to approve of homosexual marriage at the ballot box has finally won. It has ben a long and bitter battle, with the Legislature first attempting to pass it, but the people mounted a referendum challenge, and were successful. Then the Judicial system attempted to install it, and the people again mounted a ballot referendum and were successful in holding the line for traditional marriage once again. That back and forth ping pong ball has gone on in Maine for many years, with finally, the ballot box winning out this time in favor of the perverse version of marriage. The LA Times reports-

Homosexual marriage legalization passes in two states
“Maryland and Maine appeared poised to become the first states in the nation to back same-sex marriage at the ballot box Tuesday night, and other gay-marriage measures were on the ballot in Minnesota and Washington. The issue had been before voters 32 times and had been rejected every time. But activists say public opinion has shifted since 2008, when California passed a constitutional amendment reserving marriage for heterosexual couples. A 2010 poll showed that, for the first time, more Americans supported gay marriage than opposed it, and in May, President Obama endorsed same-sex marriage. … Just three years ago, the state defeated a same-sex marriage bill at the ballot box. But a lengthy campaign to change voters’ minds has persuaded some Mainers…”

This next part will be kind of long but I want to offer a biblical grounding for a deep understanding of how dire the spiritual situation is. Please, please read…

This is from a bible analysis of homosexuality. It is by Brian Schwertly of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Waupaca County. It is well worth reading the entire piece. Here are some excerpts:

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“This is an age of increasing acceptance and approval of homosexuality. Homosexuality is portrayed by many in government, in public education and in our colleges and universities as just one of many normal, legitimate lifestyle choices. Those who oppose the homosexual lifestyle on moral and religious grounds are usually portrayed by the intellectual elite, the media and the entertainment industry as ignorant bigots who are full of hatred, “homophobic,” and so on.

It is true that some people hate homosexuals. Some people even engage in “gay bashing.” But it must be remembered that people who engage in such activities are sinning against God; they are not at all living in accordance with the law of Christ. The true Christian loves the homosexual and shows it by treating him in a lawful manner, according to the law of God (1 Jn. 5:3). Slander, violence, hatred and scorn should never be the attitude of a Christian toward the homosexual; Christians should protect homosexuals from personal attack. Yet, while the Christian should love the homosexual by treating him lawfully, he must also love him by being biblically honest with him. A person’s attitude toward homosexuality must not be shaped by our changing, pagan culture but by God’s inspired, infallible revelation, the Bible. The Bible offers hope to the homosexual because it speaks the truth and proclaims forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.

The Creation Ordinance of Marriage

In order to have a proper understanding of human sexuality one must go back to the beginning of mankind. In the beginning God created one man (Adam) and one woman (Eve). God did not create two men (e.g., Adam and Steve) or two women (e.g., Eve and Yvette). God created Adam first from the dust of ground; He then created Eve from Adam’s rib. Eve was created to be Adam’s wife. The Bible says they were naked, yet they were not ashamed. God’s creation of one man and one woman to be husband and wife is the pattern or paradigm for God-sanctioned, normal, moral, blessed sexual relations. “The marriage union is God-ordained, and its sacred precincts must not be polluted by the intrusion of a third party, of either sex” (F. F. Bruce).

Jesus Christ quoted Genesis 2:24 as clear proof that polygamy (having more than one wife) and divorce (except in the case of adultery) are condemned by God (Mt. 19:5). The Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said that there is only one moral, legitimate outlet for man’s God-given sex drive—marriage (1 Cor. 7:2). Monogamous, heterosexual marriage is the only way to have sex without sin and guilt. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the [marriage] bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4 [all Scriptures NKJV]). Anything contrary to the creation ordinance of marriage between one man and one woman is unacceptable before God and sinful. The Bible condemns all sexual activity outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriage: homosexuality, premarital sex, polygamy, adultery, bestiality and so on. “Let no one deceive you with empty words,” says Paul, “for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6). “

The Law of God

God’s moral law clearly condemns homosexuality of any kind: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination…. If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Lev. 18:22, 20:13). Apologists for homosexuality try to circumvent the clear, unambiguous statements of God’s law with blatant Scripture-twisting and excuse-making arguments.

