Anders Breivik Of Norway: What Went Wrong In His Life?

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

I just read today’s (July 31, 2011) article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune entitled ‘IT WAS REALLY HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHO HE WAS.’  Overall, Anders seems like an ordinary guy—even a nice guy, a peace loving guy.  But the article, by Adam Geller, gave me a couple threads of information that helped me to see his downfall—why he went on this killing rampage. 

1.  He got a very bad start in life.  His parents divorced when he was one year old.  He was raised by his working mother.  I can imagine that he didn’t get all the loving support that a kid should have. 

2.  I can imagine also that he wasn’t surrounded by those who gave him wise advice.  I was in a similar situation growing up.  The only difference is, though my father wasn’t around much to influence me and my mom worked, I went to church and was in church groups.  And so I had that Christian influence and became a Christian myself.  That makes all the difference.  From what I have read about Anders, he had no real Christian influence (although I don’t really know).  He struggled to find his own way—which turned out to be the wrong way. 

3.  During his school days it seems that he let envy embitter him.  The article described how he would spend hours with a group of five friends chaffing at the differences between his own living situation and his classmates with money.  He lived in an affluent part of Olso, but apparently those around him lived in better houses and had more money. 

This I think is a big key to his downfall.  I’m sure that those long gripe sessions he had with his friends did nothing but stir up in him envy and strife against his neighbors and anyone who was better off than him.  Consider (biblically) that it was out of envy that the chief priest handed Jesus over to Pilot to be crucified (Mk. 15:10).  And consider also that when envy is listed among other sins, murder is right on the tail of envy (look at Romans 1:29). 

These things (three points above) I think are what propelled Anders Breivik to go the wrong way.  It is obvious from his 1,518 page manifesto (that he e-mailed to hundreds of people before his rampage) that he had made his own way.  He was on a mission—a modern-day crusade to do what he thought was right for society.  From what I have read about him so far, his mission was to do his part in ridding the world of those who would spoil it.  It is not real clear who exactly that would be, but he seemed to have a strong dislike for Muslims and for anyone who is making Europe and the world less Christian (that’s really simplifying it).  He claimed to be part of the Knights Templar and to have a goal of preserving Christianity; however, make no mistake about it, he is not a Christian.  The Knights Templar I would say an evil group. 

Anyway, the way I see it, what went wrong has been do to a bad upbringing and getting caught in that vicious trap of envy, which if left unchecked will lead to murder. There are many other things involved of course, but these I think are the key points. 

Looking back on it, what he should have done was to seek God—to go to church and seek God’s way.  The Bible tells us that if we commit our ways and our heart to God and trust in Him, He will lead us in the right way (Prov. 3:5-7).  Though Andre made some terrible choices, it is still not too late for him to mend his ways.  If he turns to God and seeks His way, He will forgive him and show a new way and a new life.  Pray for him while he is in prison that God will speak to him and change his heart.

 

 

 

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8 Teachings of Jesus on Prayer – Teaching # 1

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 In this post and in the following eight posts our discussion will be drawn strictly from what Jesus taught us about prayer in the gospels.

In my study, I found fourteen different passages in the gospels where Jesus taught on prayer.  I have organized them into eight different categories.  This is an excerpt from my book Principles of Prayer.

#1.  Jesus taught that prayer is not to be directed to others or self but to God alone; therefore, it must not in any way be a show or an effort of good works, but rather to be as a humble cry to God for help (from Matthew 6:5-8 and Luke 18:9-14).

 

 We will outline this section in three parts.  First, from Mathew 6:5…

 1. Prayer must not be a show of good works.  Jesus said, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.”

I think there is a little of the hypocrite in all of us.  For it is in our nature to want to be on the stage and to exalt ourselves in front of others, even if what we are displaying about ourselves isn’t genuine.  According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “[This showy type of praying] is sin in the form of self and of pride…It is a state of the heart…It is self worship and self-adulation.”  Lloyd-Jones goes on to say that this tendency to self-adulation is alarming and terrifying because, he says, “It follows us even into the very presence of God.”  He also states that this sin is not of the poor drunkard; rather this sin invades itself upon the unusually devout and devoted man, who spends much of His time on his knees in the presence of God.  For him the temptation is to think about how good and how godly he is; and so he is tempted to turn and worship himself rather than God.

The extent of this type of prayer is that it will ruin the greatest of saints.  I think it is the worst kind of sin.  It is the sin of the scribe and Pharisees of Jesus day.  Here is an example of this kind of Pharisee-prayer in one of Jesus’ parables (in Luke 18:9-14):

“God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.”

Do you see the sinfulness, the boastfulness of this prayer?

Well here is what Jesus said about Pharisees: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:27, 28).

2. Prayer must be to God alone.  In Matthew 6:6 Jesus said to His disciples, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Therefore, in contrast to the hypocrites who love to be seen praying, and who do not really pray to God at all, but pray to themselves (Read Luke 18:11), we are to go away from the eyes of people, to a quiet place, and pray to God alone.  We are not to seek the praise of others when we pray, but we can expect to be rewarded by the Father.  And that reward will be much better than any praise from men.

