By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS: This reflection traces the rise of second-wave feminism and its search for identity apart from God, arguing that worldly pursuits cannot provide lasting fulfillment. Contrasting secular self-definition with biblical teaching, it presents union with Christ as the Christian’s true, eternal source of identity and purpose.
Continue reading “Exploring Identity, part 1: The Feminine Mystique/Mistake”By Elizabeth Prata
When someone says “summer reading” it usually brings to mind beach reads, AKA light novels, that are aimed to entertain. Since people take vacations in summer, they bring with them a novel that isn’t mentally demanding, just aiming to soak up the book in their hand and the sun above as they escape briefly from their workaday life.
I’m the opposite. Summer reading for me means I choose demanding books because I’m off work for the summer. During school my mental capacities are stretched to the max. I teach reading to a succession of 6 small groups over 4 different grades using 3 different reading programs. It’s a lot. I love it, but it drains me mentally.
When I get home, I’m a zombie and it takes a pot of tea and an hour to recover. I have nNo capacity for demanding novels.
So in the summer when I’m off and I’m not being challenged mentally, it’s the perfect time to make my TBR stack of classics, or ‘books I’ve always wanted to read but haven’t yet’ or ‘a book that is hard for me. Four summers ago I tackled Moby-Dick. Then it was Treasure Island. Then Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. So this summer it’s going to be…
I saw it advertised on Grace Books’ website and it is not only one I’ve always wanted to read but this edition is a beautiful book. I mean, you had me at ‘gilt edged’. And ‘cloth bound’. Yes, I judge a book by its cover. Come at me, lol.
It’s John Milton’s epic poem, “Paradise Lost’. Written in 1667, the publisher promises that it is an unabridged version but there are margin notes for unfamiliar words. So already I know the language is going to be demanding. And harder for me personally, is the fact that it is written as an Epic Poem. I have a rough time with poetry, I just don’t understand it.
An Epic Poem is (according to Encyclopedia Britannica), “long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds. Outstanding examples of the written epic include Virgil’s Aeneid and Lucan’s Pharsalia in Latin, Chanson de Roland in medieval French, Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso and Torquato Tasso’s Gerusalemme liberata in Italian, Cantar de mio Cid in Spanish, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene in English.”
I read The Aeneid, The Odyssey and The Iliad, when I was in my early 20’s. Forty-five years later – ahem – my brain may have dimmed somewhat. In fact, I when I was in High School and just after, I read most of the standard classics listed in top 100 lists and I’m glad I did back then because reading or re-reading them now is much harder. But every summer, I select a classic to read or re-read, and that is my Summer Reading!
The version issued by Grace Books was on 40% off the regular price at the time (it’s still 10% off now), so of course I could not resist. The book itself (according to the blurb) contains:
Explanatory notes are included in the margins for allusions to Greek mythology and obscure words.
What is Paradise Lost about? Adam and Eve’s rebellion and humanity’s fall from grace. One reviewer of this edition on Amazon said,
“Having biblical backgrounds in its plot of being about Adam and Eve‘s temptation and humanity’s fall from grace, “Paradise Lost” should be read for its unparalleled sonorous language, it’s profound exploration of human freedom, disobedience and rebellion, and its impact on Western literature. It offers a complex, timeless, psychological portrait of Satan serving as a foundational text for understanding the archetypal antihero.”
OK, this should keep me busy! Here are the photos of this beautiful edition. I appreciate Gustave Doré’s illustrations. He was a famous French artist, printmaker, and caricaturist who died in 1883. He is best known for his wood-engravings illustrating classic literature, especially Dante’s Divine Comedy. What I really appreciate in this edition is that though the language has been left alone, the illustrations have been lightly edited to cover up the nudity in Doré’s illustrations.
I mentioned I do judge a book by its cover. Here are two others I’ve recently acquired. The Pilgrim’s Progress was a free gift from Chapel Library, and the Van Dyke I bought myself. See what I mean? If I am going to own books, they might as well be beautiful. My other reading selection this summer is a re-read of Pilgrim’s Progress. I’ll also finish the Grisham I started, as well as Lady Audley’s Secret, Lord willing and the eyes don’t fail!
