John Thiel mp3
Worshiping God in Spirit and Truth
Isaiah 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth far off. For truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15 Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.
As we worship God, we are to consider everything that we study and contemplate is something that has to come from Him, from His word—not from our thoughts and from our opinion. Because our thoughts and His thoughts are totally different.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As we come to worship Him and to try and understand what His word is telling us, it is a humbling experience to actually lay down our thoughts and see whether we can pick up God’s thoughts and pick up God’s ways, which are not necessarily our ways. That is exactly what Jesus said to the woman at the well. I often quote this scripture where He says to the woman, “You worship you know not what.”
He says those who worship God—God is a spirit. That’s John 4:23 and 24. God is a spirit, a conscious individual, an intelligent being. God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, for God seeketh such to worship Him. He is seeking for people to understand—to understand His thoughts. That’s what He is looking for.
Knowing and Understanding God
See how that is further embedded into our understanding as we worship God now.
Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
See how that all connects together?
The Loud Cry and Human Planning
To approach this subject and worship Him in spirit and in truth, as to the people that are to give the final loud cry to the world, to call His people into this work, is to be understood as something totally different to human expectation. When it comes to that final loud cry:
“Because it does not come in accordance with their ideas, because they do not discern the special work for this time and fail to recognize the agencies by which God is working, when the loud cry shall be given, they will not understand the nature of the work then going on. They will not appreciate its character. Wrapped up in themselves, they will not realize in what time of earth’s history they are living. Failing to recognize their duty and the golden opportunity when offered them, they will not make the best use of it. There are those whose spiritual eyes have grown too dim to discern between the spurious and the genuine. Many will take their stand against God’s commandment -keeping people. Many will feel that it is their duty to oppose with pen and voice all church members who will not fall in line with their plans. Many will feel that they have a conscientious sense of their duty—they will not recognize the work of God when the loud cry of the third angel shall be heard. When light goes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming up to the help of the Lord, they will want to bind up His work to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. Evangelism 100
She’s talking directly about the giving of the loud cry, where people are looked upon by God as His helpers. To give that loud cry—we’ve studied that the loud cry is done by the angels, represents the people on earth that give that loud cry. Unless people are in tune with God’s thoughts, they will not even recognise the real work that is laid upon them.
“Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning.” Evangelism 100.
We need to tune in to God’s thoughts because it’s going to work differently to what we imagine it’s going to be.
A Very Small Remnant
Behold how God views and is going to work with the people that are going to be giving the loud cry. Who are the people that He will use? Who are they whom He will use? Let the Bible tell us.
Isaiah 1:9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
All that are left, at the very end, are who? At the end, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah will be repeated in terms of the rest of the world. The kind of people that He is using in these last days.
Jeremiah 3:14, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
He’s talking to the Laodicean people. How many people; a very small remnant? What does it say? “One in a city, two in a family. I will bring you to my church, to Zion, and I will give you the kind of pastors that I choose.”
He chose twelve disciples who were not educated in the accepted ministerial seminaries that they had in that time. Is this the same thing again? Very fascinating.
No Restraint to the Lord
The words of Jonathan the son of King Saul when they had to go and fight the enemy. There was just Jonathan and his armour bearer. The language is so important that the people that God uses, especially when we’re in a time of falsehood surrounding us.
1 Samuel 14:6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
Judges 7:2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, the people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, mine own hand hath saved me.
In God’s work, He doesn’t want human beings to think they gain the victory so He said, “You’ve got too many.” As they were diminished in verse 3:
Judges 7:4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go
He took them through another test. All that was left was 300 men
Judges 7:7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, by the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the people go every man unto his place.
The large number of people who offered themselves to fight were sent home. All that were left was three hundred men. What did He say? That nobody can say that our own hand has saved us.
An Obscure People
Today, in these days of test and trial in which we live, in which there is a mighty victory to be gained, a mighty victory and a loud cry—who are the people who He’s going to use?
The saints then will be an obscure people, little known to the Catholics. Spalding and Magan, page 1 paragraph 5
“A poor and afflicted people”—an obscure people, little known to the Catholics. These are the people that God will use. These are the kind of people.
Isaiah 66:5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at His word.
