Controversial Issues

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It seems like we love a good argument! At least some of us do. Talk shows and television thrive on endless debate over controversial issues. But, it really does not matter what I think about any controversial issue. It does not matter what your opinion is either. It only matters what God says!

King David wrote this, “Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.” Psalm 119:128 Only God is Love, the Creator, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and perfect in all of His ways! He alone is Truth, and         right in all of His judgments. We would do well to let Him have the final word!

King Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7 Wisdom begins with a healthy respect (fear) for the Lord.

Nelson Newsletter April 2013

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Dear ­Friends, ­­­­­­­­­­­

Pastors – Wives Conference Danelle and I attended the Southeast regional pastors/wives conference this month. It was a joy to hear Herschel and Mardean Martindale speak about marriage. They have been happily married for 60 years, and their love for Jesus, one another, and people is an inspiration to all. They also exemplify devotion to Jesus Christ and His mission.

House Church News I have been greatly encouraged recently as a number of us have printed our testimony tracts, and built relationships with unbelievers. Recently we have shared the gospel with several people who we prayed for this past year. God granted us boldness to ask them these thought provoking questions about eternal life, “If you were to die today, would you go to heaven?” And, “If you were to stand before God, and He were to ask you, “Why should I let you into heaven?” what would you say?” Over 40 years ago I was asked these same questions by students at Clemson. It helped me understand I was going to hell, and needed Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. I realized that doing good deeds was not going to save me. Praise God! Now we are using these same questions to reach people in Atlanta with the gospel of grace.

Publishing Steve’s Book in Spanish Most of you are aware how many Hispanics live in America and many don’t understand that salvation is­­­­­­­­ by grace through faith in Christ. They also need help with relationships and marriage. Recently, we have an opportunity to help meet this need. We found someone who is willing to translate Secure In An Insecure World into Spanish at for a very reasonable rate. Please join us in prayer for God to provide the funds necessary to get it translated and published. You may know some Hispanics who would benefit from reading it.

Family News We have had 5 grandchildren born in the past 10 months, with Sophie Alice Nelson the most recent addition to Scott and Maria’s family. We thank God for all these gifts! (Psalm 127:4) Our youngest daughter, Meredith, will finish her job with Habitat for Humanity in July and is looking for a new job. Please remember her before God.

 

 

Prayer Requests

1. Please pray for the people in Atlanta, with whom we shared Christ, to understand their need and turn to Him.
2. Pray for the funds for translating and printing Secure In An Insecure World into Spanish.
3. Pray for our house church conference in Columbia, May 3-4. Steve and others will teach.
4. Pray for God to provide a job for our daughter Merry where He wants her.
5. Pray for our financial support.

Thankful for your prayers and partnership!

Steve and Danelle

34 Years Ago Today

34 years ago on this date I was ordained as a pastor with Great Commission Churches. Herschel Martindale recognized me as a pastor/elder of the church in Clemson, South Carolina. I was a mature 26 years old at the time. Ha! God’s grace has been sufficient all these years. “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  1 Peter 2:6 Thank you Lord Jesus!

The Power of a Testimony

My son and I were working on writing his testimony today. In his spiritual story he reminded me that it was I who shared the gospel with him using the bridge diagram while sitting on the steps in our garage. He was about 7 years old at the time he gave his life to Christ. I rejoiced again hearing about his spiritual birthday. Sharing the gospel has a profound effect on us, as well as those we share with!

I pray that you will be active in sharing what you believe. Then you will completely understand every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6 NIV (Readers)

If you don't understand every good thing you have in Christ, what is one thing that could be missing?

Nelson Newsletter – February 2013

Climbing The Berlin Wall

Dear Christian ­Friends, ­­­­­­­­­­­

God is working everywhere, and if we look, we will see it! When we see it, then we can join Him in transforming lives for eternity. Once Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman who was transformed, and then she went and told her city about Jesus. The disciples had gone to get lunch, and when they returned, they were amazed that Jesus was speaking to a woman, and a Samaritan one at that! “Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.”” (John 4:35) What harvest? The Samaritan woman! Why did Jesus tell the disciples to “lift up your eyes?” Because they missed the harvest right there in front of them! God was working, but they had failed to see it, or participate in it. Let’s lift up our eyes and look on the harvest of thirsty souls around us, and join God in His work.