Happy reading and book-ing this summer! What is on your TBR list?
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS: Examining trends in Christian publishing, the article warns that bestselling breakout books often gain popularity through marketing and consumer demand rather than sound doctrine. Because false teaching can spread through widely read titles, believers should approach popular books cautiously, seek counsel, and practice discernment carefully.
Continue reading “Not Every Christian Book Is Safe”By Elizabeth Prata
This beginning part of my Advent series is a presentation of 11 verses overlaid on photos depicting the life of Jesus from prophecy to birth and boyhood. There are additional links at the end of each day’s topic leading the reader to credible ministries to further explore the topic of the day.
The next section (#12-16) will feature verses about the Son as an adult God-Man.
From #17-26 we will survey the Preeminence of the Son, His attributes, and His ministry.
From #27-36 we’ll look at His Resurrection, Ascension, & Return. Yes we go over 30 days into a postlude that ends before the new year.
All photos are by EPrata unless otherwise noted.
There is no better refreshment for the soul than to meditate on Him. Enjoy!
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. (Psalm 119:15).
Today’s verse: now that Jesus has been born, and the angels had announced His arrival to the Shepherds, who went to see with all haste this thing the angels had spoken of, now Jesus must flee. So we see from the first moments of His life, hatred against Jesus for who He is and what He has come to do. And so it will be for anyone IN Christ, as well. But His flight to Egypt did not happen before others made great efforts to come and see the Babe- namely the Magi from the East. It was their gift of gold which enabled the poverty-stricken Joseph and Mary to fund their flight to Egypt. God’s providence is perfect, and so is His timing.
Further Reading
Bible Art: Adoration of the Magi by Giotto, 1320
This picture—at once austere and tender—belongs to a series of seven showing the life of Christ. The masterly depiction of the stable, which is viewed from slightly below, and the columnar solidity of the figures are typical of Giotto, the founder of European painting. The impetuous action of the kneeling king, who picks up the Christ Child, and Mary’s expression of concern translate the biblical account into deeply human terms. Though we know from scripture that the Magi did not arrive the night Jesus was born in the stable, but saw ‘the child’ likely at a house, the act depicted of the King from the East kneeling is representative of Jesus’ stature as King of Kings, even as a baby.
GotQuestions: What Does the Bible say about the Three Wise Men (Magi)?
It is a common misconception that the wise men visited Jesus at the stable on the night of His birth. In fact, the wise men came days, months, or possibly even years later. That is why Matthew 2:11 says the wise men visited and worshiped Jesus in a house, not at the stable.
Answers in Genesis: We Three Kings
The original meaning of mάgoi is likely in view here—wise men who interpreted special signs. There are at least three reasons for this identification. First, they acknowledged that they were interested in signs in the heavens.
Grace To You: Who Were the Wise Men?
Vincent, who has written some very helpful word studies, says in regard to this, “Many absurd traditions and guesses respecting these visitors to our Lord’s cradle have found their way into popular belief and into Christian art. They were said to be kings and three in number. They were said to be representatives of three families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth and, therefore, one of them is pictured as an Ethiopian. Their names are given as Caspar, Balthazar, and Melchior.”
By Elizabeth Prata
Ahhh…Sunday naps. A tradition? Or something more?
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Genesis 2:2-3).
I’m blessed to have a regular Monday-through-Friday work week, daytime hours. On Saturday I run around and do errands and cleaning and stuff that I’ve put off during the work week. So it’s like a 6th work day. Thus, when I get to Sunday, I’m tired. I go to church then I take a nap, and that is about all I do.
Continue reading “Sunday Naps and their possible Spiritual Benefits”By Elizabeth Prata
In 2009, I launched The End Time blog to share my journey of faith, transitioning from a personal blog focused on art to a platform for discussing theology and discernment. Inspired by my salvation, I write about biblical truths, encouraging readers to recognize the urgency of their earthly walk with Jesus.
