Category Archives: Reblogs

Faith of Abiding

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

Faith is that element in abiding that I think is most dominant. Also, it is that element that ties all the other parts of abiding together, for we cannot meditate on the Word, bear fruit, obey God’s commandments, or please Him without faith.

Here are eight things that the abiding Christian does to build his faith in order to keep him abiding:

 1. He makes it his habit to meditate on the Word every day. This daily meditation time helps him to see things from God’s perspective, gives him a desire for God, and helps him to adjust his desires to God’s desires.

 2. He obeys God and keeps himself busy with His work. The abiding believer knows that faith isn’t really faith without obedience and work. In fact, he is convinced that his faith is perfected by obedience (Ja. 2:22).  Therefore, he is always diligent to listen to…

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The Distinctive of the Church: 5 Features of the Church

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarStudying Bible Prophecy

bride of Christ

We have been showing the distinctiveness of each group—Israel and the church, and why they cannot be merged. In my last post we viewed the distinctive of Israel: Jewish people who are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Now we will look at the distinctive of the church.

The first thing I will point out regarding the church is that it has a distinct time period—from Pentecost to the rapture.  Only God knows the length of this period, but it will be the exact time needed to prepare us, His bride, for our union with Him.

Secondly, unlike Israel, the church has a mysterious character.  Whereas Israel was always well known throughout the Old Testament, the church sort of popped out of nowhere.  That is, it was unheard of in the Old Testament, and wasn’t really revealed until Christ came.  But even then, the concept of the church was…

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Holiness of Abiding

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

Pleasing God is the element in abiding that we will consider here. I have called it holiness because that is exactly how we please Him—by our holiness.

In 1 John 3:22 we find that the promise of answered prayer comes to us when we keep His commandments and do those things that please Him: “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” Notice that the requirement of pleasing God is not by itself; it is coupled with the requirement of keeping His commandments—the chief of which is to love God and others.  This tells us that the two go together and that they cannot be separated.  We cannot please God without obeying Him and we cannot truly obey Him without pleasing Him.

But the fact that the two requirements are separated tells us also that…

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The Distinctive of Israel and What God Has Promised Them

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarStudying Bible Prophecy

 In this post and the next one, I will attempt to show why replacement theology is in error by showing the distinctiveness of each group—Israel and the church, and why they cannot be merged.

To begin our discussion, let me assert this: the name Israel, as it is referred to in scripture, always means the Jewish people—those who are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the church always means those people who are believers in Christ and the Bride of Christ.  Therefore, what we are affirming is that after the birth of the church at Pentecost, the distinction between these two groups remains intact.  In fact, in the book of Acts, both Israel and the church exist simultaneously.  The term Israel is used twelve times and ekklesia (church) nineteen times, yet the two groups are always kept distinct.”

ISRAEL 

Israel is not only distinguished because of their race—a…

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The Obedience of Abiding

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

 

Abiding is not just meditating on His Word and delighting in Him, and not just focusing on trying to bear fruit. It involves the action of complete obedience.  The whole reason why we meditate on His Word is so that we can do everything He wants us to do.

The abiding, obedient Christian embraces the following ideas:

  • That obedience must include Bible study. If we want to obey God we must know what He wants us to do. Therefore, obedience must include Bible study to find out what His will is.  Then the next step of course is to obey that will.
  • That obedience must be your lifestyle. Real obedience, that is, real abiding obedience is not just a once in a while thing. It must be your lifestyle—a continual obedience.

 If you put these two ideas together it will keep you abiding in Him and you will…

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Has the Church Replaced Israel? The Definition and origin of Replacement Theology

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarStudying Bible Prophecy

replace

 Has the church really replaced Israel or have they remained two distinct groups?

In previous posts we have brought to light in Daniel 9:24, that the seventy weeks have been decreed “for your people.”  We have said that “your people” means Daniel’s people, the Jews.  Therefore, this firmly establishes the fact that the Tribulation period, which is the seventieth week, is meant only for Israel.

But some have insisted that the church has now become Israel; and so, for them, this changes everything.

Well, this is just not true!  In this post we will bring to light this error of reasoning that the church has now replaced Israel.

THE ERROR OF REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY

The definition of replacement theology.  Kenneth Gentry, one of its leaders, defines it this way: “We believe that the international church has superseded for all times national Israel as the institution for the administration of divine blessing to the…

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The Focus of Abiding

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

 

The focus of the abiding Christian is to bear fruit—that is, to bring forth in his life all the good things of God. Thus, when he abides, in his spirit (or in his attitude) he is filled with the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Gal. 5:22).  Likewise, when he abides, in his behavior he does what is righteous to the praise of God (Phil. 1:11; Heb. 13:15).

Fruit is also new converts. Therefore, the abiding Christian will naturally share his faith with others, and those whom he leads to faith in God will be the evident fruit (Rom. 1:13).

The reason why the abiding Christian focuses on bearing fruit, and why we all should focus on bearing fruit is because that is what God has appointed us for. He has said to us in John 15:16, “You did…

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The Seventieth Week — from Daniel 9:27: The Tribulation

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarStudying Bible Prophecy

 four horses

This verse (Daniel 9:27) encapsulates the focus of the seventieth week, which will be a time of great evil known at the tribulation period.

We have been studying Daniel 9:25-27.  In these three verses is the timeline of the entire seventy week period (490 years), referred to in verse 24.  Last time we looked at verse 26.   We will pick up our study now in verse 27.

And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.

From this verse, the holy church of Christ has just departed in the rapture and only unbelievers are left.  But in…

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The Meditation of Abiding

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarPrayer A to Z

 

Abiding I believe is the key to receiving regular and many answers to prayer. For Jesus says to us in John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  Abiding in Christ and in His words means to continue in them, that is, to continue believing them and living by them.  Abiding also means to dwell with and to be connected to as a branch is to a vine.  I conclude, therefore, that abiding in Jesus means that we are continually dwelling with Him and perpetually letting His life flow into us just as living sap flows from a vine to its branches; hence, it means that we are always sipping and tasting and drinking in His goodness, ever being satisfied with what we need and long for.

Now it seems that…

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Daniel 9:26: A Gap of Time for the Church — between the Sixty-Ninth and the Seventieth Week

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarStudying Bible Prophecy

70 ad

We have been studying Daniel 9:25-27.  In these three verses is the timeline of the entire seventy week period (490 years), referred to in verse 24.  Last time we looked at verse 25.   We will pick up our study now in verse 26, which we will see as a gap of time between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week.

 Daniel 9:26
Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.

 

Many do not agree that this is a gap of time; they (Preterists) believe that the events described here, and also in verse 27, are all in the seventieth week.  And  because they say that, since…

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