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Author Archives: Stephen Nielsen
Wisdom — Proverbs 7:4-5
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend;
5 That they may keep you from an adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words (Prov. 7:4-5).
Wisdom and understanding always go together. They together will keep you from an adulteress.
Wisdom — Proverbs 5:1-4
My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;
2 That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
And smoother than oil is her speech;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood (Prov. 5:1-4).
Wisdom comes from the father. He will teach you discretion and purity (which is wisdom).
How to Use the Lord’s Prayer to Aid You in Prayer
If you are struggling in prayer and are not sure that you are praying as you ought to (as God wants you to), I suggest that you use The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) as an outline for your prayer. Start with the address—“Our Father in heaven.” Take one or two minutes to meditate on those words (depending on how much time you have). Then pray in your own words anything that comes to your mind. No doubt, if you have meditated on “Our Father in heaven” that is the topic the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind. Next, read and meditate on the first petition—“Hallowed be Your name.” Then pray according to how the Holy Spirit leads you on that topic. Meditate and pray through each petition and also the doxology.
If you like you can break the prayer up differently. For example, instead of taking each petition separately…
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Wisdom — Proverbs 4:11-13
I have directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life (Prov. 4:11-13).
God and your parents will direct you in the way of wisdom.
Monday News Day: Putin invites Xi to Moscow
I have a great idea for this New Year! I am assigning Monday as News Day. It will be U.S. and World News—but mainly World News. I intend to gather all the news that pertains to how the world is progressing toward globalism and toward an antichrist government. I think this will be an encouragement for Christians—because we will be able to more clearly see that our Lord’s coming is near.
I have already set up a new page on my blog so you are welcome to look at all the news articles that I will gather from various sources. I think I will probably post up to three articles from the previous week on Sunday afternoon, and then I will pick out one of them to comment on for Monday’s news. I am excited about it! Today I am thinking about the December 30th article, “Putin invites Xi to Moscow to ramp up military cooperation.”
Putin invites Xi to Moscow to ramp up military cooperation
Russian leader Vladimir Putin told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday he was keen to ramp up military cooperation and hailed the two countries’ efforts to counter Western influence.
The relationship between Russia and China, which the two sides have hailed as a “no limits” partnership, took on great significance since Moscow sent its armed forces into Ukraine some 10 months ago. Though Western countries imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia, China has refrained from condemning Moscow’s military campaign, instead stressing the need for peace.
The Russian leader said he expected Xi to visit Moscow in the spring.
Putin said military cooperation has a “special place” in the relationship between their countries. He said the Kremlin aimed to “strengthen the cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and China.”
Anytime bad countries—Communist countries—get together for “military cooperation” I immediately perk up my ears, because I know they are up to no good, especially since they intend to counter Western influence.
In Revelation 16:12-16, we read that in the end (during the Great Tribulation) demons will convince the world leaders to gather to a place called Har-Magedon (or Armageddon). That will turn out to be the end of the world as we know it.
But after that, God will bring in His new kingdom and His Son will rule over the earth for one-thousand years of peace. We should all look forward to that!
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil
We have been looking at the Lord’s Prayer and we have been trying to practice praying as our Lord outlined for us. We have come to the part where it says, “And lead us not into temptation…
So, after we have prayed for daily bread and forgiveness, we are made clean and strong, ready for duty and for battle. But before we go out into the world we must pray that God would lead us and protect us.
The petition here for leading is really a plea for mercy—that God would not lead us into situations where it would be too difficult for us to bear under trials, so that we would give into sin. The second part, that He “deliver us from evil,” is the answer to the first part. That is, if He does not lead us into temptation, what He does is the opposite—He delivers us out of…
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Wisdom — Proverbs 4:5-9
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
8 “Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 “She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty (Prov. 4:5-9).
If you do not abandon wisdom, if you instead love her, prize her, and embraced her, she will guard you, exalt you and honor you.
Winter Stories
These trees have been bent over for many years and weighed down by the snow every winter. I’m waiting for them to crash down on the telephone lines below.
Here is a path into and through the tall trees. It’s adventurous to walk in here.
Here is a narrow path leading out to the creek. The path is barely visible because of all the snow, yet it beckons us forward.
This bridge takes us over the creek if we desire to go there.
8 Things God has given to us in His Son
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:1-4).
8 Things God has given to us in His Son
1 He has spoken to us in His Son.
2 He appointed His Son to be the heir of all things.
3 Through His Son He made the world (the ages).
4 Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.
5 Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature.
6 Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power.
7 Jesus made purification of sins (our sins).
8 Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
And He has done all these things for us!
Stephen Nielsen 