The New Testament agrees with and confirms the Old Testament’s condemnation of homosexuality. Could any passage of Scripture be more clear in its condemnation of homosexuality than Paul’s statement found in the first chapter of Romans: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;…who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Rom. 1:24-28, 32)

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All that said, how does a nation in New Testament times, without benefit of a prophet proclaiming imminent judgment, know when of if God will judge it? By His word. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us

“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 Word says what is expected of us, for marriage, for government, for moral behavior, for worship and for the priority of God in our lives. In effect, the written Word delivered via the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and by Jesus is the prophetic voice of old as the prophets used to proclaimed judgment.

The following essay answers the question “When does God Judge a Nation?“

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“Every day the headlines get worse and the future bleaker. My immediate thought was: Is God judging America? Ascribing God’s judgment to a person, event, or country can be a precarious endeavor. We live in a fallen world and therefore bad things sometimes happen just because of sinful human nature. However, nothing happens unless God allows it or He causes it to occur. In biblical times a prophet made it clear that God’s judgment was coming. He gave the Canaanites 400 years to repent (they didn’t). He gave the city of Nineveh 40 days to repent (they did). He told Abraham that if He could find just ten righteous men in Sodom and Gomorrah He wouldn’t destroy it (He couldn’t). He used the Babylonian Empire to carry out His judgment against a rebellious Israel who wasn’t obeying His land Sabbath laws (Leviticus 25:1-8; Jeremiah 25:8-9,11,29:10; II Chronicles 36:20-21). This judgment resulted in the destruction of the Jews’ first temple and led to their seventy-year captivity by the Babylonians. Of course the biggest judgment (aside from judging His Son Jesus Christ for our sins) God wrought was when He destroyed the earth with a flood. Are there biblical principles we can use to discern as to when events may be a judgment of God?”

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The essay goes on to illustrate in biblical detail why and when God judges nations. Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed for homosexuality and wickedness, laziness and selfishness (Ezekiel 16:49-50; Leviticus 18:22-25).

Nineveh was destroyed for wickedness, though it is not detailed which wickedness. (Jonah 1:1-2)

Canaanites were judged but this principle shows that God allows a period of time for repentance, for warnings,and finally for their wickedness to come full measure. (Genesis 15:13-16). In their case it was 400 years. In Nineveh’s case it was 40 days.

Israel was judged and went into captivity for ignoring God’s laws about giving the land rest. (Jeremiah 25:7-11)

The world was judged when evil was so great upon the earth and man was thinking only evil continually.(Genesis 6:5-7)

“God’s judgment will come when the wickedness of a nation’s behavior (or the world’s behavior in the Flood’s case) and the evilness of its reasoning crosses the line of God’s tolerance.”

The essay concludes with one more principle of when God judges:

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Flaunting Sin

I want to mention one last biblical principle concerning the judgment of God. This has to do with flaunted or public sin. There are different attitudes people can have when they sin. Some are ashamed of their sins and try to hide them. Others flaunt their sins before man and God because they have no shame in committing them. All sin is destructive but God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7).”

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Ananias and Sapphira lied directly to the Holy Spirit, flaunting their sin of greediness. A rebellious attitude of flagrant sin will not be tolerated in individuals nor in nations.

Please understand that where America is now is in a place of severe precipice, her toes even over the edge of the abyss. Making an ordinance of homosexual marriage, rejecting the even moderately moral and ethical man Romney is, making a platform of child sacrifice, never mind the financial sins of laziness, welfare, greediness, and power abuse, our sins have piled up so high we cannot see the top of the pile even with a telescope. God will judge America, as He will judge all nations. The only questions is how close is it.

It is my personal opinion that our judgment is near, that the election was one last chance to refuse immorality and perversity. To reject the God-rejecters and to embrace an agenda that is a bit more Godly than the one American finally embraced. I personally believe Hurricane Sandy was a warning in the face of this nation’s imminent – and very likely her last – decision.

What will this judgment include? One only needs to look at the bible to see the many ways He judges. Will we be attacked like Israel was and carried off in captivity to a stronger military power?

Will we undergo a severe, city-flattening earthquake? (Amos 1:1, Zechariah 14:5).

Will He send drought and famine? Will he send war? Will He do all of the above?

We do not know. But one thing we do know, as sure as His promises of judgment for rebellion against Him are sure, He also will keep His promise as the Great Shepherd and love and care for each of His sheep.

