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G3 Conference 2023: Day 1

Posted on September 21, 2023May 20, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

My friend and I went early to the conference this morning. We are in a hotel across the street, it only takes 5 minutes to walk over there.

Once inside the cavernous building, it takes a minute to actually get to where we’re going. We passed the Answers in Genesis booth along the way.

The Answers in Genesis folks at #G32023 are having a wonderful time, their joy is evident! That ministry sure has been a blessing to me.

The bookstore was fairly empty as we arrived at about 8 am. The first speaker wasn’t scheduled until 9, so we felt in no hurry while browsing around. Books are 40% off!

Later in the day, the bookstore was quite crowded.

We are a religion full of readers. This is the checkout line at #G32023 bookstore. I promised myself I would not buy any books! I lasted 2 minutes. I bought 2 books! The guy said “You should have bought John Owen’s Temptation: Resisted and Repulsed first!” I fell over laughing!

Below, Virgil Walker, Executive Director of Operations for the G3 Conference, and one half of the duo of Just Thinking podcast, welcoming the 8200 attendees and opening the conference.

The song worship is glorious. The leader is Matt Sikes, who is Discipleship and Worship Pastor at Pray’s Mill Church. The songs selected are strong hymns and the musical accompaniment includes an orchestra composed of cello, or oboe, piano, and violin. It’s wonderful.

Immediately after the singing was Owen Strachan, preaching on The Sovereignty of God and Perseverance of the Saints. I really enjoyed this one.

Walking, walking, walking is the order of the day. Lots of it.

Time for lunch. Despite G3 having provided food trucks and food vendors, the lines were incredible. My friend and I anticipated this, and had brought our own food. We sat in the large hallway people-watching and munching on our snack-y lunch.

Next up in the demanding and packed schedule were breakout sessions. The rooms hosting the various sessions to choose from are small, and only accommodate about 200 people. I fervently wanted to attend Carl Hargrove’s talk on “How Does God Govern the World by His Providence?” So I got there early. Not early enough. Not only was every seat taken, people were sitting on the floor, standing in the doorways, and spilling into the hall. I stood hesitantly at the doorway desperately looking for a seat, but none were to be had. None, that is, until a kind younger gentleman offered his. I demurred at first, but he insisted, and he sat on the floor in front of his wife.

We went right into another breakout session. This one was highly anticipated, not just by me, but most of the conference, it seemed! It was Erin Coates’ “Godly Women remain Faithful in Suffering”. Every bit of floor space was taken by a sitting disciple, all seats taken, tons of people at the doors and in the hall trying to listen. And if they did hear, they received a blessing, because Erin’s talk was stupendous.

Once again, we swept into the hall when Erin concluded and set off at a fast pace to the main auditorium for Phil Johnson’s sermon, “Love that will not let me go.” I love Phil’s preaching. I really, really do. He is my favorite preacher, along with John MacArthur (who will be speaking Saturday morning by video). Phil spoke on 1 John 4:19; We love because He first loved us.

The Hall was filled. I had a very hard time finding 2 seats together. What a blessing to be among like-minded people who are all there to hear about the excellencies of God!

A small slice of the cavernous auditorium filled with worshipers there to hear Phil Johnson

By now it was a bit after 5:00 and we were tired and hungry, having missed breakfast. The free breakfast offered at the hotel was eaten by hungry Christians and was wiped out completely by the time we got there. The hotel later apologized and said they will be better prepared Friday morning. And our lunch was cheese stick, almonds, and carrots.

There was one more speaking session to be had, by Steve Lawson, and the premiere of the move Cessationist. I really wanted to see the movie. But we were both tired, hungry, and bleary from the day. I’d gotten up at 4:15 am, and she had gotten up at 5:00. Long day. We packed it in, headed for the hotel, ate our supper and decompressed.