Where is this secret place of prayer, this “room” that we are to go to?  Well, I think “your room” is any place away from distractions and away from people.  The achieving of this solitude is described as “shutting your door.”  This could mean literally the door of your own private room, but mainly I think it means shutting the inner door of your heart.  So here the clear teaching is that we are to shut the door of our heart so that we are giving God our full attention.  And we are also to shut the door for privacy so that we may feel at ease to open up our heart, to reveal private matters and personal sins to God.

This place is a place where the entire world is shut out and where your relationship with God will thrive. You may need to go to an actual, physical place of quiet—perhaps by a quiet stream, or maybe just in your own room; but wherever you go, the objective is to achieve quiet in your mind and heart, so that you can pray unhindered to God alone.

3. Prayer must not be with vain repetitions.  In verses 7 and 8 Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

Here the teaching is clear: we are not to pray, praying the same words over and over again, as if God is hard of hearing, or as if He is not interested, or as if He has decided that He will only heed prayers that are repeated a certain amount of times.  No, God does hear and He knows your needs even before you ask Him.  He knows your needs better than you do.  He cares about your every wish, your every desire.  And He wants to give you what you need quickly.

So why do we Christians pray as pagans?  One answer, I suppose, is that we don’t think.  We pray with our emotions instead of our head.  And when we have needs and fears, we feel desperate, and we forget that God already knows our needs.  And so we begin to babble and cry and whine like a baby.

Another reason why we pray as pagans is because we just haven’t learned to pray yet.  We actually believe that God will not answer us unless we pray a certain number of times—the more the better.  We believe that our repeated prayers impress Him.

I suppose the ultimate example of this kind of praying is in 1 Kings 18:26-29, where the priests of Baal repeatedly prayed to their god to come and burn the sacrifice they had prepared.  The story says that they continued leaping around the altar, crying loudly and even cutting themselves.  They prayed in that manner all day long.

But we are not pagans!  We are believers!  They prayed out of fear and unbelief.  We pray because we know that God loves us, cares for us, and sees our needs.  Hence, when we pray let us pray with confidence, knowing that God always hears us.

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8 Ways the Holy Spirit Helps Us Pray

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

There are so many different ways the Holy Spirit helps us to pray.  Here are eight ways:

 

1.  He brings to us the Spirit of the Father.  Since the Holy Spirit has the same Spirit of the Father, and since He resides in us, He will convey to us that Spirit, which will help us in prayer. 

Andrew Murray views this Sprit of the Father as a gift given to us by the Father in order that we (His children) may reproduce all the things He brings to us by His Spirit.  He says,

The best gift a good and wise earthly father can bestow on a child is his own spirit.  This is the object of a father in education—to reproduce in his child his own disposition and character.  If the child is to know and understand his father, if he is to enter into all his will and plans, if he is to have his highest joy in the father and the father in him, he must be of one mind and spirit with him.  It is impossible to conceive of God bestowing any higher gift on His child than His own Spirit.  God is what He is through His Spirit; the Spirit is the very life of God.  Just think what it means for God to give His own Spirit to His child on earth.

It means of course that we will gain the same heart of prayer that He has, the same burden of prayer.  It means that He will show us His mind and His thinking toward us, and that He will give us an understanding of our salvation—our justification and glorification and all His wonderful mercies toward us (Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 2:10-12).  Thus, as the Holy Spirit conveys to us the Spirit of the Father we are enabled to pray according to the Father’s will and according to the Father’s loving heart.

2.  He brings to us the Spirit of the Son.  The Holy Spirit has not only the Spirit of the Father; He has the Spirit of the Son.  Therefore He intends to bring the Son—Jesus Christ—to us.  James Stewart has said, “The Holy Spirit forms the indwelling Christ in our hearts and minds.”  If you  remember Paul’s prayer to  the Ephesians (Eph. 3:14-21) this is exactly what he prayed for them—that God would grant them, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith.

And the reason why God wants us to have the Spirit of His Son in us, and why we need that Spirit to help us in prayer, is because Jesus was and is our model for prayer.  While He was on earth He demonstrated perfectly how to pray.  And so God desires us to have that same spirit that Jesus had—the spirit of Sonship, which is a spirit of liberty, devotion, and obedience.  This is a spirit that carries with it the humble and perfect attitude any good son has toward his father.  Therefore, if you are a child of God, God has sent (by His Holy Spirit) the Spirit of His Son (the Spirit of Jesus) into your heart, by which you can’t help but to cry out in prayer, “Abba Father.”  Now what better aid do we have in prayer then to have the Spirit of Jesus crying out in prayer to the Father in us and for us?  There is no better aid at all!