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them” (Ezekiel 34:11)

If you awoke today depressed and dejected because the news, well, we have a right to be. I am dejected too. But what I am sad for are the vast majority of the people who do not know what they are doing, who are lost, blind sheep stumbling around without a shepherd. They are in the cold and do not know it!

We are hurtling headlong toward the cliff, rushing toward the cesspool so many want to dive into.

I am sad for my nation and expecting judgment any time soon. But I know my home is in heaven, and until the Good Shepherd calls me there I will pray for the lost people of this nation. Ceaselessly. Have hope in Him and His ways. He is holy and pure.

Posted in a tired man, attila jozef, encouragement, run the race

A Tired Man, revived by Jesus

Posted on by elizabethprata

I was surfing around and came across this poem by the Hungarian poet Attila Jozef. He wrote “A Tired Man” in 1923:

A Tired Man
Attila Jozef
Solemn peasants in the fields
straggle homeward without a word.
Side by side we lie, the river and I,
fresh grasses slumber under my heart.
A deep calm is rolling in the river.
My heavy cares are now as light as dew.
I’m not man, or child, “Hungarian” or “brother” –
lying here is just a tired man, like you.
Evening ladles out the quiet,
I’m a warm slice from its loaf of bread.
In the peaceful sky the stars come out
to sit on the river and shine on my head.

Statue of the “Tired Man” referring to the poem of Hungarian poet
Attila József. The statue is the work of
József Somogyi, in Makó, Hungary

Does that capture the feeling of the moment for Christians everywhere, or what? We are so weary after a long toil, yearning to lie down beside still waters, letting the starlight wash through our hair and for rest, blessed rest, to seep into our bones.

But though Jozef’s weary peasant lay down, we may not. We are still running the race! Yet so many are stumbling and sinking under the strain. We straggle like the tired man in the statue, sinking lower and head bowed, inches away from succumbing to the lure of ceasing from our labors, aching for it all to just … stop

Do not succumb! Stay upright Brethren. Stay in the race. Paul urges us to always “be rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12). he says,

“For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I know the cares feel heavy, and they are, but they are only for a moment. We are running a race, and sadly, so many are hitting the wall.

Hit the wall: “In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy.”

If you see a brother or sister hitting the wall, put your arm around them and help them along!

track
A high school runner competing in the 3200-metre race
is receiving national attention, not for winning
or a feat of athleticism, but for an extraordinary
act of kindness after she helped a struggling competitor
finish the race.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

In Barnes Notes, the verse is explained, “Know ye not … – In the remainder of this chapter, Paul illustrates the general sentiment on which he had been dwelling – the duty of practicing self-denial for the salvation of others – by a reference to the well known games which were celebrated near Corinth. Throughout the chapter, his object had been to show that in declining to receive a support for preaching, he had done it, not because he was conscious that he had no claim to it, but because by doing it he could better advance the salvation of people, the furtherance of the gospel, and in his special case 1 Corinthians 9:16-17 could obtain better evidence, and furnish to others better evidence that he was actuated by a sincere desire to honor God in the gospel. He had denied himself. He had voluntarily submitted to great privations. He had had a great object in view in doing it. And he now says, that in the well known athletic games at Corinth, the same thing was done by the “racers” 1 Corinthians 9:24, and by “wrestlers, or boxers”; 1 Corinthians 9:25.”

Barnes continues, “If they had done it, for objects so comparatively unimportant as the attainment of an “earthly” garland, assuredly it was proper for him to do it to obtain a crown which should never fade away. This is one of the most beautiful, appropriate, vigorous, and bold illustrations that can anywhere be found; and is a striking instance of the force with which the most vigorous and self-denying efforts of Christians can be vindicated, and can be urged by a reference to the conduct of people in the affairs of this life.”

Just like that runner above, denying herself and her own opportunity to win, to help a struggling friend. 

And for every tired man out there, the best, BEST reviving refreshment is JESUS. Take a listen and see if you don’t feel better!

Posted in attack, iran, russia, submarine

Netanyahu: ‘by the time my term is over, Iran will not have a nuclear weapons program.

Posted on by elizabethprata

Netanyahu: I Will Attack Iran Alone if Necessary
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promises that by the time his term is over, Iran will not have a nuclear weapons program.

“Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promised on Monday that by the time his term as Prime Minister is over, Iran will not have a nuclear weapons program.

Speaking to Channel 2, Netanyahu said that if it is necessary, he will lead an independent Israeli attack against Iran, even without the support of the United States.

“When former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel, was it with the consent of the Americans? When former Prime Minister Menachem Begin bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor, was that with the consent of the Americans?” asked Netanyahu.

“If there someone here who, as Prime Minister of Israel, cannot act on things that are fundamental to the State, to its future and to its security and depends only on approval of others, he does not deserve to lead,” said Netanyahu.

“When we didn’t have a state, when we didn’t have an army, and when someone threatened to destroy us and then actually annihilated us, we went and pleaded with others,” he said. “Today we don’t plead, we prepare.”

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Mr Netanyahu does not strike me as a Prime Minister who makes idle threats. Those were strong and sobering words, especially in light of the conflagration prophesied to occur in the last days involving most every middle Eastern nation. And Russia. (Zech 12-14, Isaiah 17 and 19; Psalm 83, Obadiah 3)

Speaking of Russia, I’d mentioned before that a Russian sub had been discovered patrolling for quite a period of time in the Gulf of Mexico, off Louisiana. Now they were discovered 200 miles off Kings Bay GA. Kings Bay is a US submarine base. Here is the story–

Russian attack sub detected near East Coast
A Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine cruised within 200 miles of the East Coast recently in the latest sign Russia is continuing to flex its naval and aerial power against the United States, defense officials said.

The submarine was identified by its NATO designation as a Russian Sierra-2 class submarine believed to be based with Russia’s Northern Fleet. It was the first time that class of Russian submarine had been detected near a U.S. coast, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of anti-submarine warfare efforts.

One defense official said the submarine was believed to have been conducting anti-submarine warfare efforts against U.S. ballistic and cruise missile submarines based at Kings Bay, Georgia.

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If it feels like the jackals are surrounding the wounded gazelle, it is because they are.

Posted in god of fortresses, jesus, san marino

Destroying fortresses

Posted on by elizabethprata

I was thinking about fortresses today. Fortresses of both the spiritual and the military kind.

Some years ago, my husband and I traveled to Italy. We rented a car and spent a month bumming around. We wound up visiting the tiny nation of San Marino, a separate nation inside of Italy. I never forgot our day there.

I like military history, weapons advancement and development, (San Marino is known for its expertise in medieval crossbows) and forts. Therefore, San Marino was a gold mine for me in spending time learning its history and culture! This micronation at just 24 sq/mi. in size is intensely fortified and almost impregnable.

https://i0.wp.com/www.johnnyjet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Jennifer-Dombrowski-San-Marino-2012-1.jpg

https://i0.wp.com/newspaper.li/static/51664cae1b4dcd26b23243a66e4658c4.jpg

https://i0.wp.com/newspaper.li/static/55ceb445da97842d5616a8088f3eab21.jpg

Legend has it that a man named Marinus, later a saint (San Marino) fled Christian persecution in 296 AD and founded a small community atop Mount Titiano. There, his little community flourished. They built a tower and a wall, as was the custom of the day. The geography also affords a natural protection. The cliffs look like devil’s teeth and the height (2400/ft) gives a spectacular view across the plains to the east all the way to the Adriatic. You can spot an advancing army coming hundreds of miles off. To the west, the Appenines butt up against the Mount in extremely close proximity. There’s literally no way to sneak up on them and nowhere to hide.

As the community grew, they built a second ring wall around the expanded community and then eventually, a third. Each has a tower. The place is known as the City of Three Towers.

The Fortress Guards, called the Guard of the Rock

The bible tells us “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)”

John MacArthur preached on this verse, saying,

“To successfully fight the spiritual war requires weapons from the heavenly arsenal. Only those divinely powerful weapons are suited for the destruction of the enemies’ fortresses. That term would convey to the New Testament reader the thought of a formidable stronghold.”

