By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
In Thyatira, a woman identified as a false prophetess, referred to as “Jezebel,” was leading the church into sin and idolatry, which Jesus condemned. Despite the church’s loving deeds, it tolerated her harmful teachings, risking its spiritual purity. This ultimately contributed to the church’s decline by the second century, and gives us in this century lessons to learn.
Continue reading “The Risk of Tolerating False Prophets in the Church”By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
The essay discusses the concept of redemption through Jesus Christ, emphasizing that many underestimate the seriousness of sin by comparing themselves to others rather than to Jesus. True redemption, signified by Christ’s sacrifice, frees individuals from the power of sin and bondage, enabling them to live in holiness under God’s grace.
Continue reading “Understanding Redemption Through Christ’s Sacrifice”By Elizabeth Prata
In 2013, Aerobatic Wing Walker Jane Wicker and her pilot Charlie Schwenker were killed when the plane crashed at a Dayton, OH airshow.
The second before the plane crashed, the Dayton Ohio air show announcer said as wing walker Jane Wicker positioned herself on the upside down wing: “Jane Wicker, on top of the world!” One second later, she was dead.
I often speak of the soon return of Jesus. Today is one day closer to His return than yesterday was. Paul used to speak of Jesus’ soon return often. As a matter of fact, every New Testament book except Philemon speaks of Christ’s coming. You need to be ready.
However, we are not guaranteed a tomorrow. Yes, Jesus could come, but death could come also.
James 4:14 says “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
I often wondered what Ms Wicker was thinking as she sat on the upside down wing. Nothing indicated that one second later she would be dead. Did she think she had loads of time left to ponder the deep mysteries of faith and salvation? Had she put it off until tomorrow, but tomorrow never came?
I hope she was saved by grace of Jesus.
So many people are abruptly taken out of this world to meet their eternity. Yet so many people put off for tomorrow what they should be reconciling today. I remember during a sermon one of my elders had said that as a teen they were evangelizing in a grocery store. One of the team gave the gospel to a man who was exiting. He said he did not need Jesus. He walked out of the sliding door to the sidewalk and fell down dead right then.
If you are not saved, then do not put off to tomorrow what should be done today. God has appointed you to a limited number of days in this lifetime. You do not know what that number is.
“Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.” (Psalm 39:4-5).
Taking care of business means coming to grips with a few things. First, this life is not all there is. We are given a limited number of days to dwell upon the earth, but this body and this life is only phase 1. After death, there is a phase 2. If you have repented of your sins and believed on the resurrected Jesus as Lord and Savior, you will go to heaven and be with Him. You will be given a glorified body that is impervious to death or sickness, has no sin nature, and can withstand the full blast of His glory and Holiness. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 50; Philippians 3:21).
If you rejected Jesus in this life- and you don’t have to actively reject Him but passively fail to accept him (doing nothing is the same as rejecting) then you will go to hell after you die. This is a place of eternal separation from God and you will be given a body that can withstand the full blasts of the punishment that will be inflicted on you as eternal payment for your sins and crimes against Him. (Revelation 14:11, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-9)
It is a lie that you will be annihilated, that there is nothing else after death. It is a lie that hell is only temporary. It is surely eternal, as your sins are eternal and as Jesus is eternal. (Matthew 25:46). That is why Christians can dwell with Him forever, (Matthew 28:20; John 14:3) because He is eternal and He paid the price for our sins eternally when He took God’s punishment on the cross. (Romans 3:23-24).
You say, “God is loving, He would never send people to hell for punishment.” Really? It pleased Him to crush His Son! (Isaiah 53:10). Jesus absorbed all of God’s punishment while He was on the cross. Is God loving who would do that? Yes, He was making a way for YOU, whom He also loves. Jesus did that voluntarily, because He loves His people. If you reject Jesus though, you reject the way to heaven. (John 14:6).
Eternity is real and it is permanent. You do not know what today will bring. Ms Wicker didn’t. I hope these few words from my heart makes you think of the afterlife. For the Christian, it is a joy to ponder the time we will be with Jesus. For the unsaved, there is dread and fear of the unknown. But you can know, your eternity could be secure- if you repent. (Mark 1:15).
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Further reading:
What is repentance?