3.  He gives us access to God and makes our prayers acceptable to God.  Because God has given us the Spirit of His Son, this is our evidence that we are His children.  For Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”  And if we know we are His children then we know that we have been justified through our Lord Jesus Christ; and thus we have peace with God (Rom. 5:1).  Therefore, because of this work of God in us, the Holy Spirit brings to us (and helps us feel) a new freedom, a boldness or confidence in our spirit to approach the throne of God (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18; 3:12; Heb. 4:16).  But He not only gives us confidence to approach God in prayer, He also helps us pray and makes our prayers acceptable to Him.  He does this by His own intercession as He pleads with the Father by reason of the shed blood of Christ for us.  Thus, according to the cleansing blood of Christ and by His intercession He makes our prayers rise up to God as sweet incense (Rom. 8:26, 27).

4.  He intercedes for us.  Our prayers wouldn’t have a chance of reaching God or of being effective without the Holy Spirit’s intercession.  Here are three things He does for us in His intercession to help us in prayer:

(1) He makes our prayers acceptable to God.  As Jesus is interceding for us in heaven to maintain our redemption, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us on earth to make our prayers acceptable according to that redemption.

(2) He helps us pray according to God’s will.  The Holy Spirit is always interceding for us according to God’s will—to the end that we would be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29).  He also prays for us that we would pray according to His will and thus according to our real needs.

(3) He helps us to wait patiently.  In Romans 8 we read that we groan within ourselves, waiting for our redemption.  And the Holy Spirit feels our groans and groans with us as He makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:23, 26).  Hence, in His intercession He helps us to pray that we would wait patiently, but also eagerly for our redemption; accordingly, that we would spend our time now wisely—to live not according to the sinful nature (Rom. 8:13), but according to His Spirit, and according to how a son would live (as God’s Son), in honor and holiness, as a co-heir with Christ (vv. 16-17).

5.  He burdens us.  One of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us and encourages us in prayer is by giving us a prayer burden.  What this is is simply a desire to pray.  It may be a desire to pray in general (to just be in God’s presence, to praise and thank Him, and to lift up many different requests to Him), or it may also be a desire He puts on you to pray for some specific thing or person. 

A burden is especially helpful in prayer because it puts life and feeling into our prayers, so that we are not just praying out of habit, but rather, out of a God given desire and inspiration.  I like what E. M. Bounds has said: “The habit of praying is a good habit, and should be early and strongly formed; but to pray by habit merely is to destroy the life of prayer and allow it to degenerate into a hollow and sham-producing form.  Habit may form the bank for the river of pray, but there must be a strong, deep, pure current, crystal and life-giving, flowing between these two banks.”

Now the way the Holy Spirit burdens us is simply by transferring God’s burden to us as we pray and live in the Spirit.  Hence, whenever God is burdened the Holy Spirit transfers that spirit to us so that we groan in prayer with the same burden (Rom. 8:26-27).  Therefore, as you allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and mind as you pray in the Spirit, He will draw you deep into the soul of God; hence He will show you how great some of the needs are and will kindle within you God’s love for others so that you will plead in prayer to God with great desire and love for them. 

6. He guides us in prayer.  Without the Holy Spirit we are lost when it comes to prayer.  In fact, we find that naturally we are unable to pray.  But the Holy Spirit is always willing to help us pray.  He helps us pray “according to the will of God.”  Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weakness.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot to uttered…He makes intercession for us according to the will of God.”

And how does he help us?  Well, for one, as we pray in the Spirit He will put a burden on our heart to show us what or who to pray for.  He may also help you to remember certain promises, to give you a basis for your prayers.  Then, as you pray, He will inspire your prayers and direct them; consequently, you may find yourself praying words you would not normally pray, words that come from the very heart of God.

7.  He teaches us how to pray.  Along with guiding us in what things to pray for, He teaches us many things about prayer and how to pray.  He teaches us the value of words—that prayer needs the backing of words.  He will teach you how to listen to Him, and how He speaks to you through the Word, and through people, and circumstances, and through nature.  He teaches you how to approach God in prayer, and what the atmosphere of prayer should be.  He also teaches you His will and how to discern His will.  Accordingly, He shows you whether or not your prayers are according to His will, and whether your motives are right.  Overall, He will teach you the great value of prayer and the great necessity of prayer.

8.  He strengthens us in prayer.  If you seem to have no strength to pray (that is, no confidence, or faith, or desire, or leading in prayer) then you need to pray for the Holy Spirit to come and strengthen you.  Pray first that He will show you His will and a promise to pray by.  Then, when He shows you a promise, pray that He will give you faith to believe in it and strength to pray according to it.  As you proceed to pray according to that promise, He will give you confidence that God will hear and answer your prayer (Jn. 5:14-15).  That confidence is a confidence in God.  The more confidence you have in God, the stronger your faith will be, and the stronger your prayers will be.  Yes, He will definitely give us strength in prayer if we ask Him for it!

 

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4 Ways to have Unlimited Power in the Holy Spirit

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

God has such great things in store for you.  He wants to give you all of His power through His spirit.  He wants to give you that power to do His great work.  Here are four ways to get that power: 

1.  Pray that Christ would be Lord in your Life.  When you pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you, pray also for the Lordship of Christ.  For unless Christ is Lord in your life, the Holy Spirit can do no work there.  He is not even welcome there.  So pray that God would help you to make Him Lord, that He would give you the humble submissive spirit of a son—a son that would welcome His Son as Lord, and His Spirit to take control.           

