Prata Potpourri: Bubba Copeland, Elisabeth, God’s Will, Confronting a brother
By Elizabeth Prata
The Halloween season is over (and a huge praise the Lord from all teachers!) and now we are looking at the blessed time of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I see the usual debates on when to decorate for Christmas (before Thanksgiving or after?), ham or turkey for the Thanksgiving dinner? Nativity sets should or should not contain Wise Men?
I found a sweet and simple nativity myself, made of popsicle sticks. But the manger scene is just adorable. Joseph even holds a teeny tiny staff! I plan to put it in my classroom.
Hopefully this holiday season is a time we can step back, let twitter wars and Facebook resentments go, embrace those around us with love and enjoy the time of year.
Yet, sin still stalks the world and sad and weird news still happens. There’s cuteness and joy too. To that end, here are a few items for your perusal-
Mayor F.L. ‘Bubba’ Copeland, who was also pastor of First Baptist Church, was outed as a transgender women who had posted photos of himself in racy underwear, his wife’s clothing, authored transgender erotica as well as posting trans porn, killed himself two days after he was outed. “What I do in private life has nothing to do with what I do in my holy life” he had said. No. This is an error. There is no separation between the private and public man. Try to, and it’s spiritual shipwreck! Sadly, he killed himself 😦 he leaves a wife and three children.
Alabama mayor ‘Bubba’ Copeland’s friends worried about his mental health prior to apparent suicide
News story here: Alabama preacher F.L. ‘Bubba’ Copeland kills himself after being outed as ‘transgender curvy girl’
We truly don’t know the secret sins some people hide. Yet, the Bible says,
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully matured, it brings forth death. (James 1:14-15).
Sometimes we must confront a brother or sister. Matthew 18:15 says so. “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” Proverbs 25:9 too. Luke 17:3. Galatians 6:1. Sensitive stuff. It needs to be handled rightly. Paul Tautges at Counseling One Another gives some advice in his essay, Ten Questions to Ask Yourself Before Confronting a Brother or Sister in Christ
God’s will is inscrutable sometimes. We know His revealed will for all humans, as we read His word. He has revealed Himself there. He has revealed himself in general to all humans through His creation. But His personal will for each of his children, we do not know from day to day how He will sovereignly care for us. Just that He will and He does, even through the most traumatic of events. If a tragedy occurs in our life we often ask, “Why, WHY, Lord?” and we cannot see the ‘good’ in it. But all that God does is good.
This is an anecdote from the early adult life of Elisabeth Elliot, who was not married to Jim Elliot at the time, but was working on mission in Ecuador before she was even engaged to him.
Seek what is good, what is true, and what is beautiful. Enjoy the outdoors and God’s creation today. Pray, love, and be patient. God loves you.
