By Elizabeth Prata
May God bless America, and if instead He judges, may He bless His people and local church bodies.
God Bless America?
How to Be Countercultural
By Elizabeth Prata
“Pride Month” is over now, thank goodness. All during the month of June we were bombarded on social media and elsewhere with perverse and disgusting depictions of the perversity that sinful people love but that God hates. (Romans 1:31-32)
Whenever I was scrolling and came across one of those depictions, I averted my eyes, ground my teeth, asked God “How long O Lord?!” and went on. Seeing those pictures and clips upset me, especially when there were children in them or bystanding as they do when a parade passes. A parade of perversity.
I’m on Twitter a lot. Twitter (now ridiculously named ‘X’) is owned by Elon Musk, the billionaire. He tweeted something the other day that caught my attention.
I realized how much of a relief it was when I did come across a photo that simply was beautiful, or happy, or displaying nature in all God’s glory. Yes, I decided, I will make a practice of posting a few things each day that are simply beautiful. I figured if I was relieved seeing such nice things, other people may be too. I’ve been burdened by the ugliness of the perversity and sin captured in these photos and videos. Let’s push back and show either great art, design beauty, or nature in all its wonder.
THAT now got me thinking about photographs in general. I’m an educator and many of my colleagues are on Facebook. Summer time is fun time. I love seeing their summer vacation photos. I love seeing the anniversary celebration photos. I got to thinking about their pictures. It makes me happy to see my friends happy. It gives me joy to see a marriage thrive long-term.
And that is the crux. It’s the reverse of the Pride pics. If it makes me, a Christian, happy to see God’s working in families and marriages, visual depictions of a couple’s blessing of children or a marriage succeeding under His ordinance and guidance, it must grind the sinner’s gears to see them. As much as I am grieved with glimpsing on social media during Pride Month overweight men strutting around in bondage gear, it must grind satan to see displays of flourishing families frolicking at the beach or couples praising God for a wonderful marriage.
Amazing these days that a mom and her child and her husband as nuclear family, happy in the Lord, is revolutionary in these perverse days.
Normal family life is now counter-cultural. Stop and think about that for a second. It really is. You think that posting happy family photos is a negligible act, or an incidental moment. Frivolous, really. It’s not.
It’s actually an act of war.
The simple act of posting family photos of a nuclear family with a married biological mom and a dad is a poke in the eye to satan.
Whether you knew it or not when you posted that photo or video, the effect is countercultural. It’s a revolutionary push back against ugliness. And sin is ugly. Grace and godliness is needed. THAT is the real beauty.
You do not need to be a skilled rhetorician to show Christ in your life. You don’t need to always take a combative stance. You don’t need to win debates. If that is not your style, that’s fine. Simply posting a photo of your family with a caption of how much you love motherhood, or an anniversary picture with a praise for your husband, will have the same impact, or more, than all the above. Even better, attach a pertinent verse to it as well.
So post your photos that show a moral life under God- the wedding pics, anniversary photos, clips of the kids, being a mom or a dad, choosing motherhood, happy in the Lord. They are not incidental pics nor are they frivolous. They are revolutionary. Sad to say that showing a nuclear family with a dad, mom, and happy children, with the adults thriving in their complementary roles, is now considered extremist.
So, DO IT.
Further Resources
Beauty and the Best, RC Sproul
The Beauty of our God, RC Sproul
Back to Basics: All about Angels
By Elizabeth Prata
Angels are mentioned almost three hundred times in the Bible. Let’s look at who these created beings are and what they do for God. This essay will be divided into three sections. First, we’ll have a very brief overview in looking at what angels do and who they are, from scripture. I say very brief because the subject is so deep that one essay, or even a dozen essays, can’t do it justice.
In the second section there will be some fast facts and trivia.
In the third section at the end I’ll look at some weighty matters concerning angels.
Section 1: Overview
The Bible says that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Since God has always existed, ‘the beginning means’ the beginning of what He wants to reveal to us. Job 38:4-7 says that when God did that work, the angels praised Him by shouting with joy. So the angels already were created by God when God created the worlds. We do not know how long before, but they were blessed spectators to the Creation.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7)
“Sons of God” is a term sometimes used to describe angels. (Job 1:6, Genesis 6:2). Angels then, were created before the foundation of the world was laid, but the point is, they are created beings. They have intellect, will, and emotions. They are a higher order than humans. (Hebrews 2:7). They are spirit beings that sometimes take on a body likeness when they come to earth. And they do come to earth. (Genesis 32:24, Hebrews 13:2).
In Genesis 18:2, Abraham saw three ‘men’ approaching him but in the next verse Abraham immediately bowed and called one of them Lord. Though they were in the form of men, Abraham knew they were not of this world. One of them was a pre-incarnate visitation of Jesus, of course. Sometimes an angel appears and they do not look like men but they do look like they are from glory. (Matthew 28:2-4). Usually in those cases where even their full stature and countenance is hidden, the men and women viewing them still fall down.