In Berlin with Dieter and Lucy Schade

Germany Mission Trip Danelle and I were able to join God in His work in Berlin, Cologne, and Dusseldorf, Germany this month to build into the churches. I taught on lifestyle evangelism in Berlin, and the pastors said they had been talking about writing their testimony tracts, so my message was a good reminder to finish the task. The Lord surprised us by giving us many open and transparent conversations and the wisdom to help meet the needs. We know He was leading and answering your prayers! Thank you! After 5 days we left to visit Daniel and Lori Goering and the church in Cologne. One special gift was getting to spend the day with Sarah Bedi, a dear sister from Columbia, SC, who is temporarily in Cologne on her way to minister in Sweden. We taught my seminar on  relationships most of Saturday to an enthusiastic group. As is often the case, after hearing God’s word and embracing His love, several decided to change or end unhealthy relationships.

Dusseldorf church. Daniel and Lori (far right) joined us

Next we went to encourage our friends in Dusseldorf. They were amazed that we came all that way to support them during their difficult times. Like John Maisel (former president of East-West Ministries) says, “90% of ministry is just showing up!” We are so thankful we showed up! God knew they needed encouragement and a listening ear.

Prayer Requests

Germany: Pray for the believers to apply the truth they heard, to share Christ, and for God to save more people.

Atlanta: Pray for Mohamed whom we just met, and others to come to Christ. Danelle recently printed her testimony tract for the first time. Pray for God to use her and everyone in our house church to reach the lost we see each day.

Emory: Pray for the students to grow in Christ-likeness, their outreach to unbelievers. Pray for them to put God first.

 

Grace and Peace to you,

 

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – January 2013

Dear ­­Prayer Warriors, ­­­­­­­­­­­

Germany Trip Danelle and I will travel to three cities in Germany from February 7-18 to teach and build the churches. Daniel and Lori Goering and other leaders have invited us to visit these churches and encourage them. Berlin will be our first destination, where we will teach a conference on relationships and how to raise godly children. On that Sunday the pastors, Dieter Schade and John Goering, also asked us to speak about lifestyle evangelism and discipleship. The second half of our trip we will be in Dusseldorf and Cologne to encourage the believers in these two cities. Some of them have been through difficult times lately and need encouragement and hope. We covet your prayers, since they make all the difference!

Some of the Dusseldorf leaders and their wives		Missionaries Dieter and Lucy Schade in Berlin

Lifestyle Evangelism. Danelle and I, along with those in our house church, have been asking God for opportunities to love the lost and share the gospel with them. It is amazing how God answers that prayer! Here are some recent stories of how God has directed our paths to share the good news with those in darkness.

My son Matt and I meet weekly for fellowship, encouragement, and prayer. We talk about needs and people we want to become Christians. Then we walk around in the parking lot and pray together. A few weeks ago we were walking and praying behind some buildings, where we won’t get run over, when Rasheem stepped out to empty the trash. I gave him my testimony tract as we passed and said, “Here is something I wrote about how God changed my life,” not expecting any response. But, he immediately stopped in his tracks and asked, “You said that God changed your life. How did that happen?” Matt and I spent the next twenty minutes explaining the gospel, answering his questions, and having an amazing dialogue. I have never laughed so much sharing the gospel while still being serious. Rasheem was eager to hear. He mentioned his difficulty with relationships, so I gave him a copy of my book, where he will hear the gospel again as he reads it. We plan to go and see him again soon.

Faithwalkers While we were at the Faithwalkers Conference after Christmas, I was told a beautiful story by Courtney, one of the college students from Florida. She attended the discipleship training program, LINC, in St. Petersburg, Florida this summer. Danelle and I were there for a week in July to evangelize at the college and teach the students at LINC. We prayed for God to lead us to ­­­­­students who were open to the gospel, and we met a young coed named Kiosha. Little did we know that Courtney had been praying for her good friend Kiosha to become a Christian! Kiosha responded to our invitation to dinner and ran into her friend Courtney! Courtney told us the rest of the story at Faithwalkers –“Kiosha read your book, broke up with her boyfriend, and gave her life to Christ!” God answers our prayers and orchestrates divine appointments!