Tomorrow is another G3 day!

theology

I’m at G3 Conference for the next 3 days

Posted on September 21, 2023September 21, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

My friend and I are at the G3 Conference in Atlanta today, tomorrow, and Saturday. This is a once-every-two-years conference put on by Josh Buice and Prays Mill Church outside of Atlanta. The conference features some of the world’s best expositors, preaching sermons in a set theme. The Theme this year is “The Sovereignty of God.”

I am especially looking forward to Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis speaking on “The Sovereignty of God Over Time”, Justin Peters’ talk on False Teachers and the Sovereignty of God, and a breakout session for the ladies with Erin Coates on “Godly Women Remain Faithful in Suffering.” I am also looking forward to meeting people IRL that I know from online, singing with 8000 other people, and taking some photos of the area! I’ll keep you posted as we go along, here, Instagram, on Twitter, and on The End Time Blog Facebook page.

discernment, Uncategorized

How do we see ourselves, ladies?

Posted on September 21, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes. ~Job

To possess dignity is to be worthy of respect. Worthy of high esteem. Absorb this: you are worthy of respect. ~Beth Moore

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” ~Isaiah

Be kind to yourself. Be compassionate to yourself. Be loving to yourself. Be patient with yourself. Have the courage to be yourself. ~Christine Caine

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ~ Simon Peter

Who you are is more important than what you are called to do. ~Priscilla Shirer

Man was created to glorify God. (Isaiah 43:7). Our inherited sin nature makes it impossible to do that without His redemptive work in our heart. It’s important to see ourselves as we are (were). Ladies, yes, it’s good to have “self-esteem” to the extent that we know who we are: We’re sinners, saved by grace alone.

Women’s Ministries these days over-emphasize that we are women of valor, courage, of worth, esteem, and bravery. We’re princesses, running around sunlit meadows in wedding dresses dripping pearls.

Or we are as Isaiah, Job, and Peter saw themselves when they saw God: as worms in the dust, sinning with the pigs and needing to rely totally on the Father for any scrap of righteousness we might possess.

Praise the Lord He came, died for sin, was buried and resurrected. He glorified the Father and His reward will be…us. The Father will give Him a Bride, redeemed and washed. It is all about the Trinity and His work. It is not about us, our worth, our esteem, dignity, or “who we are.”

O Lord, depart from me, I am a sinful woman. Yet He lifted me from the muck and mire and gave me His righteousness, robes, Spirit, and future. From that moment, when I search inside myself to see my worth, esteem, or dignity, what I see is His.

Uncategorized

Is the Storm Gathering?

Posted on September 20, 2023September 21, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

You know the story of Esther and her Uncle Mordecai. She was a Jewess in Persia who was chosen via contest by King Ahasuerus to be his wife. Except that Ahasuerus didn’t know she was Jewish and when evil Second-in-Command Haman whispered to Ahasuerus to make a decree killing all the Jews, she was then in a real bind. It all had started when Uncle Mordecai, who had by then been promoted to an inside the court job in the King’s administrative palace, refused to bow to Haman. Though apparently Mordecai had lived a fairly secular life, and perhaps for a while had traded wealth, influence, and power for Yahweh, when pressed, his faith rose up and he came through. It was his defining moment. Who will he bow to? Not Ahasuerus. God only. Mordecai chose. Haman reacted.

“All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.” (Esther 3:2-4)

Soon after, Esther was faced with her defining moment. She could lay low, hiding her religion, but Mordecai told her,

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

So then, her other option was to tell the truth, approach the king, and plead for her people, even at peril for her own life. It was a defining moment for Esther.

In the 1960s and 1970s Firestone had a jingle in which the last line included the now-familiar phrase “Where the rubber meets the road.” The phrase has come to mean not just good tires, lol, but a defining moment of truth, the most important point. It is like an Olympic Athlete who has trained for years, but everything only really counts at the moment of the race. Will he put all his training into a glorious and successful effort? Or will he stumble?