Continue reading “The Journey of Faith: 16 Years of Blogging Insights”By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
Amy Carmichael was a dedicated missionary in India from 1895 to 1931, focusing on rescuing children from temple prostitution. She authored nearly 40 books and emphasized the concept of Calvary love, contrasting her sacrificial life with modern ministry approaches that prioritize comfort and doubt.
By Elizabeth Prata
I discuss reading fiction as a Christian. Despite the notion that some people have that “God’s word is enough” and that other reading isn’t required, I and others argue that fiction enriches our understanding of human experience and offers valuable leisure. I share insights from Leland Ryken and Tony Reinke, urging people to consider the importance of good literature in a busy life.
Continue reading “Why Christians Should Embrace Reading Fiction”By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
I share my summer experiences as an educator enjoying time off to read, reflect, and engage with media. I experienced a lengthy internet outage that interrupted my studies and entertainment. I mention various books, focusing on their content and spiritual themes, while expressing gratitude for the opportunity to use my time wisely.
Continue reading “Tales from the internet outage”By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
I share Ken Ham’s insights on the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for pastoral work. Ham argues that using AI diminishes pastors’ theological study and reliance on God’s wisdom. The piece emphasizes the importance of genuine engagement with Scripture rather than easy technological shortcuts in ministry, as well as warnings about technology’s advance and potential for supplanting proper worship of the true Creator.
I respect Ken Ham. I’ve been following his ministry for a long time. I finally got to hear him at a G3 conference. His commitment to creation exposition, to Genesis 1-11 as the foundational belief for our faith, and his persevering and unwavering dedication that built the Creation museum and the Ark Experience is to be praised. He recently wrote a short-ish essay on Facebook about AI becoming a digital god.
I’ve been watching the rise of technology since the 1980s when a lot of things were invented, such as personal computers with graphical user interface (I took a computer elective in 1978 to try and learn coding language FORTRAN…), CDs, VCRs, video games and so much more. My father bought Pong when it first came out in 1972. Our family has always enjoyed the earliest and most advanced tech inventions.
In this era of the 2000s, the rise of sophisticated AI is a concern not only over potential plagiarism issues, laziness issues, or how easily technology controls us (cell phones, anyone?), or how the recent discovery of ‘kill switches’ in Chinese technology sold to the US could wipe us out with one click (Business Today), but because of prophecy.
Revelation 13 discusses how in the future one man and his cronies institute a global world economy and that all who wish to participate in this economy must accept the Mark (of the Beast). From my vantage point of having observed the economy since 1965, I have seen how this prophecy is becoming easier and easier to implement when it arrives on the scene.
In Ken Ham’s recent essay he asked the question, “Should pastors be using AI to write their sermons?”. I am re-posting the essay below in case the link in this paragraph doesn’t work for you, or if you are not on Facebook. He raises some good questions and makes some exhortations to pastors and others who should be wrestling with the scriptures instead of asking an impersonal digital presence to give them instant content.
Answers in Genesis, being a science ministry, also has other great essays pointing to the issues with AI and tech in general. For example, in this essay we read that ,
Google Co-founder Wants to Build AI as a “Digital God”
It’s an interesting notion, how easily we transfer worship to anything other than the only One who should receive it. We’ve seen it over and over in the Bible, and over and over in our own lives. I’ve written before about how prescient EM Forster was in his 1909 novella The Machine Stops, which a 116 years ago predicted this exact moment in technological time. It’s eerie how Forster predicted the loss of original thought, dependence then worship of a machine, and the lack of human contact. Friends and family are on screens only, not real life. You can read Forster’s novella online here.
AiG’s scientist Patricia Engler is an expert in AI, transhumanism, and other technological ethical issues. She recently spoke at the AiG for women conference in April on the issue of transhumanism. Others term the issue “human enhancement”. Engler explains in this 2023 article Thinking Biblically About Transhumanist Technologies at AiG,
The term “human enhancement” can mean anything from moderately improving someone’s natural abilities to radically modifying humankind.