2.  Believe and obey God.  After you have prayed for the Holy Spirit to come in and fill you and for Christ to be Lord in your Life, believe in God that Christ is Lord and that the Holy Spirit has filled you and has given you His power.  Yes believe in the promise of John 1:12, that as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God.  Believe also in Acts 1:8, that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us: that we would be His bold witnesses.            

But the way we believe God is to obey Him (for if we don’t obey Him we prove that we don’t really believe Him).  So we must act out our belief in God by obeying Him.  Then you show that you love Him and He will demonstrate His great power in and through you (Jn. 14:21).  Yes, it will be an unlimited power—a power to open your mouth and speak the gospel boldly, even in the midst of those who would mock and ridicule and persecute you.

3.  Pray for others to receive the Holy Spirit and His power.  Pray for God’s spirit to convict many hearts so that they will be prepared for His outpouring (Jn. 16:8-11).  Then Pray that He be poured out as living water on them (Ezek. 39:29).  When we serve and pray for others we learn the most and receive the most from Him.  Andrew Murray writes: “The Father gives the Holy Spirit most to those who ask that He be given to others.”

4.  Continue praying for the Holy Spirit.  Don’t give up on praying for the Holy Spirit.  Know that we must pray constantly for Him, for we need Him constantly.  Just as a fruit tree needs a constant flow of sap to make the fruit grow, we need a constant flow of the Holy Spirit in us to produce His fruit and His power.

Therefore, if you want unlimited power in your prayers and in your life, you must give yourself completely to God; and you must pray constantly and fervently toward the work and rule of the Holy Spirit in your life.  E. M. Bounds says it plainly: “The projecting power of praying is the measure of the Holy Spirit in us.”

 

 

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The Holy Spirit’s Role and Function in the Godhead

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 As a husband or wife have a role and function in their marriage, in much the same way the Holy Spirit has a special role and function in the Godhead.  In connection with the Holy Spirit’s role, I think it is essential, first of all, to understand that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.  In John 15:26 Jesus explains the Holy Spirit as one who proceeds from the Father.  And I think the Holy Spirit also proceeds from the Son since the Father and the Son are one.  This word “proceed” means to flow from.  That does not mean that He came from the Father and the Son as to originate from them or to be generated from them; but rather, proceed means that He eternally flows from the Father and the Son as to extend or to advance their life and purpose. Also, I think this proceeding of the Holy Spirit means that He has been, is, and always will be the spirit of the Father and the Son.             

I think we have a good illustration of this proceeding in Revelation 22:1.  Here one of God’s angels gives John a glimpse into heaven, showing him a river “proceeding” (or Flowing) from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  This river is described as “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal.”  Well, though this river I believe may be an actual river in heaven, it is clear to me that it represents the Holy Spirit.   Why do I say this? Because in John 7:37-39 Jesus talks about the “rivers of living water,” and in verse 39 He explained it as the Holy Spirit.  John was the author of both the Gospel of John and Revelation. Therefore, when he spoke of the river of living water in John as being the Holy Spirit I think we can also understand the river of life in Revelations 22:1 to also mean (or represent) the Holy Spirit.  The Lamb of God in Revelations 22:1 is of course Jesus, and the One on the throne of God is of course God the Father.  Therefore, I see this river of life in Revelation as the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. It is a picture of the trinity at work.           

The role of the Holy Spirit in our life is that He brings the spirit of the Father and the Son to us, and is the life of the Father and Son in us.  He brings their spirit to life in us, and so energizes our spirit for prayer and good works.  In other words, the Holy Spirit works in our spirit the life and purpose of the Father and the Son.  Thus, whatever He sees the Father and Son doing, He conveys that to us (in our spirit). 

Moreover, as the Holy Spirit works in us, we get the sense of the working and thinking of the Father and the Son, because, in fact, mystically, the Holy Spirit is the spirit of the Father and the Son, though He is His own person and operates His ministry “in His own power.” 

Now in terms of prayer, here are the roles of the Godhead:  

The Father is the source of what we pray for—all prayer comes from the Father.

Christ is the channel for our prayers—all prayer must go through Christ.  He makes our prayers holy by His blood; thus they are acceptable to God.  

The Holy Spirit is the agent of our prayers.  He is the one that moves our prayers by His power back to the Father through Christ.

But the Holy Spirit is not just a carrier of our prayers.  He does more than that.  He brings our prayers along and helps us in our praying from start to finish.  Here are four things that He does:  (1) He gives us a desire to pray—or we could say that He conveys the desire of the Father and the Son to us; (2) He inspires our prayers; (3) He helps us pray; and (4) He brings our prayers to the Father and makes them acceptable through Christ.  

Thus, as we can see, the Holy Spirit is the enabling agent all along the way.  He does the work of prayer in us.  But let me be quick to add that His purpose is not to exalt Himself, but rather to lift up the person of Christ, who in turn glorifies the Father.  