“Fleshly weapons cannot successfully assault the formidable strongholds in which sinners have entrenched themselves. Such impotent weapons cannot bring about the destruction of those fortresses, which Paul defined specifically as speculations (logismos), a general word referring to any and all human or demonic thoughts, opinions, reasonings, philosophies, theories, psychologies, perspectives, viewpoints, and religions. The fortresses in view here are not demons, but ideologies. The notion that spiritual warfare involves direct confrontation with demons is foreign to Scripture. Christians who verbally confront demons waste energy and demonstrate ignorance of the real war. We are not called to convert demons, but sinners. The battle is rather with the false ideologies men and demons propagate so that the world believes them. Doomed souls are inside their fortresses of ideas, which become their prisons and eventually their tombs—unless they are delivered from them by belief in the truth.”

So if you picture the fortress itself as an ideology and the people living in the fortress of Tower 1, they are raising up every lofty thing as a speculation, which the wind will simply carry away because it has no substance. And the people living inside the wall in Tower 2 are likewise imprisoned by their own empty reasonings. And the same for tower 3, yet another vain thought system satan has raised up, and put a wall around so they cannot escape. They think they are secure in their strong tower but they are not, they are actually imprisoned and will eventually die and their fortress becomes their tomb.

How to get them out? GotQuestions has the answer:

“Here’s the picture: the Christian, wearing his spiritual armor and bearing his spiritual weapons, sets out to “conquer” the world for Christ, but he soon finds obstacles. The enemy has erected strongly fortified garrisons to resist the Truth and attempt to thwart God’s plan of redemption. There is the fortress of human reasoning, reinforced with many subtle arguments and the pretense of logic. There is the castle of passion, with flaming battlements defended by lust, pleasure, and greed. And there is the pinnacle of pride, in which the human heart sits enthroned and revels in thoughts of its own excellence and sufficiency.

The enemy is firmly entrenched; these strongholds have been guarded for thousands of years, presenting a great wall of resistance to the Truth. None of this deters the Christian warrior, however. Using the weapons of God’s choosing, he attacks the strongholds, and by the miraculous power of Christ, the walls are breached, and the bastions of sin and error are battered down. The victorious Christian enters the ruins and leads captive, as it were, every false theory and every human philosophy that had once proudly asserted its independence from God.

If this sounds a lot like Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho, you’re right. What a great illustration of spiritual truth that story is (Joshua 6)!”

So cool, huh?! Proclaim the Gospel. Speak of Jesus. Commit His word to your heart. It is those weapons that demolish even the strongest looking fortress. Even a fortress as impregnable as San Marino does not stand a chance against the piercing weapon of the truth of Jesus and His Gospel!

Posted in imminence, rapture, syria, war

Syrian tanks in Golan Heights?

Posted on by elizabethprata

On Twitter I read Steve Schippert’s note. It got my attention. “@SteveSchippert, Good Morning! While you were sleeping, Syrian tanks violated Golan Heights. Q is how localized decision was.” Here is the news of it-

Syrian tanks enter demilitarized Israeli frontier
BEIRUT (AP) — Three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights on Saturday, Israel said, raising concerns violence from Syria’s civil war could heat up a long-quiet frontier that has not seen such an incursion in nearly 40 years. Israel complained to U.N. peacekeepers present in the area, a relatively low-key response that suggested it did not see the Syrian armor as an immediate threat. But the entry marks the most serious spillover of Syria’s turmoil to date at the frontier, where stray ordnance has exploded on the Israeli side in the past.”

The Golan Heights are strategically important to Israel. The Israel Project explains a brief history of the Golan Heights, situated at Israel’s north along the border with Syria:

“The Golan Heights were captured from Syria in 1967 as a valuable military asset. Prior to 1967, Israelis living in the valleys below the Golan Heights suffered rocket fire and terrorist attacks from Syria for more than a dozen years. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syrian forces overran much of the southern Golan before being pushed back by an Israeli counterattack. Israel and Syria signed a ceasefire agreement in 1974 that left almost all of the Golan Heights in Israeli control, while returning a narrow demilitarized zone to Syrian control. Since losing control of the territory, Syria has made clear that any peace negotiations with Israel would require a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory to the pre-1967 borders.”

The Israel Project explains why the Heights are so important. If you go to their site you can click on their footnotes for verifications of all facts.

“The topography of the Golan serves as a natural blockade against any military attack from Syria. The Golan is essentially one high-altitude plateau that overlooks southern Syria and serves as an excellent vantage point for Israel to keep track of Syrian military movements.”

