Tag: sin

Posted in confess, court, jesus

Jesus is our Judge

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Jesus is our judge. He is the sole authority to Whom we will answer, and our sins are crimes we have committed against Him. (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:8)

The world hates this notion, and continually rebels against it. They say that we only answer to ourselves, or that Jesus doesn’t exist, in the vain hope that their lawlessness will go unpunished. Most people will acknowledge there is some sort of God, distant and perhaps disinterested. But Jesus is the name at which they cringe. That is because He convicts of sin and will judge it. Deep down, they know this. (Romans 1:18-20)

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.” (James 4:12).

If you really think about all the language of the Bible, you realize just how much of it is “legal” language. This is because sin, also known as lawlessness, is a crime. (1 John 3:4). It is a crime against God. Like any crime, it must be judged.

Many people say that the Bible is a “love letter from God.” In a way, it is. Others say that Jesus is our Friend, our Comforter, our Father, and all these are true too. However, when I came to Jesus for salvation, I came with a deep knowing of how pervasive and ugly sin is. By contrast, I understand His holiness. I appeal to Him as my Judge. Though Jesus is all things that are Good, and I enjoy my relationship with Him as Father and Friend, I relate to Him also as my Judge.

Far from it being a cold, distant relationship, I enjoy the order of His courts, the regularity and perfection of His dispensing of Justice, past, present and future. I am the kind of person who has always lived for justice, order, and for moral good, and in Jesus I finally found my home in that and it comforts me like a security blanket.

When we tune our ear, the Christian use of legal language is pervasive, all of it from the Bible. I bet we say these things without really envisioning them being used actively in His court in a legal context, by God, Jesus, satan… But, let’s.

By the way, I deliberately chose verses mostly from the New Testament to show that there is one God, not two. The Bible does not show us an ‘OT God of wrath’ and a ‘NT Jesus of love.’ They are one and the same. He is wrathful in the first place because He hates sin. He is also a God of love because he loves the creation He made, including humans.

Accuser

“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” (Revelation 12:10)

Advocate

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ ” (1 John 2:1)

Confess

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)

Convicted

“I got convicted of that activity when I heard the preacher’s sermon.”

“It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15).

Court
There is a heavenly court, you know! It is much more perfect to be judged by God than by man.

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.” (1 Corinthians 4:3)

Judge

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:” (2 Timothy 4:1)

Lawlessness

“I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.” (Romans 6:19).

Pardon
He pardons us of our crimes!

“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17)

Penalty

“and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.” (Romans 1:27)

Testimony

During the Tribulation, the Two Witnesses testify to and of Jesus constantly for three and a half years.

“And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,’ (Revelation 11:7)

Verdict

“‘The decision is announced by messengers [‘Watchers’ in ESV], the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'” (Daniel 4:17).

I sure would like to know who these mysterious Watchers are mentioned three times in Daniel 4:13, 17, 23 but nowhere else. They seem to be a class of angel, because they are holy, and angel, because they are messengers. The term is introduced by Nebuchadnezzar who describes how he saw “a watcher, a holy one come down (singular verb) from heaven.” They seem to me to be both Bailiff keeping watch over proceedings, and Jury Foreman announcing the verdict. But I don’t know for sure. The Bible is cloaked on the subject, only alluding to but not explaining these Watchers.

Witness
Paul is ordained as a witness for Jesus.

“for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:15)

The Two Witnesses testify to the power and holiness of God. Rev 11:1-14. (Gérard Jollain, engraving 1670)

This article is intended to remind us of the fact that God is HOLY HOLY HOLY. Everything stems from that. Sin, its effects, its lawlessness, our pardon, His justice…is all about dealing with sin in the face of a Holy God. Oh, yes, Jesus will judge. Are you ready?

All a person needs to do is be penitent, that means, to be sorry for your sins. You must ask the Judge (who is Jesus) to pardon you. His death on the cross satisfied the justice required from God as the blood sacrifice to satisfy the penalty. God’s wrath is therefore satisfied in all people who come to Him through Jesus. You will be pardoned and washed clean of your crimes. The Judge will say “You are justified and free to go.”

Failure to repent before your own death means that you die having committed many crimes. Those must still be dealt with. Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean your crimes go away. They are in fact still boomeranging around the Universe, tainting everything. On the day of Judgment, Jesus will stand you before Himself and you will answer for those crimes in His court. The penalty for them is eternity in hell (jail) with no hope of parole. All judgments are final. But all His mercies are eternal!

