What Does God Think Of Homosexuality? — 6 Points

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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The recent tragic Orlando massacre of 50 people, who were partying in a gay nightclub, has brought to light and to our discussion what people’s attitudes are toward the GLTC community. Certainly, this tragedy has put a spotlight on them and we feel sympathy not only for those who were murdered, but for all homosexuals—because we know that many terrorists hate them and want to kill more of them.

And we can talk all day about what we think of homosexuals and homosexuality, but in the end only one think matters—what does God think? I have decides to write this blog to bring that to light.  So, first of all…

 

WHAT DOES GOD THINK OF HOMOSEXUALS?

We know from God’s word and from God’s character that He hates sin. But we also know that He loves the sinner—and that includes me and you and all people, because all…

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The Clinton Non-Indictment: The Mystery of Lawlessness at Work

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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Comey no charges

We in the U.S. have seen today (7/5/2016) by our FBI’s non-indictment of Hilary Clinton, that lawlessness is definitely at work in our nation.

We have seen for months now by the former Secretary’s carelessness with her e-mails and the way she has conducted herself, that she has no regard for the law—only how she can achieve power and make money for herself at the people’s expense.

We have seen publically displayed by the way Bill Clinton shamelessly walked into a plane to talk privately with the Attorney General Loretta Lynch, that he has no regard for the law.

And today we have seen, by his non-indictment of Hilary Clinton, that the FBI Director, James Comey, has no backbone in doing what he knows is right. Perhaps his life has been threated, or perhaps he is just corrupt and wants to do what he know will keep him in power. …

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3 Reasons Why Paul Thanked God for the Thessalonians— 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this second letter to the Thessalonians Paul states that he thanks God always for them…

1. because of their growing faith,

2. the love they have for each other, and

3. because of their patience and faith in the persecutions and tribulations they endure.

Paul’s three fold prayer for them (vv. 11-12) is:

  1. That God would count them worthy of His calling (to salvation); that is, that they would live up to their calling by producing good works.
  2. That God would, by His Power, satisfy all their desires for goodness and to do works of faith. This second request is the answer for the first; hence, it is by God’s power that we do good works and are counted worthy of His calling.
  3. This last request is God’s motive and should be our motive for doing good works—that the name of Jesus would be glorified in Him, according to His grace. Here I think a good word for glorified would be honored. By doing good works both God and we are honored.

 

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Praying Together in Unity — What Is United Prayer?

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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 United prayer can be seen beautifully by this wild  flower–as each individual pedal forms the whole of the flower.

 

True prayer must be united prayer. God didn’t design prayer for individual needs and purposes apart from others.  We all have individual needs, but God established that believers would pray together in unity—for and with each other and in the will of God.

In John 17:20-23 Jesus prayed that all believers might be one, just as He was one with His Father.

 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;  21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. NKJV

 

This oneness is a oneness of mind, Spirit, and purpose; and it includes not only our lives as we live together, but also our prayers as we pray together. Whether we pray individually or in a group, if prayers are true they are united in the Spirit, and with the Father and the Son.

When we pray with this unity (of the trinity), be assured that we are also praying in unity with other believers. Thus we all in effect are praying with one mind, or it could be termed as prayer “in one accord.”  These are the words Paul used to describe the New Testament church and their prayers: they “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14).

To get a broader picture of what this unity in prayer looks like we should also look at the life and behavior of those who have prayed in unity, because prayer can never be separated from the life of a person; for when one prays with unity he also lives in loving harmony with others.  We see this most clearly in the early church.  In Acts 2:42-45 we read,

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

Therefore, unity in life and unity in prayer means that we share things together and share the love of Christ together as a loving family. I think it also means that when we pray we will take every opportunity to pray together.  When we do, we will find happily that we will agree on things (Matt. 18:19); for the Spirit will unite us together so that we agree on what His will is and therefore what things to pray for and how to pray for them.

 

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6 Main Issues Regarding the Orlando Massacre

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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Pulse

What are the main issues surrounding the Orlando massacre on June 12, 2016?

There are three issues that our government leaders seem to suggest are the main issues: (1) whether the shooter was affiliated with any particular terrorist group; (2) whether he purposely targeted the gay night club, and why; and (3) does this suggest that authorities should have more control over who can buy a gun.

These issues are interesting and may be temporarily important. But there are far more important issues at stake in regard to this massacre, especially for a Christian and for those interested in what God has to say to us.

6 MAIN ISSUES REGARDING THE ORLANDO MASSACRE

 1. What is the root cause of the massacre? The root cause of the massacre was due to sin and the chief of sinners—the devil. The shooter, on that horrible Sunday morning, was clearly blinded in…

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A Prayer to Be Preserved Blameless At His Coming — 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Here Paul prays that God would make the Thessalonians completely holy (in every part of them), so that when Christ comes they would be found by Him to be preserved blameless. Positionally, in Christ, we can be confident that God will in fact complete His good work in us and that we will be found blameless at His coming (Phil. 1:6). But let us also, in a practical sense, pray that He would keep us from sin until He comes, so that He will be please with us.

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The Church Will Escape the Wrath of God by Rapture — From 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing. NASB

 

In these verses we clearly see the rapture of the church, which is “salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In verses 1 through 5 of 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul talks about the “day of the Lord,” which is the day of wrath just after the tribulation. And he assured the Thessalonians that because they were not of the darkness (not unbelievers), the day of the Lord would not overtake them (they would not have to experience it).