Is America approaching an Esther moment for her Christians living inside her borders? Is there a gathering storm? Will that moment reveal which kind of soil resides in our hearts? I think so. It may not happen today or tomorrow, but soon each Christian in America will have to choose his or her path in the public sphere. We have great privilege here in the US where we can gather on any Sunday, or any day, freely to worship our sovereign. We can claim Him as sovereign and proclaim Him as sovereign, without another competing sovereign quelling our exultation. We can share the Gospel in the public sphere and set up monuments, signs, statues, crosses or whatever we want in certain places, with or without permits in certain circumstances. We can pray in public and we can speak of Him to friend and stranger.

Don’t take these privileges for granted. Freedom to worship is being chipped away at and redefined every day. Be prepared for a chilling effect or even a forced cessation of them. We saw the attempts and even the successful thwarting of the church’s ability to gather in the so-called pandemic era of 2020-2021.

Individually, we have many defining moments day by day or week by week. There are little decisions we make that are either honoring to Jesus or are conscience violations due to compromise. These little decisions accumulate.

Eventually, though, we individually may be faced with a bid, more public decision to honor Jesus but suffer for it. Pastor James Coates did in Canada, and so did Pastor Tim Stephens, as well as the Elders of Grace Community Church in California when they defied the tyrannical government to remain open and worshiping during the so-called pandemic. Coates and Stephens counted the cost, and it was heavy. They were forcibly removed from their families and jailed. The GCC men were threatened with jail and hefty fines, though the court system eventually resolved that situation to the church’s good.

Less publicly, people lose their jobs every day these days for their stance for Christ. They are denied promotions. They are marginalized socially, even have crimes done against them, all for being a Christian.

Your time to make such a decision that has a heavy cost attached to it may come soon. Are you ready?

No matter what though, our King’s throne is secure and His Kingdom is permanent. His church will thrive no matter the man-made pressure brought to bear against it. His people will be brought home to freely worship Him forever.

For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord. (Zephaniah 3:9).

encouragement, Uncategorized

Was Achsah’s request too bold?

Posted on September 19, 2023September 19, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

You do not have, because you do not ask. (James 4:2b)

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:13)

The second scripture above from Luke is a story Jesus delivered just after teaching the disciples ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, in the section on how to pray.

We know of the more familiar examples of Bible people asking things boldly. David, Jeremiah Habakkuk, Job, Hannah…they all asked for things of the Lord and did so honestly, with raw intensity. There is no doubt that they were sincere believers who felt awe and reverence for God. They feared Him. Yet when it came time to pour out their heart in naked emotion or bold prayer requests, they did.

Here is a less well known example of someone in the Bible asking for something of her (earthly) father, boldly. Achsah. Here she is in scripture, Judges 1:12-15,

And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” 13And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 14When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

Was Achsah too bold? Was she greedy? Was she rebellious in her asking when she should have remained meek and submissive? The Jamieson Fausset Commentary explains it this way

that is, when about to remove from her father’s to her husband’s house. She suddenly alighted from her travelling equipage—a mark of respect to her father, and a sign of making some request. She had urged Othniel to broach the matter, but he not wishing to do what appeared like evincing a grasping disposition, she resolved herself to speak out. Taking advantage of the parting scene when a parent’s heart was likely to be tender, she begged (as her marriage portion consisted of a field which, having a southern exposure, was comparatively an arid and barren waste) he would add the adjoining one, which abounded in excellent springs. The request being reasonable, it was granted; and the story conveys this important lesson in religion, that if earthly parents are ready to bestow on their children that which is good, much more will our heavenly Father give every necessary blessing to them who ask Him.

The last sentence of the commentary explanation harks back tot he verse from Luke above. And here is another short explanation of this small incident from Judges about Achsah, it is Matthew Henry from his Complete Commentary. The tenth commandment was “Do Not Covet.”

From this story we learn,

1. That it is no breach of the tenth commandment moderately to desire those comforts and conveniences of this life which we see attainable in a fair and regular way.

2. That husbands and wives should mutually advise, and jointly agree, about that which is for the common good of their family; and much more should they concur in asking of their heavenly Father the best blessings, those of the upper springs.