‘Advances in ballistic technology in recent years have increased the importance of keeping control of this strategic high ground and maintaining geographic depth. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, control of the eastern mountain ridge of the Golan helped 177 Israeli tanks to repel 1,400 Syrian tanks.”

“The Sea of Galilee borders the southwestern Golan and provides one-third of Israel’s fresh water supply. In 1964, the Syrians attempted to impair Israeli access to fresh water through a damming project, which the Israel Defense Forces ultimately thwarted. Israel has utilized the fertility of the Golan landscape to enrich and expand Israel’s agricultural sector. About 40 percent of Israeli beef, 30 percent of Israeli fruit and 38 percent of Israeli wine exports come from the Golan.”

So you can see that any incursion into Israel’s Golan Heights is cause for concern. Israel’s response was immediate. Today Al Arabiya reports,

Israeli army on high alert as Syrian tanks enter Golan Heights
“Three Syrian tanks entered a demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights, which was set up in the 1974 disengagement treaty, raising Israel’s high alert as the Israeli military chief observed the area a day after the entrance of the tanks and warned his soldiers to be on high alert. On Sunday, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz warned Israeli soldiers, occupying the heights area, of the escalating violence in Syria and expressed concerns of possible spread of the Syrian conflict across the border.”

“This is a Syrian affair that could turn into our affair,” the army’s website quoted Gantz during his visit to the troops on the frontier.”

“Marco Carminjani, an official with the U.N. body supervising the zone, said he could not immediately confirm the entry of the tanks. But if the report is true, he said, it would be a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel. He said it would be the first such move in the zone since the accord.”

In other news,

“Iran has built an advanced drone which can take off vertically without a runway, Iranian state media says“
(Reuters) – Iran has built an advanced drone that can take off vertically and without a runway, Iranian media reported. Iran’s military regularly announces defense and engineering developments, though some analysts are skeptical of the reliability of such reports. Abbas Jam, researcher on a project for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, said on Saturday that the drone would be tested that day and “unveiled” next year, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.”

Israel has been responding to each Iranian military and technological advance with an advance of their own. At some point the men in charge of these toys are going to want to try them out. And Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39, (and don’t forget Zechariah 12-14) tells us that they will. The only question is wondering how many of these battles will occur on this side of the rapture and how many after we are gone. We do not know. That is one reason the tension among Christians is so high. However, we all feel the imminence.

Iron Dome Upgraded to Meet Iranian Missile Threat
“The Ministry of Defense officially announced Sunday that a series of tests to the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system has been successfully completed, in an important step in the IDF’s plans to upgrade the system. Following the tests, IDF forces will acquire an additional Iron Dome battery, this one with improved capabilities. The new battery, which will be the IDF’s fifth, will soon be transferred to the IAF. The series of tests was designed to broaden the activities of the Iron Dome system and to improve its capabilities against an unprecedented variety of threats. The advancement of the system will enable it to handle the threats posed by Iran’s Fajr and Zelzal missiles.”

Imminence spoken of by John McTernan
“For you that followed this blog for a long time, I can tell you that there is a strong dread over me for America. It is as if the nation was already judged, Something has radically changed in the heavenlies.”

And Todd Strandberg:
“We are now at a point where disasters have become so frequent and massive is scale, the news life cycle of an single event is very brief. Tropical Storm Irene was a bad storm, but it has been wiped from everyone’s memory by Hurricane Sandy.God is clearly trying to get man’s attention with all these calamities. The Lord is very patient, but He is no fool. Eventually, the warnings will end and the final judgment will begin. “Am I truly ready?” is the question everyone needs to ask themselves.”

And Joel Rosenberg:
“That said, we also need to pray for the peace and protection of the nation of Israel, and all of the inhabitants of the epicenter, be they Jews or Arabs. Given all the sins we are committing as a nation — and the danger we face of God’s judgment — the last thing we dare do is forget, or abandon, or turn away from, or stand against the nation of Israel.”

And John MacArthur:
“I don’t know how much time America has left, I really don’t. But we’re on a course described here as God casting us out. The land has become defiled. “I’ve brought its punishment upon it,” verse 25, “so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.”

The most important thing is to continue to pray. Stay connected to Him. He is a Mighty Rock in a weary land! 

“Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2)