By Elizabeth Prata
We are warned, commanded, and urged in 26 of the 27 New Testament books to watch out for false teachers and false religious movements (example- Judaizers, Nicolaitans). Heresies have popped up like wildfires in every century since Jesus ascended to heaven. The church as diligently battled them when they arose.
But too often the word ‘heretic’ and ‘heresy’ are watered down from overuse. They have lost meaning from people who misunderstand its import. We cannot fling the word around and aim it at people when they are not in fact heretics. A heretic is bound for hell. It’s serious. So what does heresy actually mean?
In a previous Word of the Week, I’d posted about Orthodoxy. In the religious context, Orthodoxy means conforming to correctly interpreted, established doctrine, especially in religion. Heresy is a teaching or belief that stands in opposition to the orthodox teaching, so much so that to believe it, one essentially declares himself not a Christian. Here is Matt Slick at Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry to explain.
Heresy, by Matt Slick
Heresy is a false teaching. It is a belief or idea that is in contradiction to orthodoxy. In the context of Christianity, heresy is that which deviates from standard biblical teaching. Examples of heresy would be polytheism [more than one god], a denial of the resurrection of Christ, salvation is obtained by works, etc. The Christian church has experienced many attacks by heretics throughout the centuries, but it has fought them successfully – even though many persist. There are modern-day heresies. For example, Mormonism which teaches God is an exalted man from another planet and that we can become gods. The Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the Trinity, deny the deity of Christ, and deny salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Roman Catholicism teaches this also, teaches works to salvation, and promotes Mary worship.
Thus, even though Mormons, Catholics, and Jehovah’s Witnesses claim a religion, and claim to know God, they are heretics because they deny the foundational aspects of Christianity. They do not know God.
“Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in on attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than truth itself,” (Irenaeus Against Heresies 1.2).
The word “heresy” comes from the Greek ‘hairesis’ which means “choosing” or “faction.” At first, the term heresy did not carry the negative meaning it does now. But, as the early church grew in its scope and influence throughout the Mediterranean area, various teachers proposed controversial ideas about Christ, God, salvation, and other biblical themes.
It became necessary for the church to determine what was and was not true according to the Bible. For example, Arius of Alexander (A.D. 320) taught that Jesus was a creation. Was this true? Was this important? Other errors arose. The Docetists taught that Jesus wasn’t human. The Modalists denied the Trinity. The Gnostics denied the incarnation of Christ. Out of necessity, the church was forced to deal with these heresies by proclaiming orthodoxy; and in so doing, condemnation upon these heresies and the heretics became a reality.
Heretics after death will be cast into hell. Heresy is serious. So we do not cast around that word unless we have mindfully studied and are sure the person or movement we are commenting on is indeed meeting the qualifications of heretic or heresy.
“Hell at last, Yawning, received them whole”, Gustave Dore illustrator, Paradise Lost by Milton.
By Elizabeth Prata
The article discusses the biblical principle of women’s silence in church, citing 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. While it emphasizes women’s submission, it does not imply total silence. It encourages women to embrace their role in church as silent witnesses to God’s glory.
Continue reading “Embracing Quietness: Women’s Role in the Church”By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
The post critiques the modern emphasis on dreams and visions within charismatic circles, asserting that such experiences were not part of historic Christianity after the closure of the canon. It emphasizes reliance on scripture over personal revelations, warning against false teachings that distort biblical truth.
By Elizabeth Prata
A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead. (Proverbs 21:16).
The phrase ‘assembly of the dead’ is especially vivid. Assemble is active, but dead is passive. Inert, even. We don’t usually think of the dead assembling, or being assembled. But they will all be there, together, away from God. This is a horrifying thought.
I was struck by this illustration when I was looking for stock photos. The clamorous crowd of women reminds me of so many women today, prominent women, whose actions and teachings are a raised fist against God.
Contentious women, rebellious women, haughty women, are a dishonor to the Lord. Proverbs 25:24 says
It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
A woman like that is not easily lived with, not in the home nor in the church or in the denomination or in the global church.
No man or women decides to wade into the bog where death lurks. He thinks he is going “my way”, or the “right way”. Or even, the ‘It’s OK, Way”. This is the very bottom of the barrel of sin, which is pride.