To whom God will look, that tremble at His word.
Isaiah 66:2 But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word.
This is the kind of people that He looks for and looks to. He says to them:
Isaiah 66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed
What can you few people do? That’s the question that I want to let the Word of God answer. What can be done by such a feeble number on a world scale?
Weak Instrumentalities
“The Lord is willing to do great things for us. SDA Bible Commentary Volume 2 page 1003.8
The Lord is just as willing to work through human efforts now, and to accomplish great things through weak instrumentalities. It is essential to have an intelligent knowledge of the truth; for how else could we meet its wily opponents? The Bible must be studied, not alone for the doctrines it teaches, but for its practical lessons. You should never be surprised, you should never be without your armor on. Be prepared for any emergency, for any call of duty. Be waiting, watching for every opportunity to present the truth, familiar with the prophecies, familiar with the lessons of Christ. But do not trust in well-prepared arguments. Argument alone is not enough. God must be sought on your knees; you must go forth to meet the people through the power and influence of His Spirit. SDA Bible Commentary Volume 2 page 1003.9
If we do it in any other way, it won’t be God’s work—a poor and weak people who rely heavily on the Holy Spirit, not in numbers. They are the people.
It is a dangerous thing for men to resist the spirit of truth and grace and righteousness because its manifestations are not according to their ideas and have not come in the line of their methodical plans. SDA Bible Commentary page 1004.2
People have got their mindset in a certain direction and God says it’s a dangerous thing to go by those thoughts.
The Lord works in His own way and according to His own devising. Let men pray that they may be divested of self and may be in harmony with heaven. Let men pray, “Not my will, but thine, O God, be done.” Let men bear in mind that God’s ways, nor His thoughts their thoughts, for He says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” In the instruction that the Lord gave Gideon when he was about to fight with the Midianites, that he should go out against his foes with an army of three hundred men, had Gideon trusted in his own foresight, he would have pronounced the undertaking perfect inconsistency and confusion. They would start back with determined protest and resistance. They would have held long controversies to show the inconsistencies and the dangers that would accompany the carrying out of the warfare in such an extreme way, and in their finite judgment they would pronounce all such movements as utterly ridiculous and unreasonable. How unscientific, how inconsistent would they have thought the movements of Joshua and his army at the taking of Jericho. SDA Bible Commentary page 1004.2
Can you see how this all blends together? We’re talking about people giving a loud cry that it’s going to be done in a way completely different to human thinking, in a way that is very much out of the common order of things, of what people expect to be the order of progress.
The Power of Ten Members
People who think that has to be done in a certain way. “How can you impress the world but through a big, powerful approach?” That is what they think. How many does God need to impress the whole world? We know well there were three men in the time of Nebuchadnezzar.
Ten members in harmony with one another, possessing the love of Christ, will exert a far greater power upon the world than the entire church with its present numbers and lack of unity. The more there is of the divided, inharmonious element, the less power will the church have for the good in the world. 5T:119 .1
The people of the loud cry—what was that? Ten members would have an impact upon the world that is according to God’s will, not so much the big church with all its condition. Ten members will have power in the world. How is that possible?
What was it? 300 men against the great multitude of the army, and approaching them at nighttime—300 people from different directions. That was at that time with their torches. That gave the victory.
Arise, Shine
At nighttime, in the darkest hour, when everything is dark around the people:
Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.”
In the darkness, as it was in the darkness of midnight when the Midianites were sleeping, The light came from three different directions—the shout, the loud cry. This is the message for our time in the darkest time.
The appearance of Christ to John should be to all believers and unbelievers an evidence that we have a risen Christ. It should give living power to the church. At times dark clouds surround God’s people. It seems to them that the oppression of Satan is about to silence every voice of rejoicing. But at such times the most instructive and powerful lessons are given. If Christians are ever vigilant, they will be prepared to meet the varying circumstances which they will be called to meet, and in the strength of Jesus, they will be able to decide what they shall do. CT 311.6
The contrast is of such immensity that it will have a power that wouldn’t be there unless it was in the darkness.
The Coming Test
The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The observance of the false Sabbath will be urged upon us. The contest will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. PK 188.1-2
She’s painting the picture of the darkness that God’s people will be meeting.
Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the powers that be rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness.” PK 188.1
Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary but are not clothed with Christ’s righteousness will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness. Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. PK 188.1
You get the same picture? It’s in the darkness. There they are, scattered all around the world, just like Gideon’s army from all directions. They are scattered in all the world, and the darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people.
In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. Even now they are appearing in every nation, among every tongue and people; and in the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan’s supreme effort is made to cause “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful ones, “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,” will “shine as lights in the world.” The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine. PK 188.2
These are the people that will give the loud cry, because they will be shining brightly, and smaller number.
Unnoticed, But Not for Long
Now we seem to be unnoticed, Evangelism 69
So small, unnoticed, little known by the Catholics.
Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this shall not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front. Evangelism 69
That’s exactly what we were reading there in Prophets and Kings. In the darkness of evil forcing into falsehood with the Sunday Sabbath question and so on, in that darkness, movements will be brought into activity to bring God’s faithful people into the notice.
The Darkness of Injustice
Let’s examine that a little bit closely to know how the people who are going to give the loud cry are going to be made prominent—by what movements. That was what our scripture reading was about in Isaiah 59:14 and 15 where it said, this is the condition, this is the darkness:
Isaiah 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off.
That’s what we have to experience. That’s what we’re seeing.
Isaiah 59:15 For truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.
If you depart from evil in the time of this darkness, you will become a prey. People will jump on you because you don’t agree with them on the truth that you stand for in contrast to them. And that is the condition of the darkness that will cause people to shine.
Perilous Times
The darkness of 2 Timothy 3:1 to 5. What is the description there of the perils of the last days? It’s important to appreciate that very darkness, the very movements that are going to bring these faithful people who are going to give the loud cry into prominence. Here are these darkness circumstances:
2 Timothy 3:1 This know a lso, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
Despisers of those that are good—you’ll become a prey. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
If you meditate on this rather than just reading through it quickly, can you imagine the perils that come from these kinds of people who are going to be in the majority? Lovers of their own selves, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection. Can you see it already around you? You can see it, can’t you?
If you stand up for the pure gospel, the pure truth, what would happen to you? These are the things that—where people have these kinds of characteristics are there in the religions of today as they have a form of godliness. Look at the result if you stand up in pure truth – “From such turn away.” These people that are faithful will cause the people to turn against them. In Isaiah 59, they will become a prey.
Brought Before the Courts
Under these kinds of conditions, the people that are going to be giving the loud cry are described in Great Controversy, 607. This is the way God works—not by some grandiose public presentation in what they do today, gathering thousands together in these big public meetings. “This is what they think it’s going to do. What can you few people do?”
As the controversy extends into new fields and the minds of the people are called to God’s downtrodden law, Satan is astir. The power attending the message will only madden those who oppose it. The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light lest it should shine upon their flocks. By every means at their command they will endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions. The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and in this work papists and Protestants unite. As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. GC 607.1
Can you see here now? The little company will be brought to the forefront by these kinds of movements, because they can’t change to what the demands of the laws are. It will bring them to the forefront.
“They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence and other rewards and advantages as inducements to renounce their faith. But their steadfast answer is, ‘Show us from the Word of God our error’—the same plea that was made by Luther under similar circumstances. Those who are arraigned before the courts make a strong vindication of the truth, and some who hear them are led to take their stand to keep all the commandments of God. Thus light will be brought before thousands who otherwise would know nothing of these truths.” GC 607.1
This has to be played before our mind again and again. It is not by us giving a loud cry from our own human way of thinking. It is going to come completely different to what we expect. It’s going to come in the darkest moments of earth’s history, in the darkest circumstances, as we were reading all those scriptures, where everything is against us.
“Conscientious obedience to the Word of God will be treated as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the parent will exercise harshness and severity toward the believing child; the master or mistress will oppress the commandment-keeping servant. Affection will be alienated; children will be disinherited and driven from home. The words of Paul will be literally fulfilled: ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ 2 Timothy 3:12. As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the Sunday Sabbath, some of them will be thrust into prison, some will be exiled, some will be treated as slaves.” GC 608.1
Whom Do You Love?
