If you are having some difficulty knowing how to abide in the Word, or knowing how abiding works to bring about desire, here are five steps to follow that I think will be helpful.
Contemplate.Before I pray I always find it helpful to read something from the Bible and to think about its meaning. Think about what God has said to you from the Bible, but also what He says to you in nature—think on and remember the wonders He has done (1 Chron. 16:11). As you read the gospels, think of Jesus. Think of all His qualities and what He has done for you. Eventually you will find yourself longing for God.
Reckon.Reckon (know and believe) that He will never leave you, and that you are a member of His body. Reckon that His life flows through you as the living sap that…
I think it’s time for another update. I’ll try to be positive, though I am having a few problems.
My Present Job
I’m a retired house painter, but I still do a little work. The job I am working on now is not going well. Actually, I thought I was finished, but when the owner got home (from a vacation) and looked it over, she was not pleased. I very rarely get complaints, but she had plenty. What went wrong?
Well, I’m not going to tell you everything, except to say that she let me know that I am not a perfect painter—as I sometimes think I am. I am feeling quite humbled. I have a lot to do over (second coats). I had Thanksgiving and today off, and Saturday I will try to finish up. My prayers this morning were three-fold: that I would do the work well; that my mind would be at peace and I will not worry about it; and that she (the owner) would settle down and not be so upset with me—to also be at peace.
Thanksgiving Day
My sister’s first husband invited me over to his house. He is a good friend, so I was excited to see him and his two kids, also to see some of his family I have never met. It was such a good time being together and making some new friends.
Reading and Writing about Christian Martyrs
I’ve been reading and blogging on Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. It’s been a struggle for two reasons: The reading is so difficult; the translation from that time period (about 1500) is not good. I will try to find a more modern translation. Also, though it is very inspiring to hear how the Martyrs believed and endured suffering, it is troubling to hear how evil things were in the Catholic church and how they were, and still are, so blinded by the devil.
I am also at the same time reading and writing about the coming Tribulation. I am now wondering if the Tribulation martyrdom will be a return of the same Catholic inquisition. I think it may be, but worse! I am so happy though, to know that when they die they will immediately be with the Lord and will be forever rejoicing with Him (as a few Revelation passaged tell us).
Old Age and Retirement
I don’t want to bore you or complain about things, but I do sense that my emotional make-up is breaking down. Maybe I should read a good book on retirement. I know that I need to learn how to relax more, etc. I don’t want to just sit and vegetate. But maybe there are some changes I need to make.
Well, that’s all for now in this update. I wish you all well—you who regularly follow my blog. And I will keep you all in my prayers.
I’ll start telling you about my writing. My life these days is mostly about my writing. It seems like as soon as I finish one book, I am raring to go start another one. I’m writing now a book about the Tribulation. I’m liking it so far. It is blessing me to see how everything is fitting together. And it is true that those who read and study the book of Revelation will be blessed! I think that when I get about half way through I will start blogging the book—a little at a time, to let everyone see it. I’m getting to the point in my writing that not much editing, or rewriting is needed. So, I just keep moving on. I like it better that way. No need to keep trying to perfect it.
I’ve changed churches. It’s a bigger church and it is much more according to the way I believe. But I haven’t gotten too plugged in yet. I need to do that. I may want to get into a small group if I can find one. Fellowship is so important, but for some reason I find it hard connecting with people. I’m sort of an introvert. But when I make friends, I like being with them. I find that I am energized by good friends.
Well, I should go. I’m getting new tires for my truck today! And an oil change. The Lord is good.
It turns out that I’ll be waiting two hours for my truck tires. So, I’ll write a little more as I wait. It’s so beautiful to see the leaves changing color. I think God has designed it that way—that we will have some variety in what we see and experience from season to season. This time of year is especially nice in Minnesota. It will stay in the 50’s for a while—jacket weather. I actually like it better than warm weather. It’s more refreshing.
I’m running out of books to read. I usually have a few on my shelf waiting for me—so this is uncommon. I’m thinking that I will concentrate on more bible reading while I wait for Bill O’Reilly’s next book to come out. And that—bible reading—I’m sure is a good thing and will bring new blessings and rewards.
