Blog Archives
2021 Conference – The Gathering of God’s Jewels
Listen to our most recent conference (just held in April):
The Gathering of God’s Jewels
The Shepherd of the Flock
Scripture reading: Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.
According to the Scriptures, Jesus is the Shepherd of the everlasting covenant. And the qualities of this shepherd touch us, because He cares for His flock. We are His sheep and have all gone astray; we have turned everyone to our own way. But as our Shepherd He reaches out for the sheep that has gone astray, and He does not treat it in a harsh manner because it has gone astray. He takes it into His bosom, and comforts it, and carries it home. We want to continue this meditation on the Shepherd of the flock. Read the rest of this entry
Who is God’s Church?
By John Thiel
We are to walk with God with His word. We have looked at walking with God on a personal level and we will now look at it in a corporal level to recognise where Jesus is walking with His people. We live at the very end. As we look back to when Jesus was with the disciples He says:
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
The Selfless Entity of God’s Church
John Thiel, Beholding Christ Series, Part 13, mp3
Scripture Reading: John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Do you know where Gods church is? Are we not in the fold of the flock? Are we not being fed? Why do we need to ask this question? The question we are asking is to deal with the idea of whether we believe and say we are the church to others. What is the true entity of Gods church? How can Gods church be identified as such a terrible time as this where every generation that has passed there is a church that has been left out of that generation where it’s not Gods church anymore whereas it was once upon a time? How do we identify the true condition of Gods true church? The church on earth is identified. The church is identified as the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
As the true people of God are members of the body of Christ they are admonished;
Colossians 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Read the rest of this entry
The Principle of Identifying God’s Church
By John Thiel
John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Christ says neither in this mountain nor in the other mountain but in spirit and in truth will we worship Him. He identifies so clearly the change of position of place of worship and manner of worship. He comes down to our time through Old Testament prophecy and identifies our position the same way.
God has a church, it is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations. It is the people who love God and keep his commandment, where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them. When Christ is even among the humble few this is Christ’s church for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church. Upward Look p. 315.4
I would like to contemplate the very important ingredient in understanding the principle of identity of God’s Church. Not identifying God’s church, but the principle of the identity of God’s Church. If we believe that our church is the right church and we haven’t got the identity right then we can believe all we like that it is the right church when it isn’t at all. What is the principle that identifies God’s Church on earth? Let us observe the encounter that Jesus Christ had with the woman of Samaria;
John 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth. Read the rest of this entry
Our Credentials
By John Thiel
The church was launched by Jesus Christ himself.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
This is our mandate from that time on through to our time. The spirit of prophecy makes a meaningful proposition;
Christ gave this commission to His disciples as His chief ministers, the architects who were to lay the foundation of His church. He laid upon them, and upon all who should succeed them as His ministers, the charge of handing His gospel down from generation to generation, from age to age. {8T 14.3} Read the rest of this entry
Loyalty to the Church of God
Isaiah 49:8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that [are] in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures [shall be] in all high places. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are] continually before me.
The Lord has a people on earth and they are accumulatively called Zion. They have been blessed and redeemed by the one spoken of in Isaiah 49:8 who in an acceptable time was heard as he was hanging on the cross. He was preserved and uplifted again and given for a covenant of the people to release the prisoners. As we read above, the prisoners didn’t feel like being released as Zion said the Lord has forsaken me and my Lord has forgotten me. We then see the object lesson of a woman caring for her suckling child. The Lord cares for us through his church, through his woman he cares for his children as has been demonstrated in past years, the faithful children have been forsaken by the woman. She became an harlot. But God is still caring even though the church played the harlot. This reality is written of all through Isaiah. Read the rest of this entry
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