They serve us by obeying God. They praise and honor God in His temple (Revelation 4:8; Hebrews 12:22) bring messages, (Luke 1:19, Daniel 10:11), minister to us, (Hebrews 1:14), fight for God against the forces of evil, (2 Kings 6:17).
Or not, as the case may be. Angels rebelled in heaven and a third of the angels sided with satan. (Revelation 12:4). These became the demons. They attempt to thwart God and His people. They may seem to be temporarily successful but of course they are not in any sense victorious over God. His plan reigns supreme. All that happens to those who love God He turns to the good for His glory.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains more eloquently. Click on the link FMI
“But its distinctive application is to certain heavenly intelligences whom God employs in carrying on his government of the world. The name does not denote their nature but their office as messengers.
(1.) The existence and orders of angelic beings can only be discovered from the Scriptures. Although the Bible does not treat of this subject specially, yet there are numerous incidental details that furnish us with ample information. Their personal existence is plainly implied in such passages as Genesis 16:7, 10, 11; Judges 13:1-21; Matthew 28:2-5; Hebrews 1:4, etc.
These superior beings are very numerous. “Thousand thousands,” etc. (Dan. 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Luke 2:13; Hebrews 12:22, 23). They are also spoken of as of different ranks in dignity and power (Zechariah 1:9, 11; Dan. 10:13; 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9; Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 1:16).
(2.) As to their nature, they are spirits (Hebrews 1:14), like the soul of man, but not incorporeal. Such expressions as “like the angels” (Luke 20:36), and the fact that whenever angels appeared to man it was always in a human form (Genesis 18:2; 19:1, 10; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10), and the titles that are applied to them (“sons of God, ” Job 1:6; 38:7; Dan. 3:25; Comp. 28) and to men (Luke 3:38), seem all to indicate some resemblance between them and the human race. Imperfection is ascribed to them as creatures (Job 4:18; Matthew 24:36; 1 Peter 1:12). As finite creatures they may fall under temptation; and accordingly we read of “fallen angels.”
FMI: Sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Common and Special Grace, Ephesians 6:10-13, “examples of special grace in Scripture; the ministry of angels.“
FMI: Sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Good Angels
Note: Even though the audio to MLJ’s part 2 on angels is lost, for now at least, the companion lecture to Good Angels, titled “‘The Devil and the Fallen Angels'” can be read at this link. (start on p 78).
Trivia question: Who are the only named angels in the Bible? Answer below.
Fast Fact: Angels that rebelled will not be redeemed. Their condemnation is fixed. (Matthew 25:41)
Fast Fact: Humans do not turn into angels when we get to heaven. Angels and humans are separate orders of beings in creation. Angels are angels and humans are humans. Forever.
Cherubim is a class of angel who guarded the way back to the tree of life with a flaming sword. (Genesis 3:24)
Peter was freed from prison by an angel. Even locks and prison bars cannot stop angels from ministering to us, when God sends them! (Acts 12:4-8)
An angel announced the birth of Samson. (Judges 13:1-7,24)
Food for thought: If sometimes we entertain angels unaware, and a third of them sided with Lucifer and turned into unholy demons, then there is a 1-in-3 chance that when an angel visits us he is an unholy demon. (Genesis 6:1-2). However the good news is that they obey God and do His bidding within limits. (Job 1:12, 2 Chronicles 18:21)
Do angels marry? Not in heaven. (Mark 12:25). But the rebellious ones did on earth. (Genesis 6:1). That’s why they are in chains awaiting judgment. (Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4)
Trivia answer: The named angels in the Bible are Gabriel, Michael, Lucifer, and perhaps also Apollyon/Abaddon of Revelation 9:11.
Angels in the Bible are potent beings with incredible power. Did you know that the Law was given to Moses by angels?
“you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” (Acts 7:53),
“Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.“(Galatians 3:19)
Deuteronomy 33:2 mentions that He came to give the Law with myriads and ten thousands of His holy ones. Angels by the side of God as He delivered the Law! Incredible!
How powerful are angels? This was astounding to me when I read it. I studied the book of Revelation. It becomes terribly obvious that angels are the means that God uses to deliver judgment.
Begin with Chapter 5:2,
“Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
The word loud in this verse is from megas, meaning ‘in the widest sense’, large, great. It’s where we get ‘mega’ from. Mighty is from a word meaning powerful in the physical sense.
“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:11-12)
Angels hold back the wind and rise with the sun. They proclaim praise, render judgment, and fulfill God’s wishes.