Does man, or woman, know better than God? Will there be absolution for those who claim “ignorance of the Law?”
There is only one way, and it is the only right way, as the Bible shows repeatedly in Proverbs 16:2, 25; 21:2. To stay in what the Proverb calls “the way of understanding,” or the Gospel, we love God’s precepts, obey His commands, and mortify our own opinions and philosophies. (2 Corinthians 10:5).
The flesh will want to rear up, (Genesis 4:7, Romans 6:12), so staying in the Word and in constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) will subdue those inclinations.
Ladies, we are gentle, soft-spoken, kind, teaching and teachable. We are dignified and loving, patient and diligent. We’re moms and widows, virgins and singles. We are strugglers and overcomers, sinners and repenters, but most of all we are loved by Jesus as His own. We are and always will be part of the assembly of the living. Praise Jesus for that!
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
I discuss the challenges Christians face when surrounded by non-believers, referred to as “enemies of the cross.” I mention that living a Christian life involves spiritual battles. Drawing on biblical examples like King Jehoshaphat, I encourage believers to seek the Lord for strength and to love those who oppose them, as these individuals bear heavy burdens.
Continue reading “Trusting God in Times of Conflict”By Elizabeth Prata
Do you think about heaven? Sometimes we get busy and forget there is a home waiting for us. We forget this is not our home and we are temporary pilgrims here on earth living a life that is a mere shadow of the real life we will be living ‘over yonder.’
Paul said what is waiting for us is beyond anything we can imagine. The words he heard were inexpressible which a man is not allowed to speak, and the revelations were great.
Warren Wiersbe said, “Our God is a God of beauty, and He will lavish His beauty on the city He is preparing for His people.“
John wrote down what he was instructed and we have a vision of heaven in Revelation 4 and 5, 21 and 22. Of course we have Ezekiel and Isaiah’s visions as well which give us a glimpse. (Ezekiel 1, Isaiah 6).
Revelation 21:21b says,
And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
BUT, the whole city is of gold! Revelation 21:18b says,
and the city was pure gold, like clear glass
What a sight that will be! God’s glory will shine everywhere.
Matthew Henry’s Whole Commentary makes a note,
The light of this city. Where there is no light, there can be no lustre nor pleasure. Heaven is the inheritance of the saints in light. But what is that light? There is no sun nor moon shining there, v. 23. Light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is to behold the sun. What a dismal world would this be if it were not for the light of the sun! What is there in heaven that supplies the want of it? There is no want of the light of the sun, for the glory of God lightens that city, and the Lamb is the light thereof. God in Christ will be an everlasting fountain of knowledge and joy to the saints in heaven; and, if so, there is no need of the sun or moon, any more than we here need to set up candles at noon day, when the sun shineth in its strength
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2484). Hendrickson.
Further Reading
What does the Bible say about heaven? Randy Alcorn.
Heaven: A World of Love by Jonathan Edwards, read online at Chapel Library or download
By Elizabeth Prata
Also: Remembering John MacArthur: A Faithful Servant
At 6:17 pm Pacific time on July 14, 2025, the greatest pastor-teacher of our time was brought home to personally meet the Master he had preached about for so long.
This is my memory:
It was the mid 1990s. My husband and I were unsaved when we took a VW Camper van camping across the country. He loved AM radio talk shows. When we had gotten south, of course mixed in with all the talk were the ‘JAY-sus’ preachers. Both of us, when we heard that we turned the dial immediately.
BUT … when I heard this certain music and then the voice of one certain guy, we’d always listen a minute. Something compelling about the man’s speech, his content. There was something that set him apart from all the other preacher voices we’d heard on the radio. He was mellow, clear, interesting. He was unapologetically proclaiming of the Word of God, though I didn’t know at that unsaved stage there were shepherds who did not accurately preach the word. The word of God startles and draws.
It was John MacArthur of course. In the camper van I wanted to listen more, and we did listen a bit. Then my husband would change the channel. He and I were pagans, and pagans gonna pag. The Word of God also rebuffs.
Yet, 8 years later when the Lord graciously saved me I’d listen to Adrian Rogers on the computer radio. Then one day I heard that same music! I joyfully did NOT turn the dial and I listened. And listened and listened, and never stopped. What a joy to be educated by his exposition.