Posted in ears tickled, end time, god no longer male, prophecy

What happens when a national church rules that God is no longer male?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In 2010 I reported on a stunning move by the Scottish Episcopal Church to change all male-oriented language to gender neutral language. Well 13 years ago it was stunning. A new order of service produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church has caused controversy by removing masculine references to God.

“Female priests asked why God was still referred to as a man. The new form of worship, which removes words such as “Lord, he, his, him” and “mankind” from services, has been written by the church in an attempt to acknowledge that God is “beyond human gender”. Episcopalian bishops have approved the introduction of more “inclusive” language, which deliberately removes references suggesting that God is of male gender.”

They were already on a bad path. Did you catch that? “Female priests.” It sounds humble to say God is beyond gender. And while it is true, it is not humble. God revealed Himself as male in His word in His own words.

Once man decides to alter God’s word, it never stops there. It’s like all the leashes, and guardrails, and boundaries suddenly disappear and all bets are off. The Bible becomes a free-for-all.

Since sin never lays still and never ceases to try and pollute God’s people and His church, I decided to check back in now that 13 years have passed. Let’s see how the Scottish Episcopal Church is doing now. There is an advantage to have been blogging for 15 years, the chronicling I’ve done allows me to see trajectories. So, I checked back in with the Scottish Episcopal church now that it’s 2023 and 13 years have passed.

Photo by Dennis Jarvis, CC https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/34752799136

What happens when the rock starts sliding down the hill? It picks up speed. By 2017 the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to allow homosexual marriage. To become homosexual “inclusive”. Just 7 years after the change of language of God as male. It was stated,

By removing gender from our marriage canon, our church now affirms that a same sex couple are not just married but are married in the sight of God. 

By the way, they call homosexual marriage “equal marriage”.

The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church on LGBTQ+ inclusion

Gay times indeed.

First, we already know that God is spirit and thus beyond human gender. Reiterating that fact by changing the language is not necessary. That language is already in the Bible. As John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” God is a spiritual being. We all know that if we read the Bible.

However, when the ‘female priests asked why God is referred to as a man’, their first answer should have been to refer to the scriptures. The answer is that though God is Spirit, He chose to reveal Himself to humankind as male, and His son was revealed to us as a male also. It is too bad that the method God chose to speak of Himself and the way He chose to reveal Himself to us is not sufficient for the priests at this church. But they were female priests, so…already in sin and therefore unable to think properly of the things above.

Secondly, Jesus, His son, referred to Him as male.

John 8:19 – “So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.””

John 20:17 – “Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'”” The Apostles also referred to God as a male. (Jude 1:1; 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Thess 1:2…) I’m sorry that the way that our Savior spoke of our Father is not credible to the priests.

They use the word ‘inclusive.” The word ‘inclusive’ these days is usually a code for ‘man’s fleshly desire.’ God is inclusive because anyone who calls on the name of God and repents will be saved.

Changing the scriptures to align with individual desires or mass culture is not only dangerous, but blasphemy. Why? “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” (2 Tim 3:16). The scriptures the Scottish Church is changing were delivered by God. Man’s corruption of God’s work is blasphemy because it directly disrespects God and His sacred Word. Again, to use an overused word, “all scripture” means ALL, inclusive of Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.

But! We were told that the days would come when people would not stand for the scriptures as is,  but succumb to the pleasant words of man, wanting their ears tickled instead. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

UK Telegraph article concludes, “the blessing at the end of services has been changed by some ministers from “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” to “Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier”. “The changing of God language is a little tricky,” admitted Rev Darren McFarland, convener of the church’s liturgy committee…” Well that explains it. A committee!

Posted in theology

Watch out for Jealousy!

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Someone got a raise you thought you should receive. Jealous! A friend got a new dress and it looks good on her. Jealous! Someone has a better relationship with the boss than you do. Jealous!

Photo by negar nikkhah on Unsplash

There are a million ways to sin with the sin of jealousy. Sin is endless and inventive. We could be jealous of someone’s looks, their power, their influence, their speaking ability, their clothes, their car, their house, their kids, their husband… Goodness, I could fill the internet with more ways to be jealous. It is a very old sin and it appears suddenly as an angry flash or simmers in a low burn that settles in with a long lease of resentment that eats away your insides.

We see in the Bible numerous instances of jealousy. None of them had a good ending.

Miriam and Aaron were jealous against their brother Moses (Numbers 12).