As I mentioned previously, I am writing a book now on THE TRIBULATION, and I will be blogging it as I go along. I have written the first chapter entitled Leading Up to the Tribulation, and I presented six points: 1) Dealing With, Or Not Dealing With, 2) The Aftershocks Of The Rapture; 3) Setting Up A Global Government; 4) Seeing The Beginnings Of A New Global Religion; 5) The Ezekiel Invasion; The Rise Of The Antichrist; and 6) World Peace, Temple Preparation And The Peace Covenant.
I have already blogged the first point, and today is the second. I will present it just as it will be in the book—uncut.
SETTING UP A GLOBAL GOVERNMENT
As the world tries to deal with the aftershocks of the Rapture, key leaders of many countries will begin to meet together to find global solutions. And we know, according to Scripture, that the world will come to a unified agreement on the establishment of a new global government—as well as a new global religion. It is likely, however, though many ideas will be discussed and agreed upon, that the new government won’t actually begin until the commencement of the signing of the peace accord with Israel, which will mark the beginning of the Tribulation.
There is no way of knowing the details of what will be discussed when the key leaders come together, but the topic of a new global government will probably be the most immediate. Under this major topic they will likely discuss and seek to make decisions on a global currency, the form of government and controls of the government.
It seems that the world has already made huge strides with currencies, or with many new methods of payment, especially with credit cards and also by bank transfers. I don’t see that there will be any problems with converting to a global currency or maybe with on credit card used by all.
As far as the government itself, most bible scholars agree that the new world government will be a revived Roman Empire. Biblical proof of this is taken from three Daniel passages.
Daniel 2:32-40. This passage gives us the familiar story of king Nebuchadnezzars’ dream and Daniel’s interpretation of it. He saw in his dream a huge statue of a man with a head of gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron and feet of both iron and clay. Along with Daniel’s recognition of the four different world kingdoms, scholars now recognize these kingdoms as such: the head of gold as Babylon, the silver breast and arms as Medo-Persia, the belly and thigh of bronze as Greece, and the iron legs and feet as Rome.
Our focus in these last days are on that forth empire of Rome, and particularly on the feet which, in the dream, were made of a mixture of iron and clay. The strong legs of iron we reason represents the early historic Rome, and the feet represents the revived future Rome. And we must take note that since the feet are of that mixture, that the coming revived Roman empire will be somewhat weaker than the early Rome.
Daniels 2:41-42. From these verses the writer of Daniel does not say that there are ten toes on the feet of the statute, but we can make that assumption. Hence, we may surmise that the ten toes symbolize the same as the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7:24, which, as we are told, represents ten kings—ten kings that are in our future and which will be a part of the future Roman empire.
Daniel 9:26. In this verse we see a timeline of events from the Messiah’s death to the beginning of the Tribulation. Our focus is now on the phrase “and the people of the prince who is to come.” “The prince” here refers not to Jesus but to the Antichrist, the “he” in verse 27. “The people” of the prince are the Romans, because, according to history, they destroyed “the city and the sanctuary” (Jerusalem and the temple).
So, we see from this passage that the Romans are called “the people of the prince,” which are the people of the Antichrist. Hence, this gives us proof that the Romans will be revived during the days of the Antichrist.
Now besides this evidence of the Revived Roman Empire, there is also evidence that its government headquarters will be located in the European Union. Here are…
Seven Reasons why the European Union will becomeThe Revived Roman Empire
1. The EU has the dimensions of an empire in the same area of the old Roman Empire.The EU presently has 28 countries and it has the goal of enlisting a total of 50 countries, including North Africa, North and South America, and Israel.
2. The EU has a power structure that will work for the Antichrist.They have a federalist ideology that is divided between a strong undemocratic central authority and individual units. Hence, it would be very easy for them to give way to a dictatorship and also to set up ten main divisions of power—which will happen in the Revived Roman Empire under the Antichrist (Dan. 2:41-42; 7:24; Rev. 17:12).
3. The EU is preparing its people for the Antichrist.In the last few years, they have been using devious means to make the nation states less autonomous, less powerful, and more willing to be controlled by a central leader.
4. The EU has a goal to unite the world in peace. This goal fits well with what the Antichrist will accomplish during the first few months of his reign.
5. The EU has peaceful plans for Israel. It is in their plans to offer Israel free trade, protection and peace. This Israeli friendship may be the key element confirming the EU as the Revived Roman Empire.