This is the way I believe it works: 

The Father is the head and source of all things. 

The Son is the brightness and the glory of the Father (Jn. 1:14). 

The Holy Spirit conveys to us (by His spirit to ours) the glory of the Father and the Son, and works to bring us into their glory and fellowship.

 

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Who is the Holy Spirit?

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

As we can see from His name Holy Spirit…

He is holy.  He is holy simply because He is God.  He is the holy spirit of God and we call Him Holy Spirit.  Thus, being God, we know that He is holy.  As 1 John 1:5 indicates, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.           

We also see in His name that…

 He is spirit.  Being spirit He is never visible and we can not touch Him.  But He does communicate and commune with us, from His spirit to ours, as we attempt to live in His spirit.  The more we put away the deeds of the flesh and walk in the Spirit, the more we will be able to commune with Him and sense in our spirit and in our mind (which I believe has a connection to the spirit) that He is present with us and wants to help us.  In terms of prayer and worship, we should be glad that God is a spirit, because there is no place where we can not worship Him and be near him.  He is always with us and in us (Ps. 139:7-9; Jn. 4:23-24). 

He is a person.  Some would say that the Holy Spirit is not really fully God, that He is just the force and energy of God, that He is just an agent, just a tool, just a vehicle to carry out the work of God.  For instance, as John Walvoord has documented, “The heretic Arius…[believed that] the Holy Spirit was only the ‘exerted energy of God’”           

However, for us who have read the Bible, we know better.  For in various passages of the Bible we see over and over again that the Holy Spirit has a personality just like the Father and the Son, and like you and me.  In 1 Corinthians 2:11 we see that the Holy Spirit understands the thoughts of God.  In 1 Corinthians 12:11 we read that the Holy Spirit distributes His gifts as He wills, indicating that He thinks and has a will.  Also in Ephesians 4:30 it says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”  Grieving here suggests that the Holy Spirit feels and is capable of feeling sadness.  These are just some of the passages that indicate the Holy Spirit’s personality.  There are many others.  Hence, as John Walvoord has stated, “All the works of the Holy Spirit are such that personality is required.”  Walvoord points out that the way He speaks to us, teaches us, comforts us, empowers us, guides us and prays for us—all these things and more tell us that He is a person.  The Holy Spirit is most definitely a person!

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Practice Keeping Your Eyes Pure: Fighting Against Pornography

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

 Some would say, “It is impossible these days to keep your eyes pure, because there is so much pornography out there; we see it practically everywhere we go.”  But I want to tell you that with God’s help, and with practice, it is a battle that can be won!           

In this post we will talk about how people get trapped into viewing pornography, then about its results, and last, about how to fight against it.           

 

How People Get Trapped Into Viewing Pornography

 

The reason why people (both men and women) get trapped into viewing pornography is because they have not been warned against it, and they are unprepared to face it.  Satan comes against them as an angel of light to deceive them and trap them, and as a roaring lion to devour them.   And the reason why they continue in it is because they find that it provides for them an erotic fantasy, which stimulates their erotic drives and supports certain sexual habits.  The main one I suppose is the habit of masturbation, which is a cruel, demonic enslavement by one’s own desires.  It is cruel because it grips and controls you and will not set you free.  It is demonic because it seeks to keep you away from God.  And it is enslaving because it is never satisfied; it goes on and on, and pornography is its food.  As long as the food is consumed the deadly habit will continue.  And of course there are other sexual habits (or ways of acting out sexually), which we will not take time to discuss here.          

           

The Results of Pornography

 

 There are so many bad results of pornography.  I will list just four of them:

           

1. Prayer is hindered.  Since the viewing of pornography is a sin (Matt. 5:28, Ex. 20:26), when we give into it, we in effect remove ourselves from God’s presence (1 Jn. 2:15), and thus, prayer is made impossible (Ps. 66:18, Jn. 9:31).

           

2. Sexual disease is increased.  When pornography is viewed, either by a man or a woman, it tends to make them more sexually active and also more open to sexual advances.  Then, as a further result, sexual disease will increase.

           

3. Crime is increased.  J. Edgar Hoover once said, “We do know that sex crime is associated with pornography.  It is creating criminals faster then jails can be built.”  If that was true back then, it is certainly true now.  Pornography is much worse now, and so is crime.

           

4. Self-pleasure becomes the primary focus.  Pornography promotes the attitude that sex is meaningless other than for self-pleasure, that it is just a masturbatory activity.  Hence, pornography attempts to reduce life to nothing but physical pleasure and immediate gratification.  Therefore, with this attitude that pornography has created, the ability to truly love another is shattered, thus making good friendships and a healthy marriage impossible.             

 

How to Fight Against Pornography

 

Here are six things you can do to fight against pornography in order to keep your eyes pure:

 

1. Commit yourself to purity.  Purpose that you will not view pornography or look lustfully on a woman (or a man).  Have the commitment of Job, who said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman” (Job 31:1)?  But your commitment will be nearly impossible if you do not seek the help of others.  I suggest that you get yourself into an accountability group of the same sex (men with men and women with women).  Find a group that will help you with your specific problem.  There are a few very good purity groups out there.