“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:1-3)
How about this powerful scene with angels from Revelation 8:1-5
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings,a flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”
Cherubs? NO! Flying babies? Never! They are holy and powerful! Skim through Revelation to see the massive amount of angelic intercession in the affairs of men during the Tribulation. I could quote many more instances but if I did, I’d essentially be repeating the entire book of Revelation. John MacArthur sums it up
“Angels, you know, have played very prominent roles already in Revelation. The four horsemen that we saw in chapter 6 were called by angels, the seven trumpets were blown by angels, Satan and demons were defeated by angels, the seven bowls will be poured out by angels, Armageddon is announced by an angel, Satan and demons are bound by an angel, and here is another angel. And this angel comes out of the temple in heaven and he also has a sharp sickle.” This is the angel that reaps the earth.
Matthew 13:39 says that angels reap at the end of the age:
“and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.” (Matthew 13:39)
Once you’ve read through, then ask the Spirit to heighten your awareness of the holy work of angels in the Bible. They are mentioned quite often, and as you read through the book you’re reading through, you will notice their works. Even the demons are powerful. The fallen ones are still called majesties and those false teachers who unwisely mock and deride them are themselves awaiting judgment. (2 Peter 2:10-11). Even Archangel Michael dare not bring an accusation against satan but instead said simply, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9).
Not that we worship angels, (Revelation 22:9) but be aware of their powerful work for our Holy God. Just as we are instruments of His plan used to bring Him glory, so are angels. Yet they have supernatural powers and dwell in the very temple of heaven.
Further Reading:
Angels, a 2-part free lecture series from RC Sproul
What does the Bible say about angels?
Martyn Lloyd Jones, A sermon on the doctrine of Good Angels
Other entries in Back to Basics Series:
Back to Basics: What is a miracle?
Back to Basics: Who is Satan?
Back to Basics: What is Justification?
Back to Basics: What does it mean to be born again?
About entertaining angels unawares
By Elizabeth Prata
It’s High Summer here in the US now. It’s vacation week for many people, and there’s a holiday coming up. I’m going to re-post some angel essays I’ve done in the past. So, it’s Angel week here on the blog!
Angels figure very, very prominently in the NT. People don’t really know this, or they overlook angels in the Bible. But once you see how often they are out and about, you can’t unsee it. At the other end of the scale, some are so preoccupied with angels they nearly fall into angel worship.
Once you start studying angels, you realize how frequently they are mentioned in the New Testament. And as for the nativity story, make many appearances! So let’s get to know these incredible beings better.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2 KJV)
From the Bible, we know that God created angels. (Colossians 1:16-17). We know that angels interact with humans at the behest of God. (Luke 1:26-38). They deliver messages. (Daniel 9:20-23). They fight for territory. (Daniel 10:20). They guard humans (Matthew 18:10) and report to God on the actions of children, anyway (Matt. 18:1-14) and perhaps to individually minister to adult Christians also (Hebrews 1:14).
Angels are divided into hierarchies and troops, including both good and evil angels, and special categories such as cherubim, seraphim, and the archangel. They are invisible. (2 Kings 6:17). They look like men sometimes, (Genesis 18:1-2) and other times they look like glory (Matthew 28:2-4) and other times they look like metal and lightning (Daniel 10:5-6) and still there are other angels who look completely unusual and beyond description (Revelation 4:6-8). [For the record, with one debatable exception, angels are not biblically described as having any wings]
Surely, it is a blessing that there is a class of created being whom God uses for His glory and for our help. It is a blessing also to think that we may entertain one of them at some point in our lives!
It is not well for us to miss the opportunity of the presence, the conversation, and the prayers of the good. The influence of such guests in a family is worth more than it costs to entertain them. ~Barnes’ Notes
But do not forget, there is another class of angels. There was a rebellion in heaven, and the highest angel, one created to guard the throne itself, tried to vault himself above God and was kicked out of heaven for it. His name is Lucifer, whose title is now the devil, adversary, satan. And even though a third of the multitudes of angels lived with God, and saw His glory and knew His heart, Lucifer was apparently so convincing that they sided with him against God, and so they were kicked out too. (Revelation 12:3-4,9)
Not everything supernatural is from God! If you entertain angels unawares, it may be a good angel sent to minister to you. Or it may be a fallen angel, sent by satan to thwart you, deceive you, or hinder you. (also 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Cor.11:13-15) “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
In this we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Barnes’ Notes again:
If there is danger that we may sometimes receive those of an opposite character. yet it is not wise on account of such possible danger, to lose the opportunity of entertaining those whose presence would be a blessing.
If you are reading this whether you are a Christian or a non-believer, be aware that deceit comes in a guise wrapped in a beautiful package. Fallen angels would look just like the glorious angels, as stated above in the Corinthians verse. If you are a Christian, you should be praying daily to receive wisdom, and it will be given to you without reproach.