3. That parents must never think that lost which is bestowed upon their children for their real advantage, but must be free in giving them portions as well as maintenance, especially when they are dutiful. Caleb had sons (1 Chr. 4:15), and yet gave thus liberally to his daughter.

Ye have not because ye ask not! Now, just because we ask, doesn’t mean we will get what we ask. God is not a magic genie, bestowing upon us all that we desire. There are conditions to asking boldly of our Father in prayer. First, the rest of the James verse explains that sometimes we do not receive because we ask wrongly. If we are asking in order to indulge our passions, it will not be granted. If we regard iniquity in our heart, prayer will not be heard. (Psalm 66:18). There are other conditions, too, which if in place mean the prayer will not be heard, no matter how bold it is. (source with scriptures here,please look at the list).
Conclusion:

Prayer: Nothing is too great and nothing is too small to commit into the hands of the Lord!

— A. W. Pink

Our Father who is holy, will give good gifts. Be bold in prayer, be diligent in asking, be sure of the result.

———————————————————

Further resources:

Sermon “Pray Boldly“, here John MacArthur explains the weird scene from Luke 11
jmac sermon “don’t be afraid to ask’

Charles Spurgeon’s sermon Have not because ye ask not? exposits the scene with Achsah.

Thomas Watson quotes on prayer, here at Grace Gems

Valley of Vision, The Prayer of Love

eagles gathering, prophecy

The Great Supper: You can eat, or you can be eaten

Posted on September 18, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The culmination of the age of man ends with two great feasts. In one, believers will dine with the glorious King of all Kings!

“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure”-for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9)

In the other, the dead on the earth after Armageddon will BE the supper…for vultures:

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:17-21).

The Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom would come, and where. He answered:

“And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” (Luke 17:37)

Eagles (other translations say vultures) will flock to where the prey is and they flock most to where there is easy prey. Jesus was saying that eagles will gather where the dead are- the wicked dead. Unless we each individually repent and are forgiven by Jesus, we are dead in our sins. (Colossians 2:13).

Unless this nation which accepts and codifies homosexuality, abortion, greed, usury and other sins abhorrent to God, repents and is forgiven, we are a dead nation.

Will you dine? Or will you be dined upon? Both suppers will happen. Repent now and fall on Jesus asking for forgiveness from the King who accepts worship from forgiven sinners.

theology

“Who has the right to govern our conscience?” Film Review: The Essential Church

Posted on September 17, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Wow.

This documentary packed a punch. And I’ve seen a lot of documentaries.

The film began with a recounting of a crucial moment in church history with the ever growing tension between King and Church. It was 1657 and Britain’s King Charles I had been encroaching on the sphere of the church with mandates of what to pray and from what book to pray. He had been insisting on using Episcopal rites and now, insistence on using the Book of Common Prayer added to the tension.

The final showdown occurred when the minister in St Giles’ Cathedral began reading from the Book of Common Prayer at a service in which Jenny Geddes was sitting. Outraged, Jenny, a lowly market women, threw her stool at the minister’s head, and is claimed to have yelled, “Devil cause you colic in your stomach, false thief: dare you say the Mass in my ear?”

A fracas ensued as others began picking up the beat.

Her act is reputed to have sparked the riot that led to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which included the English Civil War.

Many such moments have appeared in Church history, where the pushme-pullyou tension between government and church comes to a head. It doesn’t often begin with a splashy bigness. The Lord often uses the weak and insignificant as the spark. Individuals who retain a supernatural conviction in the midst of a storm, stalwart and unmoved by the pressure of the government coming against them.

The film continues with the struggle of the Scottish Covenanters movement that formed after Jenny threw her stool, to John Bunyan, the Great Ejection, and the Puritans from past history. Weaving into these pivotal moments in church history the film recounts a similar recent battle between the Canadian government and pastors James Coates & Tim Stephens, and John MacArthur and California’s intrusion into worship.

The Covid-19 so-called “pandemic” era struggle of three churches is highlighted as part of this long history of opposing the government when it dares to enter into church matters: California’s Grace Community Church led by Pastor John MacArthur and its elders, James Coates of GraceLife Church of Edmonton Canada, and Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church of Calgary Canada.