 

2. Get rid of all forms of pornography.  If you have any form of porn in your home, you are inviting Satan in to destroy your life.  If you haven’t already, get rid of any books, magazines, or videos that are the least bit pornographic—anything that is lustful and sexual.  Also, if you have cable TV and Internet access, and if either or both of those have become a temptation for you to view pornography, put a block on it; but if that doesn’t work, get rid of it—cancel it.  It is not worth the risk. 

Some would say, “But there is so much good on the Internet; I think it’s worth the risk.” Well, I strongly disagree.  Never sacrifice your holiness for a few good things you may gain, because in the end Satan will use it to destroy you.

 

3. Practice bouncing your eyes away from what may cause you to lust.  If you really want to be holy you must make this a practice.  When you happen to see someone that you think you may begin to lust after, immediately turn your eyes away.  Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.”

 

4. Remind yourself constantly that “Charm is deceptive, and beauty fleeting; but a woman [or a man] who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Prov. 31:30).  This constant reminder will help you to realize how Satan works in the world to trap you and deceive you.  Hence, when you realize that outward beauty is only skin deep, and lasts for only a few years, you will be more aware of all those things that are truly praiseworthy and have an inner beauty.

 

5.  Know that God is always present and watching.  Everyone who has ever been tempted to view pornography, and to lust and fantasize, has always tried to convince themselves that God isn’t watching or that He doesn’t care about whether we sin or not.  That is the nature of temptation.  But God does care about you, and He sees everything you do.  Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”  In Psalms 90:8 the Psalmist prays, “You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.”  Also in Jeremiah 23:24, God asked the question: “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him…do not I fill heaven and earth?” 

I think it would be good to commit these verses to memory.  The thought that God cares (1 Peter 5:7) and that He sees everything you do will give you strength to resist the next time you are tempted.

 

6. Give yourself some accountability.  Employ some reliable friends to ask questions periodically about what you are doing and what you are looking at.  For the internet I recommend Covenant Eyes.  It is an excellent accountability program, where your accountability partners will be able to monitor everything you view; that is, they will get daily or weekly reports on what sites you are going to and what kinds of things you are looking at.  I think it’s very effective.  I use it myself.

 

7. Live by the Spirit.  Galatians 5:16 says, “…Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”  Well, you say, that’s easy to say, but how do you really do that?  My answer is simply to keep reading the Word and praying, and to keep trusting God and obeying Him as best you can.  And when you find yourself in a difficult situation, that is, when your thoughts are tempting you to sin, use the Word and prayer to cast those thoughts down (2 Cor. 10:5).  Hence, live by constant prayer, and dependence on the Holy Spirit and the true Word of God.

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Praying Prayers from the Psalms – Psalm 13:1-6

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

I went for a walk the other day (down the path you see in the picture above)—and took my verse cards with me.  I’ve been trying to memorize Psalm 13.  It’s a short prayer of David, a prayer that he prayed when he felt defeated.  I was going through some things too.  So I said to myself, “I’m gonna use this prayer.  I’m gonna make it my own.”  Here’s kind of the way I prayed, using David’s words—first reading a section of his prayer and then making it my own prayer.

 

David:

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

 

Me:

Lord, I know I’m not going through what David went through, but I’ve got problems too.  You know my problems.  You know what I’m going through, but I don’t sense that you are hearing me.

 

David:

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

 

Me:

Lord, You know the agony I’ve been going through.  You know the struggle I’m having with my situation.  I have not gotten any wisdom from you to gain the answer.  And I sense the demons all around me are laughing at me.  I’m starting to feel defeated.

 

David:

3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;

Enlighten my eyes,

Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

 4 Lest my enemy say,

“I have prevailed against him”;

Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

 

Me:

Yes, hear me God, my Lord.  Understand my dilemma.  Please give me some hope so I don’t feel so depressed, so those horrible demons around me won’t any longer laugh and rejoice at my defeat.

 

David:

5 But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

 6 I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

 

Me:

Lord, you know how I have in the past trusted in your mercy.  And I do now too.  Even as I feel defeated I trust that you will give me mercy and will deliver me from my sense of defeat.

 Lord, as David chose to sing to you, I choose now to sing to you too, and praise you for whatever you decide to do.  You have always been kind and fair to me, so I know that you will hear and answer my prayers.  I thank and praise you for your everlasting love and kindness.  You have always known how to help me and I trust that you will deliver me and show mw you unfailing love in the time of your choosing.  Amen.

 

Well, that’s kind of how the prayer went.  In a post coming up I will share with you some of the details of what I was going through and how God mercifully answered my prayer.