You should be in the Word daily so that you will know the truth from a lie. Without His help, you are at the mercy of an adversary who can and does ‘appear to us unawares’ and always for the purpose of destroying us!
NOT EVERYTHING SUPERNATURAL IS FROM GOD!
Angels might surround you unawares, and it surely would be a blessing to discover in the hereafter that you’d entertained a Holy Angel!
The Simple Man vs. the Philosopher
By Elizabeth Prata
I was finishing my book by Scottish Puritan, James Durham, The Scandal of False Teaching. I love the minds of the Puritans, deep thinkers, and as a result, it was an excellent book.
Anyway, in the book the author related a story from old church history. There was a man named Tyrannius Rufinus, born around 345AD in Italy. He died around 410/411. He was a Roman priest, writer, theologian, and translator of Greek theological works into Latin at a time when knowledge of Greek was declining in the West, says Encyclopedia Britannica. Rufinus is known for translating Eusebius’ works from Greek to Latin. When Rufinus completed the translation of Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, Rufinus went on and added two more chapters of church history where Eusebius left off. Those were books 10 and 11.
In book 10, chapter 3, Rufinus related a story about the doings during the Council of Nicea and a certain event that happened there.
Durham said that back in the days of the Council of Nicea, there were debates and talks. There came a climax of a showdown between a simple man and a skilled philosopher. Note: a dialectician is a person skilled in philosophical debate.
The story goes like this, from Rufinus:
Now we may learn how much power there is in simplicity of faith from what is reported to have happened there. For when the zeal of the religious emperor had brought together priests of God from all over the earth, rumor of the event gathered as well philosophers and dialecticians of great renown and fame.
One of them who was celebrated for his ability in dialectic used to hold ardent debates each day with our bishops, men likewise by no means unskilled in the art of disputation, and there resulted a magnificent display for the learned and educated men who gathered to listen.
Nor could the philosopher be cornered or trapped in any way by anyone, for he met the questions proposed with such rhetorical skill that whenever he seemed most firmly trapped, he escaped like a slippery snake.
But that God might show that the kingdom of God is based upon power rather than speech, one of the confessors, a man of the simplest character who knew only Christ Jesus and him crucified, was present with the other bishops in attendance.
When he saw the philosopher insulting our people and proudly displaying his skill in dialectic, he asked everyone for a chance to exchange a few words with the philosopher. But our people, who knew only the man’s simplicity and lack of skill in speech, feared that they might be put to shame in case his holy simplicity became a source of laughter to the clever.
But the elder insisted and he began his discourse in this way: “In the name of Jesus Christ, O philosopher,” he said, “listen to the truth. There is one God who made heaven and earth, who gave breath to man whom he had formed from the mud of the earth and who created everything what is seen and what is not seen with the power of his word and established it with the sanctification of his spirit.
This word and wisdom whom we call Son took pity on the errors of humankind was born of a virgin, by suffering death freed us from everlasting death and by his resurrection conferred on us eternal life. Him we await as the judge to come of all that we do. Do you believe that this is so, O philosopher?”
But he as though he had nothing whatever that he could say in opposition to this so astonished was he at the power of what had been said could only reply to it all that he thought that it was so, and that what had been said was the only truth.
Then the elder said, “If you believe that this is so, arise, follow me to the church and receive the seal of this faith.”
The philosopher turning to his disciples and to those who had gathered to listen said “Listen, O learned men: so long as it was words with which I had to deal, I set words against words and what was said I refuted with my rhetoric. But when power rather than words came out of the mouth of the speaker, words could not withstand power nor could man oppose God. And therefore if any one of you was able to feel in what was said what I felt, let him believe in Christ and follow this old man in whom God has spoken.” And thus the philosopher became a Christian and rejoiced at last to have been vanquished.
Source Rufinus, Ecclesiastical History, Book 10, ch 3; Excerpt on the First Council of Nicaea, published in year 402-403.
Now, the First Council at Nicea ended in the year 325 and the translation and addendum by Rufinus was published in 402. As with any history that’s separated by such a gap of years, the Bible being the exception, there may be embellishments or errors. Maybe it happened that way, and maybe it didn’t. It doesn’t matter.
Yet it is true, “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,” says 1 Corinthians 1:27. The power is not in our delivery, the power is in the word of God energized by the Spirit.
Don’t be hesitant to share God’s truth, no matter how faltering or stuttering you believe you are, (Moses, anyone?) God will use you in some capacity or another.
Paul said, “and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power“, 1 Corinthians 2:4
Burning Man vs. Burning Bush
By Elizabeth Prata
Burning Man is coming up next month.
From Wikipedia: “Burning Man is a week-long large-scale desert event focused on “community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance” held annually in the western United States. The event’s name comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as the Man, that occurs on the penultimate night.” On the very last night they burn down “The Temple”.