The documentary interviews elders and the pastors concerned with the line between obeying government as the Bible says we must do, and defying government when it intrudes on matters only Jesus administers, also as the Bible says we must do. The thought process and final decision processes were described by all of the church players in this drama. [The government players refused to be interviewed].

The Canadian pastors were actually jailed in maximum security prison for continuing to hold in-person services during the time when government said no such gatherings were allowed. Pastor-teacher John MacArthur was threatened with jail.

The film then recounts the legal battle of Grace Community Church, the arrest and imprisonment of Coates and Stephens, and the effect on their families. The film did well illustrating the conviction of courageously certain believers of the past, unmoved and refusing to sign/agree/kowtow to governmental authorities who would press them to violate their conscience- even to the point of threatened death and martyrdom for some.

It sensitively portrayed the spiritual heartache of the currently embattles pastors who looked out upon empty pews, aching to deliver the precious word to their sheep. Their angst was palpable, their anguish real. So was the heartache of elders prevented from visiting their shut-ins and their hospitalized congregants. Men who labor for Jesus and His truth are knit to Him strongly and feel the weight of their calling to bring truth, song, fellowship and succor to their people. The empty pews, the scattered sheep, were a grief to them and makes the point how church is essential.

MacArthur preaching to empty pews and a camera lens

Rev. Ian Hamilton serves as minister of Cambridge Presbyterian Church and was interviewed several times. Hamilton asked what I believe was the crucial question of the movie. The film wasn’t about expose covid lies, although those were exposed. It wasn’t solely about a recounting of church history, though it was recounted. Nor was it to highlight the courage of Christian convictions in the face of terrible pressure and even death, though certainly that was present in the film. No. It was this:

“Who has the right to govern my conscience?”

The Essential Church is extremely well done, extremely. It ends with a warning and a hope. One of the final statements was by Phil Johnson of Grace Community Church. Even though the church was successful in court, the battle is not over. And then John MacArthur gave the Gospel.

MY REACTION

My opinion is that it is a pivotal film and one that everyone who believes in Jesus should see. We increasingly in these days are viewing a Romans 1 judgment tightening the noose around the false church and revealing the true. At some point, soon perhaps, each and every one of us will have to sift through the Bible’s precepts, apply them to our individual consciences, and make a stand.

Margaret Wilson, Scottish Martyr, killed at age 18. By John Everett Millais – DMVI, Public Domain

It was noted strongly in the film that government is not neutral. Yes, it was established by God to restrain sin, and to a large extent it does that, but it is also corrupt and hates both of the other spheres God has established- Family and Church. Church history shows that given even half an inch, government will tyrannically try to overpower both to become the dominant force in every human’s life.

In the end of the end, government will succeed (for a time).

I was glad I watched at home. I cried and cried and cried. I first cried in joy at the Lord’s provision of strong pastors. He raises up good men in each era to lead by conviction with a true heart for the people and His word. The Lord is good to keep our church leaders strong. I was glad to learn about Coates and Stephens. The Lord has many others all over the world at this moment who are unknown to us but laboring with lion-heart convictions. This is a blessing and an encouragement.

Then I cried in frustration and rage at recalling what the evil the government did to us during 2020-2022 – the frail and old dying alone in nursing homes, fomenting false fear based on lying science, BLM/rise of Marxism, and worst of all, Tim Stephens’ little boy sobbing as they arrested Tim, saying “bye daddy!” and his little hand reaching for dad as the police drove Tim away. Then cried at the end when JMac gave the Gospel, in crushing humility that the All Powerful One who saves, and saved me.

He is worthy.

