By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
The church is one body, formed by the Spirit, who places each believer intentionally. Like a pointillist painting, individual lives lived further afield may seem indistinct, yet from God’s perspective every placement contributes to a unified, beautiful masterpiece completed in heaven according to His sovereign design.
Continue reading “Seen from Heaven’s Distance”By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
My personal divorce reflects sin’s violent fracture of marital, cosmic, and divine peace. I urge fidelity, repentance, and fleeing temptation always.
Continue reading “From One Flesh to Fracture”By Elizabeth Prata
I was in a secular setting with some 7-year-olds. They were drawing a picture to go along with the story about pizza they had just read. When one boy finished his drawing he still had room on the page. He asked if he could draw a cross. I said sure.
Of course then the others wanted to draw a cross too. Most or all of them have been exposed to Jesus. As they drew their crosses they began to talk about Jesus. The original boy said, ‘Jesus died on the cross’. Another said, ‘Isn’t He living now’? I chimed in and said His is living now, that He walked around on earth for 40 days after His death and resurrection and talked with His friends.
By Elizabeth Prata
What is a miracle? GotQuestions answers,
The Bible uses three main words to refer to a miracle: sign, wonder, and power. From a human perspective, a miracle of God is an extraordinary or unnatural event (a wonder) that reveals or confirms a specific message (a sign) through a mighty work (power). From the God of miracle’s vantage point, a miracle is nothing extraordinary or unnatural. It is simply a divine display of His might (power) that attracts the attention of humans (a wonder) to His Word or His purposes (a sign).
Miracle-mongers are the people who clamor to see or experience a miracle but do not know the first thing about the other attributes of God. Like the ‘crowds’ in the Bible. These are the people who come to church only in hopes to see a sign. The pray for glory dust to fall down so they can say Jesus showed up. They pray for healed legs so they can run toward sin. People like that existed in Jesus’ day and in our day too. (John 6:2, John 12:18).
Be warned, miracle-mongers, “most of the miraculous events in the Old Testament killed people,” explained John MacArthur. They simply, flatly, killed people, as a demonstration of God’s justice and holiness.
His justice is demonstrated at the cross. It is God who said the soul that sends it must die. It is God who says the wages of sin is death, and death there will be. Death there must be. And justice prevails at the cross. God is so just, so just, that He will even take the life of His own beloved Son. If the sins of the world are to be laid on His Son, then His Son must take the death that they deserve. You will never see a greater illustration of the justice of God. You can look in the past. You can look in the Old Testament. You can see most of the miracles in the Old Testament killed people. If you’re looking for miracles in the Old Testament, most of the miraculous events in the Old Testament killed people, drowned entire armies, drowned the entire world, burned up people, holes opened in the ground and swallowed them up. People were literally killed by angelic beings. Most of the Old Testament miracles were miracles of divine judgment.
“So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” (John 4:48).
You know, we have a tendency to read the Bible as if miracles were occurring behind every bush and every other day by everybody in history. But actually, if you look at the appearance of miracles in the Bible, they’re clustered. There’s all these miracles that attend Moses in his mediatorial office, and then very little miraculous activity takes place for centuries until when? Elijah. That’s the next redemptive historical period that has a cluster of miracles. Isn’t that interesting? That God verifies the law, and then the prophets, through the giving of miraculous powers. And then you don’t hear about miracles from Jonah or Habakkuk that they performed, or Ezekiel, or the other prophets of the Old Testament until again, the world becomes a blaze of miracles with the appearance of Jesus. Notice that there is a special focal point for the clustering of miracles in biblical history—all surrounding the issue of the word of God.
Do you love Jesus for who He is? Or for what He can do for you? A warning to those who seek and cling to and desire miracle after miracle, be careful what you wish for–
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. (Matthew 24:24).
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
I show that Proverbs 31 does not endorse feminist careerism. While acknowledging limited work outside the home, I look at the Proverb closely to show that God ordains that most wives’/mothers’ primary vocation is household management and sacrifice. The woman’s worth lies not in productivity, but fearing the Lord and serving family within God-ordained roles.
Continue reading “More Than Productivity: The Heart of Proverbs 31”By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
Christianity teaches Jesus Christ as the sole way to heaven: exclusive in rejecting unrepentant sin and alternative paths, yet inclusive by offering salvation to all people who repent, believe in the Son, and obey Him, restoring humanity to fellowship with God through Christ alone eternally.