A lot of people go.
When it’s described as ‘large scale’, they mean it. It’s huge. It is THE biggest festival not just in the US but in the world in terms of acreage. (Glastonbury is smaller in acreage but bigger in daily attendance.) Burning Man is the orange semicircle.
The event started at its current location in the Black Rock Desert in 1991. It is a free for all, free expression, art, ‘radical inclusion’ type of deal. There are art installations, dance, music, self-expression, and of course, a temple, because pagan man must worship something. The event lasts 9 days, and there is a blistering desert heat, lung killing dust, and a long walk to the portapotties. So why do upwards of 80,000 people attend?
They go for the self-expression. Some see it as a sanctuary from the constraining world with its rules and expectations. Some attend because they want to shed their persona and experiment with drugs or sex. The event IS clothing optional, after all. In the days before cell phones, more attendees appeared in various states of undress, but afterward when cell phone photography and video-ing became common, fewer people walk around exposed or totally naked. Go figure.
In other words, they go because of sin. Sin is attractive.
In 2001 or 2002 or so, I wanted to go. I wanted to go pretty bad. It was before I was saved. I thought that Burning Man was the epitome of a lifestyle of freedom that the world prevented. I wanted to see if an alternative lifestyle of ‘acceptance’ of any walk of life, race, lifestyle, art, music, or expression was possible. I was looking for freedom, freedom from what, I didn’t know. Yet.
What I was looking for was Burning Bush, not Burning Man.
Then the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. (Exodus 3:2).
Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5).
King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes to show us that pursuits, lifestyles, and worship is pointless (futility, vanity) if God isn’t at the center of it. Any pursuit of anything- music, art, self-expression, without God is vain. Same with any kind of worship or reverence. What is one reverencing if they go to the Burning Man festival’s “Temple”? One’s self. And a “free lifestyle” just usually means sexuality of one kind or another. The pursuit of the ‘something’ is never satisfied. Why? It’s all circular. You come back to yourself, and the self is unholy, unrighteous, and unfulfilled without God.
To be satisfied in life, to attain freedom, we must transcend self. The only way to do that is through Jesus.
Burning Man is a sacrificial ritual concocted by man, for man, and in the end, futile. Such rituals have been a part of the sinful world since the beginning, starting with The Golden Calf. Asherah. Nehushtan. Celtic Fire Festivals. Slavic ritual Marzanna. Portuguese Caretos Festival. Et cetera and so on ad nauseum.
All things are wearisome; No one can tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing. (Ecclesiastes 1:8)
In December 2003/January 2004, I became saved. What I had been looking for was holiness, purity, righteousness, and justice. In Exodus 3:5 it is the first time holy or holiness is referenced in relation to God. God told Moses to remove his sandals and not to approach closer, because the Bush was holy ground. By contrast, Moses was not holy and neither was the ground, apart from the bush.
Fire is used throughout the Bible to represent God’s purifying effect. At Burning Man they light the man and the temple to consume it. But with God He IS the fire and HE consumes.
for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29).
I’m grateful that Jesus decided to save me. Through His grace, I am being purified, refined by the holy fire of His word, daily. It was a good trade, the Burning Man for Burning Bush. The Man is burned every year to cinders and must be rebuilt. With God, his love, and care is eternal and His flame never goes out.
Journaling? Or Chronicling?
By Elizabeth Prata
I was at a friend’s house for dinner. There were 3 of us ladies there, 70 something, 60 something, 30’s almost. We got to talking about diaries and journaling.
I’d said I bought a diary at a thrift store that was written by a teenager in 1931. Nearly 100 years old, it was an insight into the daily life of a high schooler in a time of depression, rural poverty, and a long ago era. It was a fascinating read. She rarely mentioned her family. It was almost entirely about cliques, social life, other girls, popularity, and fun events. Just like a 15 year old girl might write about today!
But that got us talking about journaling in general.
If I remember correctly we agreed that journaling in the form of a diary, i.e. putting pen to paper and writing down all our thoughts and feelings, wouldn’t be that great use of time in our opinion. Why would we be writing this stuff down? Just for ourselves? With a risk of adult children reading it after we’d passed away? To do naval gazing instead of gazing at the One who is our North Star? Too much introspection leads to self-centeredness. We should deny ourselves and look to Him.
I remember the movie The Bridges of Madison County with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. Meryl was nominated for an Academy Award for lead Actress. It won lots of other awards and reaped a high ticket gate. It was essentially an apologetic and a affirmation of the ‘healthiness’ or the ‘necessity’ for adultery. It came out in 1992. The adulteress passed away, keeping her secret to the grave, except her adult kids read it and instead of being outraged learning that mom had cheated on their father, they were moved. Actually knowing this helped each of them in their own marriages. Oy. Adultery is not a healer, it’s a divider.