The film is available for streaming for a fee at https://watch.salemnow.com/pages/home/d/salemnow

or preorder on Blu-Ray or DVD here https://essentialchurchmovie.com/

Further resources

Documentary Through the Eyes of Spurgeon (free)

Documentary (fee): Logic on Fire: Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Essay: The cost of loving Christ: The Two Margarets

Podcast (free): 5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols

Documentary series (fee): Puritan: All Life to the Glory of God

theology

Little Known Bible Characters #2: ‘The List of Offenders’

Posted on September 16, 2023May 19, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Little Known Bible Characters #8: Tryphena and Tryphosa
Little Known Bible Characters #7: Salome
Little Known Bible Characters #6: King Chedorlaomer
Little Known Bible Characters #5: Harbonah the Eunuch
Little Known Bible Characters #4: Eutychus
Little Known Bible Characters #3: Trophimus
Little Known Bible Characters #2: ‘The List of Offenders’
Little Known Bible Characters #1: Iddo

I started an occasional series covering little known Bible characters. These are men or women who are named in the Bible, but we do not know much about apart from their names. Though, the Word of God is always worth plumbing its depths, and we can elicit from the text more than we think.

I had thought of several people named in the New Testament to focus on, but as our teaching elder concluded his series on Ezra, the last chapter listed by name, many offenders. That is what the section of text is called in my NASB Bible, “The List of Offenders”.

And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely,… (Ezra 1018a).

GIll’s Exposition:

And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives,…. So that it need not be wondered at that this evil should spread among the people, when those who understood the law, and should have instructed the people in it, set such an example: namely:
of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak; who was the high priest; and perhaps for this fault of his, in not restraining his sons from such unlawful marriages, is he represented in filthy garments, Zechariah 3:3, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah; these were the brethren of Jeshua.

The Holy Spirit chose to name the men who had grievously sinned by marrying foreign women who brought foreign idols into the sheepfold. The offense was not marrying women of different race or ethnicity, but that they worshiped other gods.

We saw the problem when Solomon married foreign wives who worshiped other gods.

Again, it wasn’t their ethnicity. Canaanite Rahab converted and married Joshua, Moses married Zipporah a Cushite, Ruth was a Moabite.

Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14).

and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might prostitute themselves with their gods and cause your sons also to prostitute themselves with their gods. (Exodus 34:16)

There were only about 100 or so who intermarried, among tens of thousands of returnees from Babylon, but remember a little leaven… spreads like gangrene. Ezra was so appalled he tore his clothes, his hair, and his beard, and sat in a puddle of prayers appealing to God for mercy.

Every man who had married an unbeliever and thus brought idolatry into Israel was named. This is the “List of Offenders” at the end of Ezra 10.

Imagine…being named in the Bible. So many people were named as a congratulations for their faith. There’s Hebrews Hall of Faith in chapter 11, where men and women are expressly named and commended.

The positively named in Hebrews are, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Moses’ parents, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.

Others from the New Testament were named for their faith and/or service also: Anna, Mary, Dorcas, Lydia, Tychicus, and many others of course. We can be sure when they arrived in God’s holy abode in heaven, Jesus was pleased to say to them, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.'” (Matthew 25:21)

But to be named in the Bible because of your sin, enscripturated forever as an example of disobedience, what a woe and embarrassment to them! And what a warning to us.

–Sin is a corrupting influence
–Leaders should be an example to the positive, not the negative
–Sin hurts the reputation of the church and brings reproach to the name of Jesus.

Sin must be dealt with. If we don’t address it with genuine repentance, God will.

In this New Testament era, our names are written in heaven in the Book of Life. What a grace, mercy, and gift! Let us be thankful and do our best to follow the Lord’s statues in obedience as a thank you in return.

Instruct me, O Yahweh, in the way of Your statutes, That I may observe it to the end. (Psalm 119:33).

Further Resources

encouragement, Uncategorized

Need encouragement? 4 tips to stay lifted

Posted on September 15, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

A number of you have said on Facebook or have emailed me that the times are certainly troubling you, and your spirits have wilted in discouragement. I always respond that there are two sure-fire ways to stay encouraged. No, three!