One of the first series from him I listened to was “Creation: Believe it or Not” later known as “The Battle for the Beginning”, Genesis 1-3. I loved it. And I love John MacArthur.
Well done, good and faithful servant, John MacArthur no doubt heard those words at 6:17pm last night (July 14, 2026) as he translated to heaven
John MacArthur was the Spurgeon of our time. As you read this memorial essay, hopefully you will notice the similarities.
Spurgeon was called the Prince of Preachers. He was a hard working preacher, a seminary president, prolific writer, itinerant preacher, letter-writer, prayer, constant reader, and husband to Susannah, among other things! He was busy, and his packed schedule contributed to his 24 years of ill health and eventual death on January 1, 1892 at age 57. He literally poured himself out for His savior.
He had been preaching since he was 16 years old. Forty-one years of sharing the Gospel multiple times per week made an impact on his city, his nation, and the world. That is the power of the Gospel and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
On the last day of the same memorable month of January, the dearly-loved speaker, who uttered such wise and weighty words, “fell asleep in Jesus”. During the darkness the news flashed around the world, and when February dawned, millions of hearts were saddened to learn that C.H. Spurgeon lived on earth no more. Source- the book From the Pulpit to the Palm Branch by Arthur Tappan Pierson
Spurgeon had died in Menton, France, where he had often retreated in his later years during winter, finding the balmy, warm breezes and sunny sunshine a succor for his health. He had desired to be buried on English soil, and so 11 days after Charles had passed, the monumental funeral was held. It seemed that all the world had turned out for it.
“Nothing was seen for miles but bared heads, closed blinds, and universal signs of grief and sorrow. It was indeed a memorable scene. What a lesson that Bible-decked coffin preached to its tens of thousands as it passed through their midst!”
From ‘Laying the Warrior to Rest: (An account of the Funeral of Charles Spurgeon)’ by Unknown
What a gift from God to have raised up such a Godly warrior! He had endured all that the Lord had set on the plate before him- tireless toil, endless prayers, sorrow, joy in marriage, poor health and bodily pain; rejection by men, disappointments, Down-grades, and depression. Yet the Lord kindly allowed his contemporaries to understand that his impact for the kingdom was a magnificent and present glory of the Lord’s bountiful care for His people. To have raised up such a man, put in his mouth so many words, sustain such a stalwart without blot of scandal, and then to graciously ease him home…
With hearts bowed with a great grief, with tender and loving hands, is that precious burden born to its last resting-place. Eight students (specially chosen for that last sad duty) from that college of which he had so long been the head and chief, deposit with reverent hands and stricken hearts that prized casket in its last resting-place. They weep. Well they may. Behold how they loved him! Their master is taken from their head today. They shall see his face no more. It is their last act of service; their last tribute of affection to him who had been so much to them. Alas! how much they have lost as yet they know not! Yet they sorrow not as those without hope. Their beloved one only sleeps, he shall rise again. ~Laying the Warrior to Rest
Newspaper telegraphs ticked the news out and it quickly spread around the world. These same newspapers had for years reprinted Spurgeon’s sermons each Monday for eager readers to devour.
The world’s loss is heaven’s gain in both cases, the passage of Charles Spurgeon and of John MacArthur. The Lord gave us a faithful servant in MacArthur who even served longer than Spurgeon’s ministry on earth, and many millions are the better for it. Many are saved and secure, knowing the Lord’s love and salvation, because of one John’s preaching of the doctrines of God. See what the Lord can do? See the Lord’s love for His people? He always leaves a remnant. And He always leaves true shepherds to lead them.
The world had not seen its like, such respect for the man of God and mourning that his time on earth had ended. Though even in Jonathan Edwards’ time as the country’s foremost theologian, his passing had not caused such a stir. Not George Whitefield, either. Spurgeon, Prince of Preachers made an impact. He was well loved by millions. And it is the same with MacArthur.
We mourn the passing of the stalwart soldier John MacArthur today, and we express joy that his labors are complete and he is praising his Lord and resting in his well-earned rest with his beloved Lord.
“Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will shepherd you on knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15).
the-end-time.org 