In this instance, Miriam seems to be the ringleader. She was jealous that God spoke to Moses and not to her (or Aaron). Barnes’ Notes says,

Miriam, as a prophetess (compare Exodus 15:20-21) no less than as the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the first rank among the women of Israel; and Aaron may be regarded as the ecclesiastical head of the whole nation. But instead of being grateful for these high dignities they challenged the special vocation of Moses and the exclusive authority which God had assigned to him.

She dare not accuse God, so she accused his intermarriage with an Ethiopian woman. This turned out to be a critical mistake. God gave Miriam leprosy. Moses begged, and God changed it to leprosy for a week. I surmise it was a lesson Miriam never forgot.

A tranquil heart is life to the body, But jealousy is rottenness to the bones. (Proverbs 14:30).

Miriam is cursed with Leprosy, stained glass, mid-16th c., Museum Schnütgen. Wikimedia

Eliab (the eldest) was jealous of his brother David (the youngest) (1 Samuel 17:28-29)

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” 29But David said, “What have I done now?”

Plate with David’s Confrontation with Eliab MET DT11581.jpg Byzantine; Plate; Metalwork-Silver. Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication

First of all we see in David’s reply that this isn’t the first time his oldest brother had spoken this way to the youngest. Perhaps Eliab was still smarting over David being selected for king over him. Matthew Henry points out the nature of jealousy here:

Consider this, (1.) As the fruit of Eliab’s jealousy. He was the eldest brother, and David the youngest, and perhaps it had been customary with him (as it is with too many elder brothers) to trample upon him and take every occasion to chide him. But those who thus exalt themselves over their juniors may perhaps live to see themselves, by a righteous providence, abased, and those to whom they are abusive exalted. Time may come when the elder may serve the younger. But Eliab was now vexed that his younger brother should speak those bold words against the Philistine which he himself durst not say. He knew what honour David had already had in the court, and, if he should now get honour in the camp (from which he thought he had found means effectively to seclude him, v. 15), the glory of his elder brethren would be eclipsed and stained; and therefore (such is the nature of jealousy)…

Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 413). Hendrickson.

Eliab had thought that a lowly occupation such as shepherding was proper for the ruddy faced runt, while Eliab perhaps intended to gain glory on the battlefield, a nobler pursuit in his eyes. And now here was David intruding on his sphere, which Eliab had thought was all to himself! Jealous! We know the end. David slew Goliath and his stature grew. Eliab’s faded.

Proverbs 29:23– A person’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

A most famous instance of jealousy is King Saul against David.

“Saul Endeavours to Pierce David” James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902)

Now it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with other musical instruments. 7 The women sang as they played, and said,

“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”

8 Then Saul became very angry, for this lyric displeased him; and he said, “They have given David credit for ten thousands, but to me they have given credit for only thousands! Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” (1 Samuel 18:6-8)

In his increasing jealousy-fueled paranoia, Saul tried to kill David numerous times. This is the end result of jealousy. Or, perhaps even further along the spectrum, madness is. Saul in the end tried to commune with a witch and contact the dead. Crazy time.

Sin will always drag you along a path you don’t want to go. If you were shown where unresolved jealousy ends up from the beginning, you would either be horrified and repent immediately, or you would just not believe it. But like leaven that puffs up dough, sin spreads and infuses your soul in ever increasing amounts. Jealousy is one of those sins.

Other instances of jealousy that didn’t turn out well are of course, Joseph and his brothers (they didn’t like hearing they would bow down to Joseph, nor did they like their father’s favoritism). (Genesis 37:11). They had a point with that last one. But that is no reason to attempt murder. See? Jealousy brings a person along. If the brothers were told when Joseph was born, looking at that sweet innocent baby, that one day they would try to kill him, throw him down a well, and later sell him to slave traders, they’d be aghast. But jealousy builds.

The Corinthians. Paul had to speak severely to that group. They were dividing into factions, and puffed up with pride and jealousy, which was causing strife.

And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? 4 For when one person says, “I am with Paul,” and another, “I am with Apollos,” are you not ordinary people? (1 Corinthians 3:1-4).

In my opinion, people think too little of the seriousness of sin these days. All sins. Any sin. Jerry Bridges wrote a terrific book called Respectable Sins. “Have we become so focused on “major” sins that we’ve grown apathetic about our subtle sins? Renowned author Jerry Bridges takes you into a deep look at the corrosive patterns of behavior that we often accept as normal”…

No, while sin is part of our nature, sin is not normal. It didn’t start out that way. In the beginning, all things were “very good.” But disobedience to the Holy God of creation occurred and we inherited sin natures from Adam. Before salvation we sinned every day…every moment. We are awash in sin and do not recognize it. But once the Light comes and we see the darkness of our heart, we are grateful for the Holy Spirit’s help in slaying jealousy and other sins that try to thwart our holy walk with God.