1. Pray always. (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
What Does it Mean to Pray Without Ceasing?

2. Stay in the word. Open your Bible and taste. Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8)

Those two disciplines keep your eyes on the Lord, which is both being obedient to Him and keeps us in His peace.

3. Listen to great sermons from credible Bible expositors. Hearing the word explained and participating in a joyful exposition is a wonderful way to stay encouraged. I recommend:

Or just tune in online to ReformationNetwork or Expositor.fm for continual, solid teaching and preaching.

I know there are many other preachers and teaches who edify you and me, for example, Alistair Begg, Charles Spurgeon (audio reading of his sermons is available) and of course my/your own pastor, among many others.

I am adding a 4th mechanism to the list. I have been reading missionary biographies and I personally find them extremely encouraging! I hope you do too! For example, John G. Paton’s “Thirty Years Among the South Sea Cannibals” is a tremendous story that shows the difficulty of the spread of the Gospel (only 1 soil in four accepts it), the tribulations of missionaries, their total reliance on Jesus and how their faith increased because of it, their constant heavenward perspective, the beauty and celebration when a soul converts, and much more. Missionary stories humble me, make me grateful, and help me picture heaven

It is the Christ of the Bible which John G. Paton took with him to the New Hebrides Islands in 1858, to witness to the natives among the island group now known as Vanuatu. The book depicts Paton’s mission, a Scottish born man and called to minister to the cannibals of Tanna Island. Landing with his pregnant wife in 1858 he recounts the labors among “painted savages who were enveloped in the superstitions and cruelties of heathenism at its worst.” There’s joy when one native converted, weeping when there is betrayal by tomahawk or war club. Paton’s wife and child died, Paton himself was ill to near death many times from fevers and ague, and most other missionaries were killed outright. His life was threatened daily and the physical work of just staying alive was very trying. Yet Paton persisted lovingly in sharing Jesus’ Gospel with the natives, and also dispensed medicines and education.

Four years later, the natives loving Paton but hating “The Worship and his Jehovah,” caused Island-wide war to break out. He and two remaining missionaries were evacuated off the island. Paton spent some years in Australia and Scotland fundraising for the mission. He returned on the missionary ship Dayspring 4 years later.

There is much more. His personal story does have a happy conclusion. When he and his new wife returned, they re-settled on a different island, and over the course of many years successfully shared the Gospel and the natives were converted.

Here are a few sweet excerpts. Paton’s relationship with his father is beautiful.

that blessed custom of Family Prayer, morning and evening, which my father practised probably with out one single avoidable omission till he lay on his death bed, seventy -seven years of age; when, ever to the last day of his life, a portion of Scripture was read, and his voice was heard softly joining in the Psalm, and his lips breathed the morning and evening Prayer, falling in sweet benediction on the heads of all his children, far away many of them over all the earth, but all meeting him there at the Throne of Grace.

The first of many war scenes, early in the book:

Party after party of armed men going and coming in a state of great excitement, we were informed that war was on foot; but our Aneityumese Teachers were told to assure us that the Harbor people would only act on the defensive, and that no one would molest us at our work. One day two hostile tribes met near our Station ; high words arose, and old feuds were revived. The Inland people withdrew; but the Harbor people, false to their promises, flew to arms and rushed past us in pursuit of their enemies. The discharge of muskets in the adjoining bush, and the horrid yells of the savages, soon informed us that they were engaged in deadly fights. Excitement and terror were on every countenance ; armed men rushed about in every direction, with feathers in their twisted hair, with faces painted red, black, and white, and some, one cheek black, the other red, others, the brow white, the chin blue in fact, any color and on any part, the more grotesque and savage-looking, the higher the art! Some of the women ran with their children to places of safety; but even then we saw other girls and women, on the shore close by, chewing sugar-cane and chaffering and laughing, as if their fathers and brothers had been, engaged in a country dance, instead of a bloody conflict.

The beginning of the end, war breaks out and Paton fled, spending the night high in a tree above marauding cannibals.