Anyway, even if the thoughts written down weren’t some deep sin, who wants to read their mom’s opinions on Aunt Tillie’s hat or whether she liked some recipe her sister made her try….or something.
I think it was safe to say that diary, bare-all writing wasn’t for us.
I know that “Bible art journaling” is (or was?) a thing. In my opinion, God’s pure and holy word doesn’t need enhancements. And we, having the sin-nature, don’t need distractions competing with God’s word.
Taking notes during a sermon, that’s good. We all agreed we take notes in some form or another, whether meticulously or just jotting down a Bible verse reference or a word or two.
I commented that I chronicle. I don’t journal, Bible art journal, or even prayer journal. I DO chronicle. I have a planner that goes from June to June. So I am leafing thru it today (June 28) as I plan on setting it aside to bring my next planner up on deck for July 1, and I discover all the books I’d read. I start listing them. I had thought I had only read 4 or 5 books, so I was disappointed with myself. But I didn’t need to be sad, I’d read 26 books, which was my goal! 11 theology books, 2 professional books, 6 non-fiction and 7 fiction, a nice spread. Also rediscovered some dishes to make I’d forgotten about, and more. Chronicling can be useful.
I’d jotted down when I was out sick from school, my trip to Lake Rabun, the movies I’d seen or TV shows I’d forgotten about. When my last dentist appointment was, or the great score at the thrift store. Prayer list. Books I’m reading.
Below is the list of the books I read this past year. The Harry Potter #2 I didn’t finish and neither did I finish I Couldn’t Care Less (a noir detective novel from the 1940s). The most enjoyable books on the list were Grann’s The Wager, The Art Thief (make sure you get the book by Finkel, there’s another one named the same that’s dull as dishwater), and most of the stories in Nine Tomorrows. For the theology books I enjoyed the Sproul bio, and Scandal of False Teaching, as well as Taming the Fingers.
THEOLOGY
Good Grief: A Companion for Every Loss by Granger E. Westberg
R.C. Sproul: Defender of the Reformed Faith by Nate Pickowicz
Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith J. Warner Wallace
Taming the Fingers: Heavenly Wisdom for Social Media by Jeff Johnson
The Art of Self-Discipline – John MacArthur
The American Puritans – Dustin Benge and Nate Pickowicz
Benedictions and Doxologies – HB Charles
The Scandal of False Teaching – James Durham
Communication and Conflict Resolution – Stuart Scott
From Pride to Humility: A Biblical Perspective – Stuart Scott
This Outside Life: Finding God in the Heart of Nature – by Laurie Kehler
PROFESSIONAL
Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom by Jan Burkins, Kari Yates
Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids’ Brains and What Schools Can Do About It, by Eric Jensen
NON-FICTION
The Devil and Sherlock Holmes – David Grann
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel
The Wager – David Grann
James Herriot, Best of – James Herriot
Mt. Everest Reconnaissance Mission – by Eric Shipton
The Ultimate Guide for the Avid Indoorsman: Life Is Better in Here by John Driver
FICTION
It Couldn’t Matter Less – by Peter Cheyney
Winter Birds – Jamie Turner
The Sweet Everlasting – by Judson Mitcham
Nine Tomorrows – Isaac Asimov
Harry Potter #1 – JK Rowling
Harry Potter #2 – JK Rowling
The Associate – John Grisham
Do you journal? Prayer journal? Keep a diary? Jot notes during sermons or lectures? Do Bible art in your journal? Do Bible crafts in an art sketchbook?
There are all different ways to process the theological content we take in. How do you?
Do you have prayer ADHD?
By Elizabeth Prata
I saw a meme on Facebook that made me laugh. I can’t find it again, but it went something like, ‘I have prayer ADHD, I start, drift into thinking other things, then come back saying ‘Where was I, Lord?’
I think we have all had the same experience. Our fleshly minds want to think of anything except compass point north, Jesus Christ. It zones out on us, drifts off, creates a grocery list, listens to the birds outside, or the traffic, anything but laser focus on the throne of grace.
Why is it so hard? Praying is an act of war, spiritual war. We are opposed at every turn by the evil one and his minions, and when we clasp our hands together, we are effectively sounding a trumpet to those demons that we are entering another battle with them.
In his book The Hidden Life of Prayer by David MacIntyre, we read that,
The main reason for this unceasing insistence is the arduousness of prayer. In its nature it is a laborious undertaking, and in our endeavor to maintain the spirit of prayer we are called to wrestle against principalities and powers of darkness.
Dr. Andrew Bonar used to say that, as the King of Syria commanded his captains to fight neither with small nor great, but only with the King of Israel, so the prince of the power of the air seems to bend all the force of his attack against the spirit of prayer.