Danelle and I were eating dinner with our son and his family at a restaurant where we overheard two mothers speaking a foreign language. We all tried to guess, was it Spanish, Italian, or Russian? Our curiosity got the best of us, so we asked them, “Excuse us, but we have to know. What language are you all speaking?” They replied, “We were speaking all three and English.” One of the women, Olessya, was a Russian from Moscow. She immediately connected with Danelle, and as a result, they got together this past Saturday to talk for several hours. They discussed what it meant to know Jesus Christ personally. Olessya had an experience with some American Christians when she was a teenager, but now she is not sure what she believes. Please pray for her. Danelle plans to meet with Olessya again this week, as well as her friend Lindsay. It is exciting to see that God is sovereign, by providing opportunities to share His love when we are looking for them, even when we go out to dinner.

Our daughter Grace and I had a prompt answer to our prayers during a recent run. One of our requests was for opportunities to share Christ with others. Less than five minutes later, a man named Steve, asked to join us about 3 miles into our 8 mile run. We talked about our lives, families, and jobs. He had been married two times and recently his dog had died. We shared the good news that life was not in a person - spouse or children, but in Jesus Christ. He said he was lost, but did not think he was selfish. Please pray that he would know he is selfish and that is why he is lost. Pray that he would humble himself and come to Christ for real life. God answers prayer! Sometimes immediately!

Prayer Requests

• Germany February 7-18. Pray for discernment and wisdom to encourage and teach the German saints.
• Unbelievers. Pray for Rasheem, Steve, Olessya, Lindsay, Kevin and others to understand their need for Jesus. Pray for our house church to grow in our love for the lost and boldness to witness for Jesus Christ.
• Emory Ministry. We start next week with the desire to see more saved and multiplication of disciples.
• Finances. Pray for our ministry finances to improve. Our trip to Germany will be expensive, but we think it is a wise investment. Please consider a special gift to help us with this need. We sincerely appreciate all of you who support us in this work!

 

We are yours in Christ,

 

Steve and Danelle

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Nelson Newsletter – December 2012

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Dear ­­Friends,

Our Creator loves us dearly and desires a personal relationship with us! This time of year we can especially reflect on His amazing gift of Jesus Christ that makes this relationship possible. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) God loves sinners like us! He came to forgive us, not to condemn us! If we simply turn from our selfish life (in sincere repentance), and to Christ by trusting in His sacrifice on the cross to pay for our debt, we will be forgiven (saved eternally), and enter this personal relationship. Can you think of anything more magnificent, anything that gives more peace and hope, or anything our world needs more than this? Now, let’s “Go tell it on the mountain. Jesus Christ is born!” Let’s seize the opportunities to share the good news this Christmas with our family, friends, and strangers.

Raleigh Marriage Conference Berk and Barbara Wilson invited us to speak to the NC State students in their church about marriage and relationships. On November 2-3 Danelle, Grace, Ward, and I taught using material from my book, Secure In An Insecure World. We were pleasantly surprised to see over 60 students show up on a Friday night for the first session! They were eager to learn how to have healthy, godly relationships. Grace and I then ran the hilly Raleigh Marathon (26.2 miles) the day after the conference. Yeah, Ouch! It was her first and my 16^th. I was so proud of her!

Faithwalkers After Christmas Danelle and I will attend the GCM annual Faithwalkers conference in Asheville, NC. Steve will teach a seminar on lifestyle evangelism, and we will both help lead a seminar about marriage.

New Grandchildren David and Stephanie welcomed Nathaniel David Shirley into this life on December 1^st. All are doing well. Danelle is there now helping them get some rest! Whitney is expecting a baby girl around Christmas and Maria is expecting a little girl in March. We love being grandparents and being able to love and influence them! We look forward to each of them coming to Christ some day for salvation!

Financial Blessings Danelle and I thank you with all of our hearts for your generous and faithful support this year. We are honored to be on the receiving end of your sacrificial giving which enables us to serve our Lord Jesus in this ministry. Please pray for our support to stay strong and consider giving a special gift at this time. You can give on line on the GCM web site (see below). Our account number is 5951. Thank you so much!

Prayer Requests

• Many Saved in 2013. God would save many people at Emory, and throughout Georgia and the Southeast.
  
• Disciples. Pray for faithful and fruitful disciples who are passionate about Jesus and people.
  
• Faithwalkers Dec 27-31. Pray for our seminars and for all to grow in our devotion to Christ and His cause.
  
• Our Financial Needs Pray for provision for our ministry in America and overseas in 2013.
  
• New Grandchildren A safe labor for Whitney at Christmas time, and for Maria in March.

 

 

We love you all,

 

Steve and Danelle