And that’s where the words of Jesus are very meaningful, where He says, “Who do you love—me or them?” Matthew 10. This is the question. If we’re going to follow Jesus all the way, this is the challenge that we meet. We’re going to find our friends, our relatives, the authorities, all crowding in upon us, and we have to make decisions that are very unexpected. These are the words of Jesus. Which are we going to stand for—Jesus or our parents even?
Matthew 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
What is He done? The people of the loud cry are going to meet such opposition. The parent will persecute the child, etc.
Brought Before Great Men
The Spirit of Prophecy throws light upon this experience. Great Controversy page 607, the events that will bring the faithful people to the forefront, they will be brought before the courts.
Those whom God has appointed to give this message will be brought before kings and great men of the earth, who, with those who are at enmity with you and your faith and character, will be misrepresented before them. 6T 129.2-3
These men of high positions and the authorities of the land, they don’t know you. How will they come to know you? It says to you, “Those who are at enmity with you are going to be reporting you.”
As we become reported to those in authority, “God will help you to be the means of bringing the light before those who are called the great men of the earth. If you have studied the Bible, if you are ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, your enemies will not be able to gainsay your wisdom.”
That’s how the loud cry will take place. That’s the method by which God’s people are going to be brought before the authorities. Those who know us are going to put us in.
Our Primary Focus
What is our primary focus then? What are we to be focusing on? The life of total submission to all of God’s ways, which are not man’s ways. The great majority is man’s ways. The minority, this little people that are trembling at God’s word, these people are confronted by these terrible threats. What is their response? How are God’s faithful people to respond in such circumstances? Those people that are going to be brought—God’s people are going to be brought into a recognition. God’s people in Babylon, you know, “Come out of her, my people”—there’s God’s people in Babylon. How are they going to be brought out?
The Prudent Shall Keep Silence
We are to let the circumstances bring us to the forefront, not we running ahead of God. Because when you see all these atrocities around you, don’t you want to go and tell them straight? Many people think that this is the way to do it.
Amos 5:10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
Because the people are like this—they hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. That’s the way that people are out there. You don’t dare not really tell them clearly what’s wrong and right.
Amos 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. 12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
As that is happening, as they hate to be corrected, as that is happening, what will the—what will God’s faithful people do?
Amos 5:13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time.
This almost sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? When the world is in utter darkness and they’re putting pressure on God’s people by their corrupt ways, God’s people are called upon to be careful here. If you are prudent, you will zip up. You will be silent.
What is meant by silence of the prudent? What is meant with that? This is now very important that we really pick up. If we’re going to be those people that are going to give the loud cry under the pressure.
God is angry with those who pursue a course to make the world hate them If a Christian is hated because of his good works and for following Christ, he will have a reward. But if he is hated because he does not take a course to be loved, hated because of his uncultivated manners and because he makes the truth a matter of quarrel with his neighbors, and because he has taken a course to make the Sabbath as annoying as possible to those who do not regard it, he is a stumbling block to sinners, a reproach to the sacred truth, and unless he repents, it would be better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. 1NL 56.5
Go along and stir their anger by making the Sabbath a point of contention. That’s what it means to be silent. Can you see? Many people think, “Oh, we’ve got to raise our voices against the papacy. We’ve got to really stir everybody against the errors that are going on.” This is not God’s way today. He’s going to work very much out of the common order of things. He’s going to work through a humble people who are going to speak the word in humility and kindness, not in rabble-rousing.
That’s what He is meaning here. The prudent will be silent in that day. They will be brought into the forefront by the circumstances that will push them there, not because they are running ahead of the Lord. They will defend their faith. And as they defend their faith in that manner, God’s faithful people in Babylon will recognize them. And they will know the truth because these people are defending the truth in all its purity. And they will come out.
Conclusion
To worship God as we are doing right now in this study is to worship Him in spirit and in truth—His Spirit and His truth, so beautifully portrayed in God’s Word here. May God help us to decide that we will learn the Word of God, to put it into practice the way He wants us to without any specific artwork of our own we will be brought face to face as did Daniel and his three friends face to face with the public it will happen.
May God help us to keep on remembering this, that we will be that people who were described in our study together. This is my prayer in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
