Prata Potpourri: Work, Eschatology, Discernment, the Universe, Ladies who teach…more
By Elizabeth Prata
Fall is here, the season I wait for all year. In New England where I’d lived for 46 years, fall was fleeting. Two weeks of vivid leaves and nice temperatures, then after Columbus Day the wind and rain came and washed it all away. You were left with cold, dark, drizzly remainder of fall then struggled all wintr to stay warm, to not drive off the icy road, and to shovel, shovel, shovel.
In Georgia fall lasts longer. The break from summer heat is a joy, and though the leaves are not as vivid, at least you can go outdoors and not freeze while you’re looking at them.
Fall also means the thoughts turn to Reformation Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! It’s a great season. The only struggle I have is to resist turning on the heat. How long can I go? The buffer month between paying for air conditioning and paying for heat is one I like to stretch, paying for nothing. Now, where is my sweatshirt?
Here are some interesting links I’ve rounded up for you this week. Enjoy!
I love thinking about work and God. He gives us work to do and in it we can minister to others, praise Him, and sustain ourselves so we can eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10). I found this short series out of The Master’s Seminary called Thinking Biblically. The series is called Thinking Biblically About Business and Work by Dr. John Beck. Two ten-minute videos help shape our thinking about our vocation, job, or employment. Even if you are not in a job that is personally fulfilling, career-oriented, or even well paying, we still can and do praise God for it, because we don’t just work for the weekend, we work for God.
What did Jacob see? What was this ladder? The guys from G3 have an interesting article about this fascinating scene from the Old Testament:
But the most important part of this vision is not the ladder or even the angels, but the fact that God himself stands at the top of the ladder, as stated in verse 13. This indicates that God is the source of the connection between heaven and earth. He alone is the one who bridges the gap, not human effort or works.
I love language, words, and expressing one’s self in writing. I enjoyed tis to-the-point essay from Cody Libolt on the evolution away from pointed phrases to acceptance of the watered down version. He does a clear job explaining the real meaning behind these phrases and shows what we have lost when we adopt them: Six Bad Catch-phrases Explained
“Discernment Ministries” love ’em or hate ’em, they certainly generate a lot of ink on both sides. I do a lot of discernment (in addition to historical living essays and encouragement). But I do not apologize for doing discernment, nor am I embarrassed. However, there is always the danger of becoming unbalanced. I wrote about that here, especially in reference to eschatology. Eschatological ministries usually tend to go off-center, followed closely by discernment ministries.
In this 55 minute video, Midwest Christian Outreach Inc. led by Don Veinot and Don Henzel with guest Rudolph Boshoff from Ad Lucem Ministries, the men discuss “Guarding the flock was given as instructions to the pastors and elders in the First Century. Jesus warned us to beware of false prophets. All of the New Testament, with the exception of Philemon, addresses heresy and false teachers. Apologetics and defense of the faith are biblical, but all of those were part and parcel of church life with accountability. The call for discernment seems to have birthed a sort of apologetics industrial complex of discernment ministries. But are they servants or cowboys?“
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestchristianoutreach/videos/434269662813632
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/d6pyIXpP0yg?si=bPaTe6N6ATht2zgQ
And speaking of discernment, and speaking of solid ministries. Todd Friel of Wretched interviewed Justin Peters recently. 10-min, enticingly titled, If You Want to Have Better Discernment, Watch THIS
I enjoyed this from Allen Nelson IV, and if you aren’t following him on Twitter why aren’t you?
Ken Ham @aigkenham of Answers in Genesis wrote this on Twitter (X) on but if you do not have Twitter I am posting it here.
Over the 40 years I’ve been involved in the Answers in Genesis ministry, I’ve had many Christians/Christian leaders accuse me of saying a person had to believe in six literal days of creation and a young earth to be saved. Such an accusation is simply not true and can be documented as false from my many talks and articles I’ve written over the years clearly showing I have never equated salvation with believing in a young earth and literal creation days. What my accusers don’t like is the fact I speak with authority on what Genesis clearly says. They want me to allow other views. But there’s only one view, God’s Word as written. Now salvation is conditioned upon faith in Christ, not what a person believes about the age of the earth or days of creation. People respond saying it’s not an important issue then. But, even though it’s not a salvation issue, it’s a very important matter indeed, as it’s one of authority. It’s a biblical authority issue—and that’s a first order issue! They are putting man’s word over God’s Word and making man the authority, not God. Sadly, many pastors and Christian academics have taught generations of young people this. In doing so, they’ve unlocked a door that one can take man’s word over God’s Word. So if you can take millions of years and reinterpret God’s Word, why not take man’s word on marriage and gender and reinterpret God’s Word to allow gay “marriage,” etc. And this is happening. Over the years because so many Christian leaders have compromised God’s Word in Genesis, many have been led to doubt God’s Word, and that doubt leads to compromise and unbelief. We can and should speak with authority on Genesis, just as we can with the rest of Scripture because it is the infallible Word of God! “By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”” (Romans 3:4)
If you’re confused, curious, or concerned about which eschatological stance to beleive/follow/adopt, here is Mike Vlach, a noted theologian of eschatology, with a video titled “3 Millennial Views Compared and Contrasted: Premillennialism, Amillennialism, and Postmillennialism“. It’s 28 minutes.
And because the harvest super moon, aurora northern lights, and the visible comet are all in the news, here is more about our fantastic universe that God created and Jesus sustains! Did you know the Red Planet has blue rocks?
Yes, the Mars Rover is still roving: Perseverance Rover Spies Incredible Blue Rocks on Mars and Makes Incredible Discovery
If you’re of a mind to delve into UK country life, here is a video from the UK’s magazine Country life showing the world’s most amazing theater. And it’s seaside. AND it’s made by hand by a lady who decided to, well, carve a theater into the Cornish cliffs next to her home.
https://content.jwplatform.com/previews/berzrNKJ
