Monthly Archives: February 2023

Armageddon — Christ’s Appearing

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The return of Jesus Christ, His visible appearing and what He does, is the climax of Armageddon and of the Tribulation. It is the victory for believers, and the awaited, deserving punishment for unbelievers. Since there is so many important things to cover in this section, we will be careful to study all of the essential Scriptures that pertain to this topic (Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 19:11-16; 14:14-20; Zech. 12:2-14; 14:3-15; Matt. 16:27, 25:31, 26:64, Rev. 1:7, and 16:15).

Christ’s Appearing

It will be just as the Tribulation ends, when all the world is dark and when the powers of the heavens have been shaking the earth (Matt. 24:29; Zech. 14:6) that He suddenly appears. Though the lights in the world have gone out, the heavens will open (Rev. 19:11) and He will appear as bright as the sun; and every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7). He will come with glorious clouds of heaven; not with earthly clouds, but with heavenly clouds of glory that blaze with magnificent heavenly light (Rev. 1:7). Perhaps this will be the same glory clouds, or the shekinah glory, written about in the Old Testament that led the Israelites through the wilderness (Ex. 13:21; 14:19-20). Nonetheless, He will come triumphantly, in His brilliance, riding on a white horse, and the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, will follow Him on white horses (Rev. 19:11, 14).

The physical sight of Him will definitely be glorious and magnificent; yet, when we see Him, I think He will also bring to the world a spiritual and emotional awareness of His nature and purpose. The apostle John perceived these things about Him.  In Revelation 19:11-16 John wrote,

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name Is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

We know that John knew Jesus well. He was the disciple that loved Him. More than any of the others, he knew Him. However, I think in His vision of Him (from this passage) God revealed more about Him—things that will also be revealed to us and to those on the earth at that time when they see Him. What I mean is that when He comes, we will be able to sense more about Him—that He is “Faithful and True;” and that He comes in righteousness to judge and wage war. And I wonder if we will see His eyes, that they will actually be “a flame of fire.” And we will see His glorious kingship, that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now I think that some things in this passage are symbolic, such as that “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood.” But certainly, we will be able to perceive that He is the One who has been fighting many battles for us; and that He has shed His blood for us. Surely, all eyes will see that at the time of His coming He comes with the fierce wrath of God against the enemy; and He comes with a sharp sword—literally, and figuratively (which is the Word of God) to strike down every foe.

Dressing Modestly

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1 Timothy 2:8-10

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.

This passage is good for me as a man, because my lustful old nature is attracted to women who are not modest. And those women are also acting on their old lustful nature. Hence, there is sin on both sides. Also, the Christian man is wrong if he does not keep himself in prayer always—not committing all things to God.

In this passage Paul is addressing the Christian woman especially, who are to dress modestly. They should know better. And so, they should be an example to other younger women and women of the world, as well as to be an example of a pure women to all men.

In this evil world, all of us who are believers should do all we can to encourage purity and holiness. And this issue of being modest in our dress, is such an easy thing for us to do. It is how we should start the day. Let not any Christian do otherwise. Also, let every man look away from any woman who is dressed inappropriately!

Spy Balloons, Now ships and Planes

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It looks like things are ramping up in the South China Sea. Here’s an article.

US holds drills in South China Sea amid tensions with China

February 12, 2023

BEIJING (AP) — The United States Navy and Marine Corps are holding joint exercises in the South China Sea at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

The 7th Fleet based in Japan said Sunday that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit have been conducting “integrated expeditionary strike force operations” in the South China Sea.

It said exercises involving ships, ground forces and aircraft took place Saturday but gave no details on when they began or whether they had ended.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and strongly objects to military activity by other nations in the contested waterway through which $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year.

The U.S. takes no official position on sovereignty in the South China Sea, but maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight must be preserved. Several times a year, it sends ships sailing past fortified Chinese outposts in the Spratly Islands, prompting protests from Beijing.

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Update: Fighting a Headache

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I have been fighting a headache for almost three weeks. I’m waiting on an MRI report—but I don’t think it will show anything. I have a feeling that I have nitrates in my body from the packaged meats that I have been eating lately. Sometimes we do things, stupid things, without thinking about it. Packaged meats are loaded with preservatives.

Well, anyway, I have decided to take some steps to cleanse my body starting today. I will also start a juice fast. I have a juicer. The right away to do it is to juice mostly green veggies with an apple and also dilute it with one-third water. I hope and pray this will work to stop my headache.

Satan blinds the minds of the unsaved to the truth. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 it says, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

If you are a Christian and wonder why your witness is not effective, this is one reason why. They just can’t understand the truth of the gospel, because Satan is blinding them from it. They think it is foolish or extreme! But if we understand that, and keep preaching the truth to them, some day it will hopefully break through. We all have see it. We must not give up!  

Over the years I have been discouraged over this—that people are so obstinate toward the gospel. But I’m starting to see now that it is all because of this work of Satan, and so we just have to work harder at it—to rip that blindfold off and to flood in the gospel and to pray.

I’m believing in prayer for everyone I encounter. I have started keeping track of everyone I run into and say a few words to during the day. At the end of each day, I record their names and pray for them. I am believing that they will see my life and witness and that God will open the truth to them. I think the more I do this the more I will see God work and also the more I will be encouraged. You know, all Christians who are walking in the Spirit are an aroma of Christ (2 Cor. 2:14-16). We make manifest to them who His.