If he should prove victorious there, he has won the day. Sometimes we are conscious of a satanic impulse directed immediately against the life of prayer in our souls; sometimes we are led into “dry” and wilderness-experiences, and the face of God grows dark above us; sometimes, when we strive most earnestly to bring every thought and imagination under obedience to Christ, we seem to be given over to disorder and unrest; sometimes the inbred slothfulness of our nature lends itself to the evil one as an instrument by which he may turn our minds back from the exercise of prayer.
Because of all these things, therefore, we must be diligent and resolved, watching as a sentry who remembers that the lives of men are lying at the hazard of his wakefulness, resourcefulness, and courage. “And what I say unto you,” said the Lord to His disciples, “I say unto all, Watch!”
How do you pray? I used to kneel but my knees and back can’t take that any more. So now I sit in my chair and pray aloud. Praying out loud helps me focus and not drift off. However there is no one particularly commanded position for praying. I don’t imagine Paul had too many options for prayer positions when he was chained up in jail.
Hannah famously prayed a whisper prayer in the temple. The priest watching her thought she was drunk. But no, she was just agonizing in spirit and pressing that agony upward to the LORD. (1 Samuel 1:9-17).
Jonah prayed to the LORD in the belly of the great fish, he also cried out (Jonah 2:2). I think his cries were probably pretty loud, too!
David no doubt prayed silently but no doubt he prayed aloud too. David had an active prayer life with the LORD. His prayers were appeals, praises, repentance, appreciation for provision, imprecations…his type of prayers are a good model for us, because he conversed with the Savior through prayer as if the LORD was standing right beside David. In effect Jesus was, and David knew that.
No matter how you pray, the point is, pray. It’s a mechanism that is commanded, after all, but it is also a grace that we have been given as a gift. Practice focusing on what you are saying to the Lord and not drifting off, because He is standing right there with you (and me) after all.
In the end, when Hannah finished pouring out her prayer to the LORD, “her face was no longer downcast.” (1 Samuel 1:18). What a blessing to be able to commune with Jesus.
“Our first act in prayer ought to be the yielding of our souls to the power of the blood of Christ”. ~The Hidden Life of Prayer, by David MacIntyre.
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Further Reading
Praying the Bible, by Don Whitney
A Method for Prayer: Freedom in the Face of God, Matthew Henry online here or hard copy at bookstores
The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer, online here or hard copy at bookstores
Why is it so hard to pray?
By Elizabeth Prata
We’re commanded in many places in scripture to pray. We have the duty of continual communion with Him. And yet, so often we don’t pray as we ought. Why is this?
It seems so easy. Praying isn’t as hard as spreading asphalt in Nevada on a summer day. It isn’t battling a five-alarm fire in the canyons. It isn’t helping your mother with Alzheimer’s. All you do is sit in your air conditioned space, put your hands together, and speak to Jesus, our friend.
But is that all prayer is? No.
David McIntyre in his 1913 book, The Hidden Life of Prayer (free online) explains why praying is so hard sometimes. He tells why we do not do it as we ought. The Hidden Life of Prayer was one of the books that Tim Challies selected for his program “Reading Through the Classics.” Challies wrote,
McIntyre was a Scottish preacher who succeeded Andrew Bonar as minister in Finnieston and later served as principal of the Bible Training Institute in Glasgow from 1913 to 1938. His book was first published in 1913.
McIntyre is insightful when he writes this,
Our Lord takes it for granted that His people will pray. And indeed in Scripture generally the outward obligation of prayer is implied rather than asserted. Moved by a divinely-implanted instinct, our natures cry out for God, for the living God. And however this instinct may be crushed by sin, it awakes to power in the consciousness of redemption.
McIntyre is powerful when he writes this,
And yet, instinctive as is our dependence upon God, no duty is more earnestly impressed upon us in Scripture than the duty of continual communion with Him. The main reason for this unceasing insistence is the arduousness of prayer. In its nature it is a laborious undertaking, and in our endeavor to maintain the spirit of prayer we are called to wrestle against principalities and powers of darkness.
We know that we do not wrestle with others, but with powers and principalities of the air. And who is the prince of the power of the air? Satan. (Ephesians 6:12, Ephesians 2:2). But to put the two concepts together as one of the reasons prayer is so arduous, we have a powerful truth.
And lest we think that even if we had an easy life with no problems, or can slack off due to our tight communion with God, McIntyre wrote this about Jesus:
And this one who sought retirement with so much solitude was the Son of God, having no sin to confess, no shortcoming to deplore, no unbelief to subdue, no languor of love to overcome. Nor are we to imagine that His prayers were merely peaceful meditations, or rapturous acts of communion. They were strenuous and warlike, from that hour in the wilderness when angels came to minister to the prostrate Man of Sorrows, on to that awful “agony” in which His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood. His prayers were sacrifices, offered up with strong crying and tears.