Jealousy may be common to the human condition, as we see in the biblical examples, but it is not right. It leads down a tunnel of darkness that could end in murder, madness, or separation from God*. At the very least, it hinders our walk with God and destroys earthly relationships.

The good news is as Christians we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us identify its presence in our life, and once detected, to kill it. Step on that spider making a strangling web around your heart, and come back into full light of holiness.

*If we are saved, we cannot lose our salvation, but we could feel separate from God and the unrepented-of sin could hinder our walk, and destroy blessings. If we are not saved, jealousy could indicate that the person isn’t saved, and in the end demonstrate their walk was not genuine.


Posted in theology

Are women more susceptible to sin and doctrinal error than men?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I mentioned earlier that there was a disruptive conversation/argument on Twitter this summer sparked by Dale Partridge concerning whether women can or should teach theology to other women. I dealt with that in my essay blog here, and also reposted Chris Hohnholz’ conclusion within it.

In my opinion this discussion is important because the conversation seems to be part of a growing segment of the faith, edging ever more to the fringe of the faith (and perhaps soon to creep OUT of the faith?) which is hyper-conservative and hyper-focused negative aspects on women. Not the feminist side but the reaction to feminists that is swinging the pendulum toward the extreme other end of the spectrum.

Some men, like Dale Partridge, and women, like Lori Alexander, (The Transformed Wife), harp on the fact that women are more susceptible to error than men, and that this is why men must lead.

This isn’t true. The hierarchy of men leading and women helping was established before the Fall of Man into sin. Eve was specifically created to be a helpmeet. Adam was told to work the garden.

The ever thoughtful, ever articulate, Chris Hohnholz rebutted this idea of women being more susceptible than men to doctrinal error. Here is his response to that erroneous concept being touted by unlearned people online:

Chris Hohnholz – Servant of Christ Jesus, @ChrisHohnholz

“Today’s #PointToPonder: In the Garden, Eve was deceived and transgressed. Adam was not deceived and transgressed. This is biblical truth. However, before you jump to making an argument about how the deception of Eve is characteristic of her being, thus consigning all women to being susceptible to deception, remember Adam was not deceived yet he transgressed.”

“Why is this important? Because some are saying that men are to lead because they are less prone to deception and were made, in their being, for such things. However, Adam’s transgression was willful and purposeful. In other words, he knew it was wrong and did it anyway.“

“Therefore, if women are susceptible, in their being to deception, men are then susceptible to rank disobedience and rebellion, in their being. Neither are by nature of their being, better for leadership. To assert otherwise is to commit a selective reading of Scripture.”

“Authority and leadership are rooted first and foremost in God who has determined our purposes and roles in accordance with His sovereign will. He has created us and gifted us uniquely for those roles and purposes. Yes, men are things women are not and women are things men are not. And it is a glorious gifting of God that it is this way. The question of what makes a person suited for authority and leadership is “What does Scripture command” not “What is the nature of our being”. So, let’s stop being cocky and attributing something to women that somehow makes them less and men more.”

—end Chris Hohnholz comment

I believe, sadly, that some of the people promoting this view enjoy making women less and men more. I believe this about Lori Alexander. Far from being an advocate of women, or a support for women, her comments seem to constantly berate women.

The other day Christian journalist Megan Basham @megbasham asked
@Phil_Johnson_ on Twitter about this new stance we are seeing pop up. She said,

“I’m trying to understand what’s happening in some circles right now. Overcorrection? New hybrid strain of sharia law and evangelicalism?“

I’ve seen an increasingly strict emphasis on modesty, a narrow interpretation of women must wear head coverings. As a result, more than one person has referenced in response to these highly strict, women-submission type comments, that what next? should we be wearing Muslim hijabs, and under sharia law? (“In Islam, Sharia Law refers to the divine counsel that Muslims follow to live moral lives and grow close to God”, says the CFC.) In fact, when Lori Alexander The Transformed Wife promoted something for women that went beyond the Bible (and lacked grace) a Muslim women ‘liked’ the comment and mentioned sharia law positively.

Sisters, when your comments about women bring to mind strict Muslim culture and you have Muslims who promote Sharia law approve your posts, it is time to step back and take a look at not only what you’re posting, but what you believe.

Women and men both have strengths, both have vulnerable points. We glory in the creativity and wisdom of God who made us to complement each other in our gender roles, and who also complement each other in our churches with the Spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has dispensed.

