Category Archives: Divine Service Sermons
The Practical Transferal of God’s Righteousness
By John Thiel, mp3
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
God’s constraining power. It is my desire to launch out this year with a message of practical godliness.
Remember that great care is to be exercised in regard to the presentation of truth. Carry the minds along guardedly. Dwell upon practical godliness, weaving the same into doctrinal discourses. The teachings and love of Christ will soften and subdue the soil of the heart for the good seed of truth.—Letter 14, 1887. Ev 142.3 Read the rest of this entry
In Remembrance of Me
Scripture reading: Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
We want to ponder upon the meaning of those words of Jesus: In remembrance of Me. On the surface, every person who is engaging in Christianity understands these words simply as “remembering that Jesus was on earth, that He died for me, and rose again.” But is that all that Jesus meant? What does Jesus really mean when, having broken the bread, He says, I want you to do this “in remembrance of Me”? It can’t hardly mean the surface understanding that is often taken from it; because as we see in the following scripture, there are people who remember Him alright, but whom Jesus totally disowns: Read the rest of this entry
Righteousness by Faith
O for a faith. What sort of a faith? That will not shrink though pressed by many a foe, a faith that shines more bright and clear, when tempests rage without, when in danger knows no fear, that bears unmoved the world’s dread frown nor heeds its scornful smile, nor its soft arts beguile.
Our Physician | The Vaccination Dilemma
Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
I am the Lord that healeth thee. I am the Lord your healer. I am the Lord your physician.
Oh hear the voice of Jesus. This is an important subject in these present circumstances which surround us at this time. How are we to relate to the fears and circumstances associated with the present pandemic that surrounds us in such a time as this, the mandates of allopathic oriented world around us? Allopathic means the medications of the medical world around us. They have brought about circumstances so that the government inflicts mandates upon us that are stipulated by allopathic medicine.
Read the rest of this entry
He That Endures to the End
Scripture reading: Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Love Grown Cold
There is something that we need to understand for the time in which we are living, that we may be able to conquer this sad announcement of Jesus. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many grows cold. One of the few books I have read in my years was the story of Hunze, a German lady who was in the Hitler’s Youth, and who was converted into Adventism. The story of her conversion and of her simplicity, the way she and her husband trusted God, is beautiful. When it came to give of their tithe, they were out of a job because of the Sabbath-Sunday question, and they just had enough money for tithe, and after that, no job. But they decided that they would give the Lord their tithe even though they had no work, and they claimed His promise. And the Lord provided them with a job; at the last moment, but they got it. There she was with her long hair and all the simple realities of primitive godliness. Then, after the war she and her husband emigrated to the USA. But what a sad story unfolded as I continued to read. Because of her simplicity and primitive godliness, the church in the United States told her it wasn’t necessary to have these kinds of simplicities. She had beautiful long hair, but now there was a picture on the front with her short cut hair. And as she described in her book, primitive godliness was being made small of in her eyes by the members of the church. This story illustrated to me what Jesus had foreseen and expressed in Matthew 24. Read the rest of this entry
When the Heavens Fall
Scripture reading: Habakkuk 3:16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. 17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
This is our prayer—to be kept by the Lord; whatever the future bringeth, smiles of joy or tears of grief, still be able to cling and find our soul’s relief in Him. This is what this meditation is about. When the heavens fall, when everything that we have depended upon is suddenly lost, and there is nothing to rely upon by vision. These words “when the heavens fall” come from the following quote: Read the rest of this entry
The Right Attitude to Tithe
Scripture reading: Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
In preaching this message I am not presenting it from a perspective of solicitation. This is not to solicit your tithes under any motivation of mine. I am preaching this message to a people who know what God’s word says regarding tithes. We render this to Him, but it is our attitude and motives that we want to examine. We know what God’s word says and we pay our tithes to the Lord, but what is the underlying attitude of paying tithe? What motivates us to return to God tithes and offerings? The following examples are what I have heard people say in reference to tithes, which have given me the indication that they have a false understanding of the right motive and the right attitude for tithe. Read the rest of this entry
11. The Dissatisfied Heart
By John Thiel, Seeking to Please God Series, mp3, pdf
Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 26:11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good [thing] which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that [is] among you.
We live in the antitypical day of atonement, in which God has called His people to afflict their souls, to do a deep heart searching, because we are being investigated. And what is Jesus discovering as He investigates? Investigation is quite a chilling term. In the world around us today there are investigators that investigate into certain people’s lives, and it sends a chill through their system. They wonder if something wrong is going to be found somewhere. But this investigative judgment should not chill us; Read the rest of this entry
Passive in God’s Hands
Scripture reading: Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 9 Be ye not as the horse, [or] as the mule, [which] have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mould me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
As we sing these beautiful words, it is essential that they become real in our lives, to be clay in the Potter’s hand. For a human being who has such a strong personality, such strong convictions of their own, to be totally clay in the hands of the Lord is a real challenge. To just let Him search us and try us until we become whiter than snow—that is the call. The realities of life, when we are in God’s school, are a challenge that calls for a willingness to submit, as this song expresses. Read the rest of this entry
10. A Heart of Forgiveness
By John Thiel, Seeking to Please God Series, mp3, pdf
Scripture reading: Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
We want to open our hearts to this grace that will pardon and cleanse within, this grace that is greater than all our sins. For without this grace of God,
Sin and despair, like the seawaves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss. Read the rest of this entry
The Dearest on Earth to Me
By John Thiel, mp3,
Scripture reading: Luke 8:20 And it was told him [by certain] which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. 21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
I have a Friend so precious,
So very dear to me,
He loves me with such tender love,
He loves so faithfully;
I could not live apart from Him,
I love to feel Him nigh,
And so we dwell together, My Lord and I. Read the rest of this entry
Keeping Sabbath Holy
Scripture reading: Exodus 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD:
O Jesus, let me ever hail
Thy presence with the day of rest.
Sabbath day is a holy day. And as we worship the Lord of the Sabbath, we want to dwell upon His holiness and the glory of the holy Sabbath day. We want a view of its sacredness, so that as we contemplate the Sabbath and its holiness we may better keep it than we have done in the past. This is our purpose now—to be so affected by the holiness of the Sabbath that we will keep it holy. Read the rest of this entry
8. What Is Your Fragrance?
By John Thiel, Seeking to Please God Series, mp3
Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
We again continue our deep heart searching, because we are dwelling in the antitypical day of atonement, the day of judgment, a solemn truth that is being neglected in many Christians circles today. We are called upon to examine our lives because our great High Priest is in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, and our lives are being examined. We are researching where in our lives we are not pleasing God, and how He wants us to please Him—what pleases God and what displeases Him—so that what displeases Him can be put away. Read the rest of this entry
The Faith of Jesus for Obedience
Scripture reading: Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
We want to delve once more into the application of the distinctive description of God’s people in the words of Revelation: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Why should we spend time enlarging this faith of Jesus? Read the rest of this entry
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