Laying aside every weight (from Hebrews 12:1). I’m sure you know that when you run in a race, to have your best performance you should not wear a lot of clothing. It will weigh you down and slow you down. In the Christian life any sin and anything not committed to God in prayer is a weight; and anything you do that is not of the truth is a weight. What weight is holding you back? Get rid of it. Strip if off. And keep looking to Jesus who is the author and finisher of faith (v. 2).

Four Reasons Why Prayer Takes Time

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

 It almost always takes time for prayers to be answered; therefore, prayers need to continue with persistence.  But why is that true?  Why can’t God answer prayers immediately?

Well, He can, and He sometimes does if He wants to perform a miracle.  However, God has chosen to put us, and all His creation, under the law of gradual growth.  Just as the grass, the flowers, and the trees grow slowly and gradually, animals and people also grow slowly and gradually.  Our prayers should be that that process would continue as it was designed, hence, that God would give us the proper sunshine and rain that we need in order to grow and develop properly.  Furthermore, let us pray that He would send His messengers to pull the evil weeds out that hinder our growth.

Now I am not saying that we can’t pray for a miracle, or that God can’t…

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The Future Fall of Jerusalem

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Many scholars agree that while all the armies of the world are headed toward Jerusalem to fight her, this is when there will be a strike against Babylon to destroy it. Ron Rhodes writes, “What an irony we have here. While phase one of Armageddon is underway, with the antichrist preparing his armies to attack Israel, God will cause a military force to attack the antichrist’s headquarters of Babylon.”2

Rhodes and others seem to think (according to Jeremiah 50:41-42) that Babylon will be attacked and destroyed by a military force from the north. However, I think it is more likely that these verses are referring to the armies of Media Persia in 539 B. C. The future destruction of Babylon (referred to in Isaiah 13:19 and Revelation 18) is clearly God’s own doing, just as He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now back to the fall of Jerusalem. The clear teaching on this is in Zechariah 14:1-2:

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.

From these verses we see a three-point account of the battle and the fall of Jerusalem.

1. The gathering armies of the world will move into the city, plunder the houses, and ravish the women. What a brutal and ruthless bunch.

2. Half of the people in the city will be captured, and the rest will be left standing among the ruins—a sad picture.

3. Much spoil is taken and divided among them. John MacArthur comments: “Jerusalem will be so overcome by the enemy that the spoil will be leisurely divided in the midst of the city, illustrating how completely Jerusalem will be overthrown.”3

Another Scripture reference on Jerusalem’s fall is Zechariah 12:2-4:

“Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. 3 “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. 4 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.

These verses give us a true perspective of what will be going on, or what God will make the nations to become through their fighting over Jerusalem. Verse two tells us that “Jerusalem will be a cup that causes reeling.” What does that mean? I think it means that because of their sin of lust and greed over the spoils of war, they will become drunk with it, and thus disoriented. Hence, they will be easy prey for God’s divine judgment. They, in effect will be trapped. And it will be all of God’s doing. He will gather them together; and He will make them easy targets for His coming judgment.

2 Ron Rhodes, The End Times In Chronological Order (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2012), p. 166.

3 John MacArthur, John MacArthur’s notes on Zechariah 14:1.

18 Facets of Importune Prayer

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER

Here, in summary, are eighteen facets of importune prayer that I have written about in my book Principles of Prayer.  Importune prayer… 

  1. is an appeal to the friendship of God for our friends.
  2. goes beyond friendship.
  3. keeps asking with a shameless boldness.
  4. keeps increasing in intensity.
  5. is never discouraged.
  6. is prayer that would wear out and trouble any person of this earth.
  7. is prayer at all times, even in difficult times.
  8. is prayer that cries out in desperation for an urgent need.
  9. persists in asking even when God seems distant.
  10.  is always with great faith.
  11.  is prayers that is made out of a genuine concern for its object.
  12.  is prayer that has a concern for righteousness and for God’s reputation.
  13.  is prayer with a fearless boldness.
  14.  is motivated out of a fear of God’s wrath.
  15.  has a sacrificial passion and love for people.
  16.  is prayer that has an…

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Huge Earthquake — More than 2,300 Dead

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The 7.8 mag. Earthquake in Turkey and Syria that had claimed the lives of more than 2,300 people, has brought my attention to what I have been reading in Revelation sixteen. Verse 18 and following, tells us that there will be a great earthquake—the greatest there ever was. It will be so great that it will cause all the cities to fall. And it will cause every island and all the mountains to disappear below the earth. Read it yourself (Rev. 16:18-20).

As great as this quake in Turkey is, the one coming up will be so much greater. I hope you who are reading this will not have to go through it—in the Tribulation. You need not experience it if you are a Christian and are raptured.

Here is an article on this recent earthquake.

More than 2,300 people dead in Turkey, Syria after 7.8-magnitude earthquake

 February 5

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, killing more than 2,300 people and taking down countless buildings. 

The earthquake prompted a search for survivors in the rubble in cities and towns across the region. The death toll is expected to rise. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the numbers could increase as much as eight time as rescuers work to find more victims. 

“We always see the same thing with earthquakes, unfortunately, which is that the initial reports of the numbers of people who have died or who have been injured will increase quite significantly in the week that follows,” the WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, told AFP.

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