 

 

 

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Practice Right Thinking For Holiness–Philippians 4:8

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

 The practice of meditating on the Word will be most beneficial for right thinking, because when you are meditating on the scriptures your mind is occupied with right thoughts.  And the scriptures will also guide you in what else to think about in the world besides the scriptures.  One of the passages that specifically tell us that is Philippians 4:8.  Here Paul outlines for us seven things we should think about; or I think we could also look at it as seven qualities or virtues we should seek out and think about in different things in the world, such as in people, books, movies, and institutions. 

But we are not to just casually think over them; the word translated “think on” or “meditate on” (logizesthe), suggests more than just thinking.  The word actually means to take inventory, to reason, to reckon, and to esteem.  Adam Clark suggests that the things we are to meditate on, we are also to “esteem them highly, recommend them heartily, and practice them fervently.”  Likewise, Jamieson, Fauset, and Brown, in their commentary, says that it means “have regard to, so as to ‘do’ these things (Phil. 4:9) whenever occasion arises.” 

Therefore, we should not look only at the scriptures for what to think about, but we should regard that God has placed virtue all around us.  So we should seek to find those things and think about them, then to esteem them highly and to practice them fervently.  Here are those seven things that Paul gives us:

Things that are true.  These are things that are not false in their statements and promises, things that speak and emulate the truth.  This can be said of the Bible, but also of many good books and of good people.  But there are also equally as many bad, untrue books, people, and movies, etc., that we ought to stay away from and not think much about—things and people who make their business at lying and deceiving.

Whatever is noble.  This refers to things that deserve respect and reverence, such as the aged, proper customs, and our great heroes, etc.  It refers to anything or anyone that is worthy of honor.  Hence, it would be good for us to think about men such as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, or to consider the great heroes of faith in the Bible, to esteem them highly and to follow their faith.           

Whatever is just (or right).  Here we ought to think about men and women who are just in all their dealings with others.  This refers to a good business and to good businessmen, or to honest and good professors, or to a pastor who practices doing what is right.  Esteem these highly.  But pay no regard to those who are dishonest—who seek to cheat on their taxes, etc.  Look away from those and don’t give them much thought.            

Whatever is pure.  Here we are to think about and esteem those that are pure in their relations with the opposite sex, men who regard women as sisters and women who regard men as brothers.  Hence, we ought to endorse movies and books that are pure and show respect for the sexes, but conversely, to discourage the viewing and reading of all material that is pornographic and vile.          

Whatever is lovely.  This refers to people who are not sour or crabby but are pleasant and sweet, loving and lovable, people who are fun to be around.  It may also refer to works of art or the beauty of nature—all things that were created with a loving purpose.  Let us spend time considering these things and people, and also in figuring out how we too can be loving and pleasant.           

Whatever is of good report.  This refers to people that have done good things, things worthy of commendation.  It may also refer to good institutions and books and movies, etc.   Hence, we ought to consider these, and follow in their path.             

If there is any virtue…anything praiseworthy.  Here Paul concludes by adding that if there is anything else that is of virtue and worthy of praise we should think on those things and consider doing them.           

Therefore, in order to practice right thinking we must commit ourselves to the task of seeking out good and excellent things to think about.  Then we must spend time at them to study them.  We must also avoid things we ought not to think about—things that are not virtuous or praiseworthy.  Resist these things completely, because they are your enemies.  For if you spend time at them, they will work quietly to deceive and corrupt you.

 

 

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7 Things to Practice for Holiness

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

1.  Practice consecration with prayer.  Consecration is the act of giving ourselves completely to God through prayer for His will and service, recognizing that our life and all that we have is His. E.M. Bounds has said: “Prayer enters into every phase of a consecrated life…Consecration is really the setting apart of one’s self to a life of prayer.”

 And how does all this affect holiness? If affects it directly and in every aspect. We cannot be holy without it.  Why?  Because consecration is that which prepares the heart for holiness.  It is the act of giving ourselves to God by bringing our desires in line with His, thus by making our attitude right before him.  Moreover, by consecration we both prepare ourselves for holiness and we enter into that holy life.  A holy life in every phase is a life of consecration with prayer.

 2.  Practice meditating on the Word.  David said, “How can a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed according to Your word” (Ps. 119:9).  This means of course that we must obey the Word; but first we must abide in it and meditate on it, so that we know what it means.  Jesus tells us in John 8:31-32 that if we abide in His Word we are truly His disciples, and we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.  This freedom is not a freedom to do whatever we want.  It is a freedom from the bondage of sin.  It is deliverance from sin. 

 In John 17:17, when Jesus was praying for His disciples He said, “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.”  William Beck translates the verse this way: “Make them holy by the truth, Your word is truth.”

But if you really want to know the truth, and thus to become holy (that is, if you really want to abide in His Word), you must take time to meditate on the Word and delight in it.  For when we delight in it and treasure it in our heart (Ps. 119:11), then God will do a work in us so that we will want to do His will more than anything else.  David said, “I delight t do thy will oh my God, yea thy law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:8).