Please watch out for and reject this hyper-submission, extra-biblical narrow and negative view of women. Both women and men are precious to God, neither are less than the other and neither are more than the other. God is great and He loves us humans, all we frail, sinful, sheep.

Posted in theology

True Freedom

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Political freedom is great but…

Freedom can be defined in different ways and has been, at different times in history. But as we celebrate our freedom today, 4th of July Independence Day here in the US, we celebrate the fact that on July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson, says History.com. We declared our separation from Great Britain, and from the oppressive taxes and micromanagement of the King’s governing of us. We wanted to be a free people.

For 247 years we have been enjoying the civic and political freedoms our Constitution has afforded us. But Christians know that the only true freedom is in Christ. Non-believers are slaves to their sin, there is no escaping the bondage to which they are joined. Believers are freed from our past sins, and freed from the power of sun as we progressively become sanctified, thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus’ life, who died on the cross.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25)

Christ freed us!

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1).

Slavery to sin is the worst slavery of all. But you do not have to be subject to its laws and its oppression. Repent, believe on the Son, and be free today!

…freedom in Christ is best
Posted in theology

We walk, we stumble, but how do we deal with aftermath of a stumble?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

EPrata photo

What life in Jesus is really about, in truth, is our walk. We will fall. We will gossip. We may mentally lust. We might watch porn. We might be jealous and cut out a family member. We might lash out in anger, and not a righteous anger, either. We might drive drunk. We might, God forbid, stray from the marital bed. One of a million different sins could become public and embarrass us. What do we do? We repent.

But what is your reaction to the fall? To rising up again? Therein lay the difference. What happens after we fall?

When you fell, did you stay down? Did you lay there? Did you give up?

Did you say “woe is me, I fell, I’m not worthy of Jesus”? There are many people who and engage in continued public self-flagellation in false humility, like the Pharisees.

When you got up, did you then trudge? Paul says do not trudge but spring up and finish the race! Have joy. The race is a “good” race! It is a “good” fight!

Jesus knows we are faulty, that we will stumble, that we fail. But He is there to lift us up, the Spirit is there to encourage us. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20). What awaits you when you arise is the Holy Spirit, there with hand extended, to help you immeasurably!

We all fall, the joy is in the getting up and finishing, knowing that Jesus forgives our sin, and throws it as far as the east is from the west! There might be consequences, there usually are, but joy is ours to possess.

Keep looking ahead to the finish line. A crown awaits. Our home in New Jerusalem awaits. Eternal joy awaits. Our Lord awaits. Get up, get up! Pilgrims, the time is short, our time here is shortening daily. Spring up and with all joy and energy, run to the finish line!

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)

Will you be able to say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Posted in theology

We all have a ministry

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The past few days has been involved for me with discerning a false ministry, but one that has a quarter of a million followers. Her impact is huge and the negative reverberations of her well-hidden errors will go on to the undiscerning and naïve. For that I feel prayerfully grief-stricken and have a deep concern for young ladies in this ever-darkening culture over whom they follow and what dark webs they may get caught up in.

One thing that caught my attention that I have been pondering in the calming-down aftermath here in my little corner of the world, is humility and teachability.

The more popular a teacher grows, the more chance there is for him or her to become prideful. It’s just the way of human flesh. God knows this. It is exactly why He said for new believing men not to become leaders, due to the temptation to become conceited-

and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:6).

But the moment people start noticing our ministry is just the moment we need more humility.

So now I can hear the replies in your mind. ‘But I don’t HAVE a ministry!’

My reply to young ladies, married ladies, mothers, older ladies, is that we ALL have a ministry. It might not be codified. It might not have a name. It might not be a 501(c)3. But we do have a ministry.

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5).

We are all priests, working for His name in the spheres in which He has placed us. No matter if the sphere is large or small, we work for His name, aware that our every move, our entire being, is for His name.

Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Romans 12:1).

The young unmarried woman is a ministry – by example – of her modesty and chasteness and eagerness to learn. The married woman is a ministry – by example – of her unity with her husband and presentation of her marriage as a parable of what the Gospel is like. The mothers are a ministry – by example – of literally presenting your bodies as a sacrifice of praise to Jesus who knit the baby in your womb. Raising children is a worthy calling for both the mother and father. The older woman is a ministry – by example – of ministering to younger women. Grandchildren. Ladies in church and elsewhere. Our own raising of children may be complete (if the Lord had granted it) but there are others to minister to, encouraging them in the admonition of the Lord and exhorting to share the beauty of Jesus.

We all have work to do. We’re all in a ministry.