“Prayer is the key of heaven; the Spirit helps faith to turn this key.” ~Thomas Watson.
Hospitality and Apostle John’s shocking words about false teachers
By Elizabeth Prata
Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9).
Hospitality in Bible times in Palestine was a serious matter. There were cultural expectations, protocols, and traditions. The word host or hospitable is from a Greek word philoxenia meaning “love of strangers”.
Hospitality generally means ‘the gracious treatment of guests in your home’. There are many examples of hospitality in the Bible: (Gen 14:18–24; 18; 19; 23:1–20; 24:10–49; 43:32; Josh 2:1–21; 6:22–25; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 25:2–38; Neh 5:14–17). The following pattern can be seen:
• a greeting with bow or kiss (Gen 18:2; 19:1)
• a welcome for the guest to come in (Gen 24:31)
• an invitation to rest (Gen 18:4; Judg 4:19)
• an opportunity to wash (Gen 18:4; 19:2; 24:32)
• a provision of food and drink (Judg 4:19; 19:5)
• an invitation to converse (Gen 24:33)
• a provision of security (Gen 19:8)
Source- “Hospitality” from The Lexham Bible Dictionary
We read much in the Old Testament about hospitality. It was expected to offer shelter and grace to those sojourning among them, because back in the day the Israelites were sojourners themselves. It was considered almost a sacred duty! Lack of hospitality was condemned. (Numbers 20:14–21; Deuteronomy 23:3–4).
In the New Testament we read Jesus’ parables urging believers to be hospitable even outside the 4 walls of one’s home, with the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Midnight Visitor. Jesus was the recipient of much hospitality since He had no place to lay His head, and relied on the hospitality of others (such as Mary/Martha/Lazarus) when he lodged for a period of time.
Lydia was quite hospitable. A native Thyatiran, living in Philippi, the first thing she did after her conversion was to press upon the band to come lodge at her house.
A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of Thyatira, and a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 Now when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. (Acts 16:14-15).
The first New Testament missionaries would have had to rely on this Palestinian tradition of gracious lodging, made all the more sweet because of the message the missionaries carried.
As the first Christian churches were founded, the exercise of hospitality took on a new aspect, esp. after the breach with the Jews had begun. Not only did the traveling Christian look naturally to his brethren for hospitality, but the individual churches looked to the traveler for fostering the sense of the unity of the church throughout the world. Hospitality became a virtue indispensable to the well-being of the church—one reason for the emphasis laid on it (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2). As the organization of the churches became more perfected, the exercise of hospitality grew to be an official duty of the ministry and a reputation for hospitality was a prerequisite in some cases (1 Timothy 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8). Source- The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.
That is why John’s words were shocking. In some cases, believers were instructed to DENY hospitality to another. It was a big, countercultural step. 1 Corinthians 5:11 instructs the believer thus:
But now I am writing to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
Believers were to DENY hospitality to anyone who teaches false doctrine. These false teachers were entering homes and abusing the graciousness of hosts to captivate weak women and lure them into the falsity. (2 Timothy 3:5).
They were also told to DENY hospitality to intentional deceivers:
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting, (2 John 1:10).
This is why John’s words (and Paul’s) were so shocking. You can imagine how this behavior would be so startling. It isn’t so shocking today, we don’t entertain strangers in our homes. We don’t go house to house in fellowship much anymore either. It isn’t shocking to deny entertaining so-and-so when they never even came to your house in the first place. But to close the door against someone in Bible times, with thousands of years of a deeply embedded tradition in hospitality, would be shocking.
Times nowadays have completely changed the notion of hospitality. We do not and should not entertain unknown traveling itinerants. We have hotels. Unannounced guests knocking on our door is rare and rather scary. We aren’t nomads anymore either. But in today’s times we do have TV, radio, podcasts, and streaming entering our home. Do you allow false teachers and deceivers into your home via technology? Are you ‘hosting’ them daily, or weekly? Do your children see you offering your time to these false teachers, by sending them money by purchasing their materials?
Hospitality has changed definitions since John’s day, but today we can still host gatherings of believers from church, craft a celebratory party or dinner for struggling folks, or practice hospitality one-on-one with those whom we know. Being hospitable isn’t necessarily restricted to a home environment, either. A gracious greeting at work, sharing lunch with someone at work, a phone call to check up on someone, pleasant conversation at church, are all hospitable activities.
DENY these false teachers entry to your home. Do not expose them to your family or to your own soul. Even though such ‘hospitality’ in today’s times may be just second hand through a screen, still, do not entertain them. And when or if a person in your church is disciplined as per Matthew 18:17b, and reaches the last stage, “if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector” are you strong enough to obey and DENY them hospitality?
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