3.  Practice right thinking.  The practice of meditating on the Word will be most beneficial for right thinking, because when you are meditating on the scriptures your mind is occupied with right thoughts.  And the scriptures will also guide you in what else to think about in the world besides the scriptures.  One of the passages that specifically tell us that is Philippians 4:8.  Here Paul outlines for us seven things we should think about; or I think we could also look at it as seven qualities or virtues we should seek out and think about in different things in the world, such as in people, books, movies, and institutions. 

 But we are not to just casually think over them; the word translated “think on” or “meditate on” (logizesthe), suggests more than just thinking.  The word actually means to take inventory, to reason, to reckon, and to esteem.  Adam Clark suggests that the things we are to meditate on, we are also to “esteem them highly, recommend them heartily, and practice them fervently.”  Likewise, Jamieson, Fauset, and Brown, in their commentary, says that it means “have regard to, so as to ‘do’ these things (Phil. 4:9) whenever occasion arises.”          

Therefore, we should not look only at the scriptures for what to think about, but we should regard that God has placed virtue all around us.  So we should seek to find those things and think about them, then to esteem them highly and to practice them fervently.  

4.  Practice keeping your eyes pure.  Some would say, “It is impossible these days to keep your eyes pure, because there is so much pornography out there; we see it practically everywhere we go.”  But I want to tell you that with God’s help, and with practice, it is a battle that can be won!           

In one of my next posts I will write about how people get trapped into viewing pornography, and about its results, and how to fight against it.           

5.  Practice grieving over sin.  It seems to me that one of the things we do wrong in America is that we spend too much time convincing ourselves that we are okay, and not enough time grieving over our sins.  Many of us tell our children when they have done something wrong to take a “time out” to think about what they did.  But do we practice this ourselves?  Do we take the time to think about our own sin and grieve over it?  I think if we did, we would be in better shape; holiness will not come without reflection, and grieving, and repentance.  Let us take time regularly to think about what we have done wrong, grieve as God grieves, and determine to change our ways. 

6.  Practice being thankful.  There is something about the regular practice of thanking God for everything that just makes everything better.  Thankfulness and praise to God will give strength to your purity like nothing else; but unthankfulness will contribute to ungodliness (Rom. 1:21).  When you are thankful to God in your spirit, you don’t complain or argue (Phil. 2:14); but when you decide not to be thankful, you become bitter and selfish.  Thankfulness is how you worship God; but being unthankful and ungrateful is how you grieve God.  Strive to be thankful always, and God will reward you with peace and holiness (Phil. 4:7, Phil. 2:15).

 7.  Practice suffering.  One of the reasons why addicts can’t break their bad habits, can’t quit their addictions is because they haven’t learned how to suffer.  They are probably afraid of suffering. 

 In Mark Laaser’s book Faithful and True, Sexual Integrity in a Fallen World, he states, “The first part of the sexual addiction cycle is preoccupation.  Rather than allowing themselves to experience their shame, pain, and loneliness, sex addicts will start thinking about sex.”

This statement really hit me because it is so true of so many of us.  We have not learned the art of suffering, that is, we have not learned how to let ourselves experience our pain.  We have not come to believe that God calls us to suffer, and that He will help us in suffering.

Jesus was the model sufferer.  He knew that God called Him to suffer and He did not back down from it.  Do you remember what Jesus said to Peter after he cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear?  Jesus said to him, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me” (Jn. 18:11)?  Hence, Jesus was willing to suffer through everything, even His crucifixion.

Job was also a good sufferer.  When his wife suggested that he give up—to “curse God and die”—because of his suffering, he replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble” (Job 2:10, NIV)?

Therefore, what I am saying is that if you want to be holy you must learn how to suffer; you must accept your pain and suffering as from God and for our good.  Too often we try to ignore or go around or replace our pain with something else, something that seems to be kind to us but that we know is not good for us.  Many of us choose to think of sinful thoughts because we think that it will help us to get through the pain.  And you know what?  It does help us at first.   But then the cycle of sin we began, eventually, and quite quickly, takes us down into more pain and despair.

 The only way you will be free of oncoming sinful thoughts in your mind is to let yourself experience whatever pain you happen to be going through at the time—to suffer through it.  Then, in time, in a short time, God will come and help you and make you stronger.  1 Peter 5:10 says, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

So whatever pain you are going through, whatever shame, whatever sorrow, whatever loneliness, whatever it is, learn to embrace it and call it your friend.  Don’t reject it.  Don’t go around it.  Don’t try to replace it or make yourself feel better by engaging in lustful thoughts and sinful behavior.  Face your pain head on.  You can pray over it.  Yes, talk to God about it.  And He will help you go through it. And you will come through it stronger and wiser (But don’t ask Him to remove your pain.  Just ask Him to help you go through it). 

The Devil will tell you that sin (to start to think of some sin) will help you to get through your pain.  But that’s a lie.  The only way to get through your pain is to face it and pray through it.  And when you do you will be stronger for it.  And you will find, joyfully, that the very pain that once brought you to sin now makes you stronger through suffering, and better able to resist that sin (Read James 1:2-4).  How great a God we have!  He makes all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28).

 

 

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