Now. I was also thinking of a certain someone in a ministry who said people are accusing her of the following: “I am even being called dangerous, legalistic, ungodly, and a false teacher.” She said people are saying those things of her. She is a person who does have a formal ministry. It has a quarter of a million followers, she’s been interviewed widely, she wields a great deal of influence.

None of that matters. None.

What matters is, are we ministering in such a way that the holy and spotless name of Jesus is being upheld by our teachings and our lifestyle? Ministry is about the outworking of doctrinal truths applied to our lives, in His name, for His name. Are we doing it well?

It does a person good to occasionally review one’s life, one’s ministry, one’s teachings. Are we still on the center line of doctrinal truth? Are we speaking and behaving in such a way that would bring glory to Jesus, or bring reproach to Jesus?

You know, we are told to examine ourselves, more times in the New Testament than we think.

2 Corinthians 13:5 – Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?

Galatians 6:3-4 – For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting, but to himself alone, and not to another.

2 Peter 1:10 – Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you;

1 Corinthians 11:28 – But a person must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Matthew 7:5 – You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!

If we are told to examine ourselves so much for that variety of reasons, why ignore the fact that we are to examine ourselves when we are doing ministry? No! Let it not be so!

Let us all, those in formal ministry and those who quietly or informally minister, examine ourselves to see that we are doing and saying things that are pleasing to God. If people are saying to us or about us that we’re dangerous, legalistic, ungodly, or a false teacher the question remains: do we love Jesus first or do we love ourselves first? Our entire attention and focus must be on His name. If I am doing anything that is dangerous or false or legalistic, upon hearing such accusations, is my pride such that I never take the charges seriously and go examine myself fairly? Never let it be so!

Pride is the first sin and the most serious. It is the root of all other sins. God speaks in His word many times about pride. Here are a few,

Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

Proverbs 11:2 – When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 16:5 – Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

It is humbling to publicly repent of something done in sin or taught incorrectly in His name. It is humbling to eat crow. But pride should not be so strong that it prevents us from kneeling down and saying “I was wrong. Forgive me.”

I’ve seen some public teachers do it. Far from making me think less of them, I think MORE highly of them. I myself have been open about my mistake of following Joel Osteen at the start of my Christian life (before I had a blog, thankfully). Also of my newspaper eisegesis and looking at signs according to the news, early on in my blogging career. I was excited to finally have had all the answers in the Bible as to why the world was the way it was, and I’m not apologetic at that first rush of relief and joy and my worldview shifted so rapidly. But I am thankful the Spirit grew me out of that and I didn’t persist and become wayward in doctrine or hopefully not lead others astray.

If you are receiving congratulations for a job well done in ministry, great, but don’t let it go to your head. If you are receiving charges of falsity or error, stop, take a breath, consider the source, and examine yourself to see if it is so. The spotless name of Jesus is paramount to all we do in ministry, and yes we all have a ministry.

EPrata photo
Posted in theology

‘The cheese shall inherit the earth’

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

EPrata photo

I wrote on my other blog yesterday about the food haul I scored at Kroger. I am trying my best to manage my budget with these ever-rising food prices. Since I’m so intolerant of processed foods I can’t cheap out or take any shortcuts with my menu. I have to cook everything I eat myself and it has to be fresh. I go thru copious amounts of fruit and veggies, and I try to find reasonably priced seafood and chicken. It’s getting harder.

One thing Kroger has is rotisserie chickens for sale. I like chicken if it’s already cooked and I can slice off my own meat, ensuring nothing texturally off is going to make me gag and turn away from chicken forever, lol.

The rotisserie chickens are getting smaller, I noticed, and the price is creeping up. They are $8 now. But when they mark them down to $4.25 and I have the $1.25-off coupon I feel like the Queen of the World when I can score a whole, cooked chicken for $3.

Lately I’ve been having tofu, eggs a that a friend in church gives away, and quinoa for my proteins, so I was ready for something more substantial. I was on the hunt for chicken!!

I stopped in after church and headed straight for the spot where the cooked chickens are kept.

EPrata photo

But now I must digress for a moment. Before I was saved, I used to enjoy Monty Python, both the 1960-1970s TV show, and their movies. The film The Life of Brian tells the story of Brian Cohen (played by Graham Chapman), a young Jewish-Roman man who is born on the same day as—and next door to—Jesus, and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah. It was one of the highest grossing movies in 1979, and is listed as one of the top 50 funniest movies. It was not without controversy, as you might expect. It was banned in several countries, it was picketed for blasphemy, and so on.