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to…

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How to Be Obedient To God in Your Prayers — 3 Points

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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True prayer is prayer that is always obedient to God. But prayer without obedience is no prayer at all; that is, it doesn’t have an abiding connection with God. Therefore, since obedience is so important in prayer, it is vital that we understand it. Here are three ideas of what obedience to God is, so that we can better obey Him and therefore pray with true prayer.

1. Obedience to God is loving God and our neighbors. When we love God we will obey Him. Thus our obedience is proof of our love for Him. In fact, when we obey Him we are loving Him (Jn. 14:21). E. M. Bounds said, “Obedience…is faith in action, and is the outflow as it is the very test of love.”

The best way we can love Him is by being involved with people and by loving them as He has loved them. Jesus said in John 15:12-13, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”  Hence, to love God and our neighbors are the two greatest commandments (Matt. 22:40).  It is the way we can best obey Him and how we lay the groundwork for true prayer.

2. Obedience to God is abiding in Him. When we obey God we abide in Him. In 1 John 3:24 it says, “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and he in Him…”

I think the best way we can begin to abide is by studying and meditating on His Word—so as to get to know Him and His will. But abiding is not complete without doing His will in obedience. This is the whole idea of Bible study—that we will end up doing His will.  Then, in the end, we will be more like Him and be united with Him as a branch is to a vine (Jn. 15:1-5). This is a picture of abiding.

So we are saying that abiding is not complete without obedience; we can’t be united to the Vine (Jesus) without pleasing Him in our obedience. Conversely, we cannot obey Him (from a willing heart) without abiding in Him (1 Jn. 3:24).  Hence, both abiding and obedience are inseparable; both are part of the other.  And when they are working together true prayer is possible (1 Jn. 3:22; Jn. 15:7).

3. Obedience to God is yielding to Him. The most basic part of obedience to God is to yield (or surrender) to Him. And this must happen before we can abide in Him and love Him.

Yielding holds these three ideas:

(1) Yielding means to give up my self-will and my selfish desires. We cannot do what God wants us to do if we do not give up what we want to do.

(2) Yielding means to give my life to God. The process of giving up my very life to Him is very hard. It is a personal sacrifice.  But it is a sacrifice of love, love that is motivated by His love to us (Rom. 12:1).   And when I give up my life to Him, which includes my will and all my rights, I really have no reason to feel hopeless, because I am giving myself to God, and He has a purpose for me.

(3) Yielding means to resist evil and selfishness. When we give up our self-will and give God our lives, we must at the same time resist the devil and all the evil forces. This is important because when we give God our lives, He requires all our service and worship. There will be no place for the devil; he must go!  And when we do resist him, he will flee from us and God will open His arms of love to us (Ja. 4:7-8).

The result of our yielding to God is that He will help us to obey Him and to pray—He will renew our mind so that we have a continuing desire to obey Him (Rom. 12:2).

 

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Paul Prays for the Thessalonian Church, To Be Filled With Love — from I Thessalonians 3:9-13

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen
I love the Wild Honeysuckle

I love the Wild Honeysuckle

 

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. NKJV

 

Here, Paul (with Silvanus and Timothy) prays that they would soon be able to see the Thessalonians in order to teach them and perfect what was lacking in their faith. Paul prayed that God would direct their way to them and would make them increase and abound in love; that they might feel the same love for each other as he and his comrades felt for them.  Last, Paul’s prayer is that by their love God would establish their hearts blameless in holiness.  Apparently, Paul was saying that the way to establish a holy life is to first have a heart that is filled with love.  Barnes writes in his commentary, “The idea is, that if charity were diffused through their hearts, they would abound in every virtue, and would be at length found blameless.”

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How to Pray Down and Destroy an Evil Stronghold — 5 Ways

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Stephen Nielsen

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I walk across this dam to get to my favorite walking trail along the Mississippi river.

 

In order to be able to resist sin and Satan and destroy his strongholds, you must first put on the armor of God as our defense. What I am speaking of is described for us in Ephesians 6:13-18. 

 

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Each of those pieces of armor (in bold) I believe is the very character of Christ, which, if we put it on will protect us and also make us strong for the battle.

The way we put the armor on is by our daily devotion to God. That is, when we do such things as confess our sins, pray, and read His Word (with the intent of getting to know Him and to do His will) we are essentially putting God’s armor on, because they aid us to abide in Christ so that we are strong in the Lord.

With the armor of His character on, with much prayer, and with the sword (the Word of God), we go out to battle: to slay the enemy and pull down his strongholds. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5,

 

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

As we may see from this passage, the devil’s strongholds are the accumulation of arguments and lies against the truth.  Here are…

 

Five Ways to Pray Down and Destroy an Evil Stronghold

 

  1. Submit to God in humility. Pride is the sin that holds together an evil stronghold. We must attack pride first. Pray against it, and pray for humility.
  2. Ask God to expose all strongholds of sin and any demons that may be present.
  3. Repent of all sins that make up each stronghold and command (in the name of Jesus Christ) all demons to leave.
  4. Replace every lie with truth. For every lie memorize a verse of truth. Pray those verses into your life (and into the lives of others).
  5. Build huge strongholds of truth. Memorize many Bible verses. They will be your rock of truth. When Satan or sin comes against you, you can use the memorized word to speak back to Satan and give him a word of truth.

Here are two good verses you can quote (in combination) to Satan, to yourself, and before the Lord when you are tempted to sin:

 

Psalm 101:3

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;

I hate the work of those who fall away;

It shall not cling to me.

 

Psalm 16:8

I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

 

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