Continue reading “The Gospel: Exclusive Truth, Inclusive Invitation”By Elizabeth Prata
In 1744 Charles Wesley wrote “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”. It is a beautiful hymn, and one that is played frequently at Christmastime. Jesus promised to come, and He DID come.
His coming was expected. But it was also unexpected.
1. TIME. His coming took a long time, and in the meantime the world was subjected to a global flood which killed all humans except 8; long epochs of the endless cycles of war, peace, famine, drought, plenty; and the creation groaned and still groans. He took a long time to come since the Garden’s promise. The length of time was unexpected But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (Galatians 4:4)
2. WAY. The manner of His coming was indicated in the Bible but still, when the reality presented itself, the uniqueness of the event was unexpected. A virgin shall conceive? Infinite God pouring Himself into a babe, becoming flesh? Hard to understand, and, unexpected.
3. SERVE. He is King. Kings rule in glorious robes, they don’t get born in a barn among the filthy animals. They don’t arrive impoverished and alone. They don’t get born with no fanfare, trumpets, and heralds announcing it all. And of all people the actual heralds (the angels) appeared to in order to announce the Messiah’s birth- Shepherds?! The lowest of the low. He came to serve, not be served. (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 13:1-17). All this was unexpected!
4. DEPART. A King rules & reigns as long as he can. He does not abdicate. He stays healthy so he can keep ruling. He produces heirs so he will have his legacy. He doesn’t enter into his kingdom and leave a few short years later. He doesn’t delay coming into his physical kingdom until centuries later. But Jesus did. Even the disciples didn’t quite understand, they asked more than once, “Lord So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). It was unexpected that the kingdom would be spiritual for centuries then physical, later. It was unexpected that Jesus would ascend.
Isaiah 55:8-9 says,
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
I am glad for that. I would not respect a god I could figure out, or know more than. He is majestic and inscrutable. However, for all that being true, He deigned to reveal Himself and His plans to us through His prophets and then His written word. We serve a wonderful God!
Kay Cude poetry. Used with permission. Right-Click to enlarge in new tab, or read text below
Beautiful poetry, just beautiful.
Our Sustenance, Our Rest
REST WELL
“I cried aloud to the Lord, and He answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” Psalm 3:4-5.
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’ For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.” Psalm 91:1-6
“And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:5
EVEN NOW
Comes now the eve with silver robes and wraps day’s amber glow, with shadows low, subdues the beams to quit our daily woes. How grateful we to take our leave within those slumber hours; and slip away into respite — how rich the time of drowse!
O gentle night, your eyelids close upon our fretful thoughts; through purposed acts of God’s good grace our sleep His care has wrought. O God our Father, God our Lord, You sate our anxious hearts; prepare each morn, prepare us well — each day Your will impart.
Tomorrow’s dawn may break suspect, there’s evil neath the sun; though quick feet run towards its foul shrill, such steps will be shortrun. As eve to night, and night to dawn, so nears God’s Day of Wrath; His pow’r will judge all evil borne, and evil can’t surpass.
EVEN THEN
Rest well redeemed, though evil is and death from you takes life; op’n now your eyes, look to His plan — His purpose will suffice. As ends this eve let rest ensue, soon evil will surcease; tis’ Christ who keeps our lives by His, and by His grace increase.
By Him you’ll be removed from here, but at His timing’s choice; when He ordains we suffer here, tis cause that we rejoice! A greater purpose for our pain dwells there within His will; take comfort that His Sovereignty in us deep faith instills.
kay cude, May 2016 AD©.
Text by author Kay Cude purposed solely for non-profit sharing. Image without text available at http://static.hdw.eweb4.com/media/thumbs/1/111/1108188.jpg
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
Modern Christian conferences have increasingly become large-scale spectacles marked by celebrity culture, political influence, and sensory excess, often eclipsing biblical discernment and local church life. The author urges believers to resist “bigger is better,” guard their spiritual intake, and pursue humble, Scripture-centered worship over show-driven faith.
Continue reading “The Gospel Stands Alone: Against Spectacle and Political Faith”By Elizabeth Prata
We are at the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.
The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.
Continue reading “Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 30, He sat down”
the-end-time.org 