Me as a pagan, well, all that just made me want to see it all the more. There was one scene I remember and enjoyed the most. It was when a figure of the real Jesus was giving the Sermon on the Mount, distantly, and the people at the bottom of the mount in the back of the crowd had a hard time hearing it clearly. I remember it this way, though the actual scene in the movie is slightly different.

[Distant figure of Jesus saying] ‘The cheese shall inherit the earth’
[Crowd member] Aw, why should they get it?

I laughed. It’s just like us sinful humans, isn’t it?! To be jealous of what someone else has. Glad I’m not like that!

So back to Kroger. I’m pushing the grocery cart toward the chicken area, almost there, and just then I see a woman pulling away with three marked down chickens in her cart. WHAT?! Did she take all of them? Why should she get it?

I stewed and fumed.

Oh.

Wait a minute. I AM like that!

I talked myself down from the cliff. I decided to not think that she was greedy. I decided to think that maybe she has a large family. Maybe she has 2 friends who would appreciate the chickens. Maybe she is going to make chicken pot pies for the homeless.

I don’t know her deal, but I know my deal. The Bible tells us not to covet what others have. It also tells us to think of others above ourselves. It also tells us that God will provide. It tells us to rejoice with others. And more. So many verses I was breaking. I repented and asked the Spirit to turn my mind from my covetous anger.

God reveals sin to us and I thank Him that He revealed it immediately. I pray we recognize this reveal when it happens. I haven’t bribed anyone lately, I haven’t murdered anyone recently. I haven’t committed ‘big sins’ but I do commit sin. ‘Little’ sins are sins. Momentary sins are sins.

I can’t be SO focused on the deal that I overlook the people. If He’d wanted me to have the chickens, He’d have arranged for me to arrive 5 seconds earlier rather than 5 seconds later. Trusting that the Lord will provide is a big ask, but it helps to grow our faith. Apparently I have a ways to go in that department.

But how wonderful that we can repent to our Savior and He forgives us. How wonderful really, that He reveals our sin to us. How wonderful that He puts both big and little hurdles in front of us so we can grow in holiness.

As Jerry Bridges wrote in his fantastic book “Respectable Sins”,

“One of our problems, however, is that we neither think of ourselves as saints — with our new state’s concurrent responsibility to live as saints, nor do we think of such actions as our gossip and impatience as sin. Sin is what people outside our Christian communities do. We can readily identify sin in the immoral or unethical conduct of people in society at large. But we often fail to see it in what I call the “acceptable sins of the saints.” In effect, we, like society at large, live in denial of our sin.”

“[W]e can be orthodox in our theology and circumspect in our morality and yet tolerate in our lives some of the subtle “acceptable” sins we are discussing in these chapters. I believe that all of us have “blind spots,” character flaws, or subtle sins, that we are not aware of.”

Let’s keep our consciences sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading us to conviction of our sins. I’m not a super-saint. In this case I repented eagerly and immediately. Other times, the Spirit has had to metaphorically hit me upside the head with a 2X4 long after. But the main idea is, we should always strive to keep growing in holiness.

The Westminster Confession of Faith says of Sanctification:

1. They, who are once effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart, and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them: the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified; and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

2. This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part; whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

3. In which war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome; and so, the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Sigh. Onward and upward. Only way to go.

The ‘weak’ in the verse is me, not the chicken

Posted in gonorrhea, jesus, robert a. j. gagnon, sexual sin

Sexual sins are worse. Here’s why

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Sexually transmitted diseases at their basic root are a judgment from God in the way that all disease is a function of the decay the people who dwell on the earth experience as a general consequence of sin from the Fall.

Disease is a fact of the wrath of God He is providentially using in this age. Judgment aside, sexual diseases ARE a consequence of wanton sexual activity outside the biblical confines of marriage.

There is a reason God set it up so that one man and one woman enjoy conjugal relations for a lifetime. Abandoning that opens a person up to sin, emotional decay, and physical disease. Remaining in a committed marriage with only one partner, or celibate if single, immeasurably decreases your chances of contracting such a disease.

In addition, Romans 1:18-32 describes God’s wrath against sexual sin and worse perversion.

So how does one avoid God’s displeasure in sexual sin, particularly when the culture is so immoral? Even insurance advertisements use adultery and lasciviousness to sell product! Well, the Bible says,

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18).”

