Blog Archives
Contrition Without Anxiety
By John Thiel, mp3
Scripture reading: Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Do we know the reality of the end of fear and doubt? Are we resting? Do we trust God?
Do you suffer anxiety? What is anxiety? What is the source of anxiety? It is a feeling that comes over us and wants to predominate within us:
1. When we are found out that we have done wrong; we feel anxious. It is a feeling. It is something that constricts your sense of freedom; it crowds you inwardly. Another source of anxiety is
2. When I am unable to satisfy the expectations that are laid upon me; I start to feel anxious because I can’t meet up with what is expected of me. Yet another source of anxiety is
3. Fear of the unknown. If I see something in front of me and I don’t know where this is going to end up, I am afraid of the unknown consequences maybe of some of the things that I have done. I feel anxious. There is another source of anxiety which is
4. When those whom I dearly love have turned away and there is a break-down of relationships. There is anxiety that comes from that as well. Read the rest of this entry
Meeting the Oppression of Sin
By John Thiel, mp3
Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
We can see that the work of salvation is nearly finished; and as we examine our own lives, we are in grave danger looking at our success, at our progress in Christian character, that we feel there is so much that is not right in my life yet.
As we approach the closing of probation, believers become progressively concerned. Why?
1 Timothy 5:24 Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some [men] they follow after.
If you are a believer, judgment commences now as we are living and sins in the judgment are opened before us. Read the rest of this entry
The Spirit’s Effect on Sin and Disease
By John Thiel, mp3
Scripture Reading: Psalm 103:2-3. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
The Flood
The descendants of Seth were called the sons of God and the descendants of Cain were called the sons of men.
The descendants of Seth were called the sons of God; the descendants of Cain, the sons of men. As the sons of God mingled with the sons of men, they became corrupt and, by intermarriage with them, lost, through the influence of their wives, their peculiar, holy character, and united with the sons of Cain in their idolatry. Many cast aside the fear of God and trampled upon His commandments. But there were a few that did righteousness, who feared and honored their Creator. Noah and his family were among the righteous few. Cc36.6
Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
The sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of Cain were and they took them as wives but through the influence of their wives they were corrupted. The sons of God lost they’re godly character and they joined in the general apostasy. Until at last, there was only a few who remained worshipers of God. There was Methuselah and some others who died before the flood and there was Noah and his family. These were the only ones left. Read the rest of this entry
Securing Our Salvation
By John Thiel
2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
The reason for our worship from one Sabbath to another is that He is our creator and redeemer. We are overwhelmed as we contemplate his creative power and when He created the human race in Adam and Eve we had no part in it. He did what He chose to do. He wanted to create a people who would be akin to Him created in his own image but we know that through the rebellion in heaven this planet joined ranks with the enemy and here we exist as sinners. The plight of humanity is the offence of one.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
We are here now all of us and death has passed upon all of us and we are all sinners. However:
Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
We live in hope. Here we are and there are many a young person today who has taken their life as they see no hope but for those that see the dilemma of the human race and the plight of their own condition there is hope because by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. We can live in hope. Read the rest of this entry
The Theatre of His Grace
By John Thiel
We are to remind ourselves why we are in the church and why we should be part of a church. Why we are going through the experiences we are going through in all our various circumstances? What is happening to me? What is happening to us? Before we became connected with the church many of us had a carefree life of enjoyment. We didn’t pay so much attention to the things we did wrong because we didn’t even know how wrong we were.
The church is the theater of his grace, in which he delights in making experiments of mercy on human hearts. The Holy Spirit is his representative, and it works to effect transformations so wonderful that angels look upon them with astonishment and joy. Heaven is full of rejoicing when the members of the human family are seen to be full of compassion for one another, loving one another as Christ has loved them. The church is God’s fortress, his city of refuge, which he holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of her sacred trust is treachery to him who has bought her with the precious blood of his only begotten Son. {PH154 18.2}
We are reminded that the church is the theatre of his grace or the operating theatre, his hospital in which he delights in making experiments on human hearts. Read the rest of this entry
The Remedy for Gossip
By John Thiel, mp3
Does your soul become thrilled through and through every time you hear the name of Jesus? The only way in which this can happen is when we discover our wretchedness and His amazing love towards a wretch like me. When we realise this it sends a thrill through our soul because we discover the amazing physician that could heal a sin wrecked being. That is why Jesus spoke about the publican and the Pharisee. The one who went away was the Pharisee. Why didn’t the publican go away? The publican remained with Jesus because he was a sinner and he knew it and he accepted the blessings of God. The Pharisee on the other hand thought he was alright and because he thought he was alright, he could not sense that amazing love that God had for him. Humanity is sin sick. A deadly malady is upon the human race and only those who know this will seek for the remedy, the physician. A description is made of the condition of Gods church and the world. God is speaking to his own people who were under the prophet Isaiah. In verse 4 he mentions our sinful nature – a people laden with iniquity.
Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head [there is] no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
This is God’s vision of the human family. There needs to be a remedy for this condition. Where can we find such a remedy? Read the rest of this entry
You must be logged in to post a comment.