6. The EU’s conflicts of authority.we are seeing a growing problem in the EU between the central power and the weaker national powers. It seems to me that the conflicts have to do with allowing too many people of different cultures to enter their countries without properly vetting them. In any event, this problem matches well with what we see in Daniel 2:431-43: the problem with the iron and the clay.
7. There are some reports that the EU is moving closer to a ten-nation federation.The ten toes and the ten king’s prophecy are coming into view.
I bought these Petunias to brighten up my apartment.
My Work
Lately I’ve been staying busy, more than I want to be. For some reason I have gotten a lot of calls for jobs this year. I’m a house painter. That’s what I have been busy with. Though I am retired, I just keep working. But I’m not complaining—too much. The main complaint this year is the terrible heat. We are having a lot of 90-degree days. Too hot to paint!
My latest book, The Tribulation
I’ve written a few books on prayer, a few books on bible prophecy, and my memoir. Now I’m back to bible prophecy. I’m just getting started on this book on the Tribulation. I’m excited to know how it will turn out. I’ve done some research, but I know I will do more as I go along. I do have an outline, so I know what the content will be, but I also know that I will have some surprises—I will learn as I go. And, as is my custom, I will blog the content as I go. That will start soon.
The News
As Christians often say, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.” That has more and more been my attitude, especially since the news is so bad. I listen to the radio—probably more than I should—to get a conservative slant on things. But you know, since the Dem’s control everything, there is not much good news. And can you believe this Critical Race theory they are pushing? Terrible. And there seems to be no end to the upsurge in crime and murder. The only good news of it all is that the Rapture will be coming soon!
I think it is good every once in a while, for a blogger to stop and evaluate what he blogs on, especially for a Christian blogger, because he has a grater responsibility before God to present the truth before God and others.
Here are four different blogging themes I would like to evaluate.
1. Blogging on the evils of our day.
2. Blogging on the necessity of fellow believers to be grounded in the word.
3. To expound on the great truths of Scripture.
4. To present my own testimony and the testimony of others.
Blogging On the Evils of Our Day
Every once in a while, I am compelled to do this, both for my own understanding (through my research) and to inform others. As Christians and as good citizens I think we need to be aware of what’s going on in the world. How can we be discerning unless someone warns us? And how can we be protected from evil unless we know what that evil is? And how can we pray against evil unless we know what we are praying about?
But though I think it is important to be warned of certain evils, I caution myself and others not to spend too much time on it. As a Christian our meditation and delight should be on the word of God and His truth. Also, we would not even understand what evil is, and we would not have a healthy warning of it unless we were informed of it from the word and by the Holy Spirit.
Blogging On the Necessity of Being Grounded in The Word
It is always good to remind myself and others to be grounded in the word—to be constantly reading and meditating on and memorizing the word. The Psalms are especially good for this; verses like Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
Blogging On the Great Truths of Scripture
This I think is most important; but at the same time, we have a greater responsibility to get it right—to expound the word correctly. We should always take our time and make sure we speak the truth. Sometimes I think it is better to just quote the Scriptures instead of trying to explain it in our own words. In my writing I often depend on a good commentary—someone trustworthy.
Blogging My Own Story or the Story of Others
We all enjoy hearing a good story. Sometimes a testimony will encourage another more than anything else, because it is something that can’t be denied. It is what happened to a person.
I think I should use this blogging method more than I have. It is easy and it is effective.
Sadness. Lately I have been feeling depressed over the shootings and rioting. I’m not really on one side or the other, but I think if people would respect the police more and if parents would instill that respect in their kids, things would be better. If the police aren’t immediately obeyed, there is bound to be trouble; things could get out of control fast. I’m sick about all the riots and the deaths. But we can’t cancel the police. They are here to keep law and order and most of them do that well.
I should also say that God knows all about what is going on in the world, and so we (I) need not be anxious. So, I will pray about it and leave it to Him. I can only so much according to how He directs me, and then He will finish it up according to His will. God is in control of all things, and when we (I) understand that we (I) will have more peace.
Faith. The idea that most of our troubles result from our little faith has been churning in my mind. When Jesus was speaking about how to overcome anxiety and worry by observing the birds and the flowers, He concluded by saying, “O ye of little faith.” And that is the summation of most of our problems, isn’t it? We just fail to believe in Him, that He will take care of us and bring us hope and good things; that He will show us His love and put us at peace and in His joy.
The paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.
He pardons our iniquities
and teaches us to fear Him.
He tells us to keep looking to Him
and to trust Him to deliver us.
(from Psalm 25)
Walking, working and writing. I walk most to enjoy nature and to photograph nature. You will see my photos in my blogs. But I also walk for exercise and to feel better.
I’m a retired painter, but I still work once in a while just to keep busy and to see my customers. I have a few clients that I know and have worked for for a over twenty years. It is good to see them and to keep painting for them.
I’m also a writer and a self-publisher. I enjoy writing books, but I haven’t sold too many. Hopefully that will change soon when I go with a different publisher. I’m thinking of Xulon. They are a Christian company so I think that will help. I’m writing a book now on the Tribulation. Hopefully it won’t take long to write, and I’m sure you will soon be getting some of the book excerpts.
This article is an excerpt from my book, Prayer A to Z.
There is really only one prayer that a non-Christian can pray with the assurance that God will hear him. It is the prayer for mercy—from a humble heart that sincerely has decided to go God’s way. Any other prayers that are uttered by a non-Christian are an abomination to God and are not heard. Why? Well, it is not because God is not good. He is good (Read Matthew 5:43-45). It is because He can not grant any other request of the unsaved, because they naturally do not do what is right or seek after God (Romans 3:10-11). Isaiah 64:6 tells us that the unsaved are unclean and all their righteousness are like filthy rags to God. Therefore, God will not listen to their prayers because all their requests are made with selfish, ungodly motives.
The following article is an excerpt from this book.
Prayer was never meant to be an end in itself—not an exercise to glory in, to impress someone, or even merely for communion and enjoyment of God (though that is part of prayer). Rather, the main purpose of prayer is to glorify God when we receive from Him the things we ask for (Jn. 14:13). And that is what we should expect when we pray—that He will give us exactly what we ask for, nothing else, nothing different. Here are three reasons why we can know that we can recieve answers to prayer—taken from my book Prayer A to Z.
1. In all of Jesus’ teachings on prayer He has emphasized strongly that we can receive answers. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus instructed His disciples on asking and receiving. He told them that if…
The 7-year Tribulation is coming soon. It is closer than we think. We must prepare for it, and Christians must warn sinners of its horrors.
So far, I’ve written three books on bible prophecy, all focused on the Rapture of the church. Now I’m excited about writing on the Tribulation, the 7-year Tribulation. Most books I’ve seen on this subject focus mainly on the judgments in Revelation: the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls; and they also go at length to try to figure out all the details of Revelation. My focus will be different. I want to pin-point my focus on what the Tribulation will be like in all of its horrors. And I will not only look at the book of Revelation, I will look at all of the bible, especially the Old Testament books. We sometimes miss those books. And sometimes we see them just as history. But they also are prophetic.
My idea is to stir people up as to what is ahead and thus to bring sinners to repentance before it is too late. I know that we as Christians will be raptured just before the Tribulation, but that does not mean that we can relax and just wait to be taken. I think we have a responsibility to warn unbelievers of what is coming. I think I will try to show how the world is leaning toward these terrible days, and that it is closer than we think. I will show the indicators of these soon coming tribulation events.
I am just now doing my research, mostly gathering Scripture from the Old Testament: from Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, Zephaniah, Zechariah and others. And many of those references can be cross referenced to Revelation. I’m getting a lot of help from the book Things To Come, by the late Dwight Pentecost. He has gathered a lot of material on the subject of the Tribulation. But what he has is more of an outline, and he shows many different views. My work will be more focused, and, like I said, pin-pointed toward what it will be like—the wrath of God on the earth!
I’m just starting my research, so my ideas could change along the way. Of course, I will want to show and explain the reasons, or God’s purpose for the Tribulation, and to detail as well as possible the whole doctrine of the Tribulation. As is my usual approach, it will be well organized and a teaching not just for the reader but to me. I’m sure I will get more out of it than anyone else.
This work may take a couple of years, so patience is required. Please, your prayers are very welcome and needed, that I will be persistent and patient in the work, especially in the research and study—to lay the foundation for the writing.
Stephen Nielsen 