I remember the splash the television show The Six Million Dollar Man made in 1973 when it debuted. He was an “enhanced human.” Wikipedia has a summary, which I excerpt- “a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors… After being seriously injured in a NASA test flight crash, Austin is rebuilt (at considerable expense, hence the title of the series) with bionic implants. His right arm, both legs and left eye are replaced with “bionic” implants that enhance his strength, speed and vision far above human norms.”
Viewers including me, marveled at the thought that robotic implants could enhance human capabilities. Of course, 50 years later we are used to hip replacements, knee replacements, organ transplants, hearing aids for the deaf, and the like. We are also used to terms like cyborg, droids, clones, bot, algorithm…
Personally, it is my opinion we have passed a threshold with technology where its grip is on humankind is so tight we can never escape until we are called home. I hear of issues in colleges, high schools, and even younger of plagiarism in using ChatGPT, video games consuming minds for double digit hours on end, parents who prefer their phones to their children, critical thinking abandoned by the wayside in using Grok. Ask Google a question and at least it will yield links that the questioner must sort through and decide for herself if they are credible or not. Grok just tells you. I view AI-generated art as plain creepy. I hate to see it all, I just hate it. I pray the Lord comes for us soon.
As for Grok, the artificial intelligence Elon Musk has built, the name comes from Robert Heinlein’s 1961 science fiction novel, “Stranger in a Strange Land“. I read that book in the 1990s when a hippie friend gushed about its supposed deep truths and wise philosophy. I found it unintelligible. Though the title is taken from Exodus 2:22 KJV, the religion the book espoused is far from anything reasonable. But by secular standards, it seems wise and deep.
We must always remember that God is Creator. Our bodies are a machine on a level that no human creator could ever imagine when building a robot or an artificial intelligence. The sturdy delicacy of our bodies’ systems is amazing to behold. The brain is still a mystery. The Creator is worthy of praise for this and for all living things He has created.
Here is Ken Ham’s essay on AI (artificial intelligence). Though it’s aimed at pastors, anyone who studies, researches, writes on theological topics should be convicted by it. The link to his Facebook page where the essay originated is above.
Should pastors be using AI to write their sermons? I recently saw a website for a company that advertises itself as “Your AI-Powered Sermon Assistant” designed to help pastors “create better sermons in less time” using artificial intelligence.
A video on the website claims you can just type a word (like “forgiveness”) into the sermon builder tool and “instantly have a sermon ready to preach” and if you like the sermon “copy it, paste it, you’re ready to preach.” In other words, as a pastor you don’t even need to go to the Bible yourself to prep for your sermon—AI will do it all for you.
There are many good uses for AI—this is certainly not one of them! Yes, perhaps AI could be useful in pulling some cross-references, finding related passages, or pulling quotes to consider from church fathers (although resources to do all of these things already exist). But using AI to write sermons strips away a pastor’s wrestling with and studying of God’s Word. When a member of such a pastor’s flock comes to him for wisdom, counsel, and shepherding, he won’t know God’s Word to apply it properly!
And pastors surely should be praying (as any teaching pastor should do) for God’s guidance and wisdom as they build sermons. Be assured, AI doesn’t pray for any wisdom from God!
Contrast “copy, paste, preach” with these commands to pastors from God’s Word:
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. (1 Timothy 5:17)
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2)
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:9)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)”
The work of pastoring isn’t meant to be easy—it’s laboring; it’s having patience; it’s training to be ready. It’s a hard calling, but a worthy one for those who are willing to be trained by the Word of God.
If you’re a pastor, don’t take the easy way out. Labor in your preaching and teaching as God has commanded you to. Don’t outsource one of the most important aspects of your job—opening the Word for your flock—to a robot!
— Ken Ham
FURTHER READING
Owen Strachan had some thoughts about digital media, here on Facebook
Tony Reinke wrote the book called God, Technology, and the Christian Life, you can download a 32 page sample here
the-end-time.org 