Barnes Notes explains,

Flee fornication – A solemn command of God – as explicit as any that thundered from Mount Sinai. None can disregard it with impunity – none can violate it without being exposed to the awful vengeance of the Almighty. There is force and emphasis in the word “flee” φεύγατε pheugate. Man should escape from it; he should not stay to reason about it; to debate the matter; or even to contend with his propensities, and to try the strength of his virtue. There are some sins which a man can resist; some about which he can reason without danger of pollution. But this is a sin where a man is safe only when he flies.

Remember Joseph. He is our example here.

But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. (Genesis 39:11-12)

His faithfulness is such that He takes ALL sinners, no matter who confesses and repents. No matter what the sin. He is loving, just, merciful and kind. However, though He is those things, at the apocalypse He will unleash His wrath and anger, and render unto the unbelieving and sinning world the due consequences of their actions.

In case you missed it above, sexual sin, any sexual sin, (pre-marital sex, AKA fornication, homosexual sex, adultery, pornography, pedophilia, lust, and all other perversions) is worse than other sins because…here it is in 1 Corinthians 6:18 again.

And a word of caution to us all before the Second Coming takes place: FLEE from sexual sin, and that includes thoughts as well as actions. “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4)

Jesus is GREAT and faithful to help us. You do not have to be a slave to any sexual sin.  “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

Amen!!

—————————-

Further Reading

Is homosexuality worse than other sins?
For this reason, Christians are right to see homosexuality as an especially debase sin that displeases God. It is contrary to His good plan for marriage, and cannot reflect the purpose for which marriage exists—to represent Christ’s relationship to the church (Eph 5:31)

Is Homosexual Practice really No Worse than Any Other Sin?
“Christ’s universal coverage of sin through his death on the cross does not mean that all sins are equal in all respects but only that all sins are equal in one respect: They are all covered.”

Posted in theology

But…there are gay penguins, right?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

It’s ‘pride in one’s homosexual sin’ month. Mother gets a day but sodomy gets a month. Hm. That’s normal in a world where evil is called good and good is called evil, light is dark and dark is light, bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter, says Isaiah 5:20.

Sometimes when mentioning that homosexuality is a sin that needs repenting for, else the person practicing it will not inherit heaven, (1 Corinthians 6:9), the person defending it as natural appeals to nature. They say, ‘What about the gay penguins? Hmm? Hmmm?’

Source BBC

Tufts University asked that very question, recounting the unusual same-sex activity in a variety of species of penguins. Deutsche Welle (DW) of Germany also has an article stating “10 Animal Species that show How Being Gay is Natural.” There are many articles like this.

There are only two problems with appealing to nature when defending homosexuality: they suppress the truth that God trumps nature, and most importantly, nature (or the natural world) is fallen. It is under the curse of the fallen nature of things, the same as the rest of us. Any aberrant behavior AKA sin, is due to that fall.

In fact, the creation groans for release from its curse:

For the anxious longing of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (Romans 8:19-22).

You weren’t born gay. Homosexuality is not a natural state. Jesus can release you from this sin.

Appealing to nature as a defense of unnatural behavior fails, because the natural world is unnatural at this point. To be sure, seasons progress along their given lines, leaves change, tides sweep in and out, people are eating and drinking and marrying and living lives. A vast majority of the world looks normal. And it did before the Flood, too (Matthew 24:38). But we stagger under the fall of Man, knowing the very ground is cursed and everything that springs from it has the potential to be abnormal. Everything and everyone.

Then Yahweh saw that the evil of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5).

All creation groans. All is under pain and disorder. All things share that curse in common misery. And what comes from disorder is more disorder, such as homosexuality.

The wages of all sin is death. This includes homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, other sexual immorality like fornication outside of marriage, lust, pornography, and adultery. Homosexuals who practice their sin will not go to heaven when they die, but are headed for hell to endure eternal punishment for their sin. Just like the rest of the unrepentant sinners.

But if you want to escape this reality, this sure ending, then you have the hope of the Gospel. Repent (turn away; repudiate) your sin of homosexuality and appeal to the Lord & Savior who died on the tree for this sin, enduring God’s wrath for it, so you will not endure the wrath for it. You will be washed clean, given pure robes to wear in this earthly life, and you will go to meet your Savior in blissful heaven when you die. But you must repent of it first.

If you do not want to repent of your homosexuality, you have the Law facing you. God will be your Judge. He will open the books, examine your life, bang that gavel, declare you unfit for heaven and sentence you to hell, according to His law. The wages of sin is death, this means death in hell. The punishment is eternal because you will have sinned against an infinite God.

Homosexuality in penguins is aberrant, and it’s definitely aberrant in humans. Repent, a Savior is waiting to take you out of that hellish life of diminishing returns and expand it in joy and freedom from that sin.