Being entirely at the mercy of such doubtful and vacillating friends, I, though perplexed, felt it best to obey. I climbed into the tree, and was left there alone in the bush. The hours I spent there live all before me as if it were but of yesterday. I heard the frequent discharging of muskets, and the yells of the savages. Yet I sat there among the branches, as safe in the arms of Jesus. Never, in all my sorrows, did my Lord draw nearer to me, and speak more soothingly in my soul, than when the moonlight flickered among these chestnut leaves, and the night air played on my throbbing brow, as I told all my heart to Jesus. Alone, yet not alone! If it be to glorify my God, I will not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree, to feel again my Saviour’s spiritual presence, to enjoy His consoling fellowship. If thus thrown back upon your own soul, alone, all, all alone, in the mid night, in the bush, in the very embrace of death itself, have you a Friend that will not fail you then?

I also recommend “Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman“. (1930-1947) I loved this book!!!

With no mission board to support or guide her, and less than ten dollars in her pocket, Gladys Aylward left her home in England to answer God’s call to take the message of the gospel to China. With the Sino-Japanese War waging around her, she struggled to bring the basics of life and the fullness of God to orphaned children. Time after time, God triumphed over impossible situations, and drew people to Himself. The Little Woman tells the story of one woman’s determination to serve God at any cost. With God all things are possible! Gladys lived from (1902-1970).

Through Gates of Splendor Kindle Edition by Elisabeth Elliot, 1956

Through Gates of Splendor is the true story of five young missionaries who were savagely killed while trying to establish communication with the Auca Indians of Ecuador. The story is told through the eyes of Elisabeth Elliot, the wife of one of the young men who was killed.

Find some other missionary stories, there are many lists out there of “10 Missionaries every Christian ought to know” and so on. Many missionaries have gone forth. The more modern stories can be heard or read from Dispatches from the Front: Stories of Gospel Advance in the World’s Difficult Places. I am sure that their stories will inspire you and encourage you. We all need some encouragement in these days. I can’t wait to meet Paton, Nate Saint, Gladys Aylward, and all the rest in heaven!!

You Will Be Eaten by Cannibals! Lessons from the Life of John G. Paton
John Piper sermon: Courage in the Cause of Missions

theology

A little nugget embedded in a longer verse

Posted on September 14, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Powerful. Have you ever thought about that before? That the love of God controls us? Or as KJV says, constraineth us? The word here whether it’s control, constrain, or compel, means in the Greek,

I press together, close, (b) I press on every side, confine, (d) I urge, impel,

Picture our ever growing sanctification as entering the wide end of a funnel, and slowly being drawn down the narrow end, the sides all around being Christ’s love to us which we ever grow in reflecting back.

Or, picture the scene where Balaam’s donkey was on a path so narrow the hedges pressed him in on all sides and the animal could not even turn around.

Some commenters on the subject-

with irresistible power limits us to the one great object to the exclusion of other considerations. The Greek implies to compress forcibly the energies into one channel. Love is jealous of any rival object engrossing the soul. Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown

Love has a constraining virtue to excite ministers and private Christians in their duty. Our love to Christ will have this virtue; and Christ’s love to us, which was manifested in this great instance of his dying for us, will have this effect upon us, if it be duly considered and rightly judged of. Source- Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible.

The phrase “the love of Christ” means His love for us as seen in His sacrificial death. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). He loved us when we were unlovely; in fact, He loved us when we were ungodly, sinners, and enemies (see Rom. 5:6–10). When He died on the cross, Christ proved His love for the world (John 3:16), the church (Eph. 5:25), and individual sinners (Gal. 2:20). When you consider the reasons why Christ died, you cannot help but love Him. Source, Warren Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). “Be Series.” The Bible exposition commentary.

Yes, we cannot help but love Him! Jesus is the most lovely, wondrous, majestic person in the entire universe! He created all things and upholds all things, yet condescended to incarnate into human flesh, and live among sin, sinners, and this sinful world! He died on the cross shedding His blood for us.

Let the love of Christ control you today.
Let the love of Christ constrain you today.
Let the love of Christ compel you today.