Ever since I was a little boy I loved going to Sea World. Something about seeing all those amazing creatures just fascinated me. I remember one of my favorite things was to sit and watch the Beluga whales swim. I would sit there awe-struck at how graceful they glided through the water and the fact that they had necks and could turn their heads. At the time, however I didn’t know about the God that created those amazing animals.

Over the years I have returned to Sea World numerous times. But now, being born again I find a great sense of worship towards the God that created all these wonderful animals with such staggering and radical details that I am looking at. Even better now is that Erin and I get to tell our children about how God designed every part of these creature to be unique and special. It was such an exciting experience going from pool to pool and from aquarium to aquarium telling Malachi and Kyla about the wonders and might of our God who created all this with a spoken word.

It was also a blessing to see their reactions and amazement at each new sight. Erin and I (I don’t think) didn’t even watch one show. We were to memorized by our children’s enjoyment. It made me think about how much God loves to woo us and how He delights in watching our delight. It was a worshipful experience.

Needless to say, we had a wonderful time yesterday at Sea World. Below are some pictures of our day.

God Bless,

Pastor Mike

Thiemann Life-Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was such a great time for us this year. Since we are in a bigger place now, we were able to host Thanksgiving for the first time. To get ready for the day, Malachi made a tree out of torn grocery bags and they made “Tie Die” type leaves out of coffee filters, markers and a spray bottle of water.  They were so in to it.  We talked about how God made different seasons and how the different seasons are so beautiful.

On Thanksgiving day we cut out leaves where each person wrote what they were thankful for and we put them in a basket and each person took out a few leaves and read them.  It was great to start a new tradition with our kids and stopping to take the time to remember and acknowledge all the blessings that God has given us.

We have so much to be thankful for.

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The Opportunity

Erin and I were contacted on April 9th by a friend who is looking for a family to rent their second home. We went and toured the house and it was WONDERFUL! Also, the cost would be only $80 more per-month then what we are currently paying.

The Story

We have been absolutely blessed to rent the current condo we have been in for the past three year. Our landlord has been the best landlord we could ever have asked for. 
A year ago we felt that the Lord was going to answer our prayer of being able to move into a house that our kids would have a yard to play in, room to grow, great neighborhood, etc… We were praying for something affordable and near to the community that we minister within. Well, when we got the phone call we felt that this was God’s answer to our prayers… Even though all “the ducks” are not in a row yet we believe that the Lord is once again asking us to take a step of faith. Which is why we are notifying our family and friends for prayer.

The Need

Erin and I started the process and notified our landlord to start the move out notice. The new landlords offer begins on May 1st. This means we need to pay rent at two locations for the Month of May and possibly a little into June unless our current place can be rented out quickly.

The Prayer Request

• Pray for the needed finances
  

  • About $1000

• Pray for new renters quickly for the old condo

Thank You

Erin and I would like to thank all of you for your wonderful friendship and for all the love and support that you all have blessed us with over the years we have been serving as missionaries with SGWM.

If You Wold Like To Give/Support

There are many ways you can financially support any missionary through SGWM whether it’s a one-time gift or ongoing monthly support.

1. Online – To give a one-time gift or sign up for monthly support via check, bank card, or credit card please CLICK HERE.
2. Mail – Send check to: Saving Grace World Missions 17451 Bastanchury Rd. Suite 203 Yorba Linda Ca 92886. (Please notify purpose of gift in the Memo Line. I.E. Thiemman Support)
3. In Person – Of course you are always welcome to swing by and visit us in the office any day of the week.
   

Saving Grace world Missions is a licensed 501c3 non-profit organizations and all gifts are tax deductible.

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This article is actually a “part two” of last weeks article – “All of Him, All for Him, or None of Him.” If you haven’t read that article please do so before you continue reading this one.

In the previous article I got a couple of e-mails and comments that were asking the question, “why are you against alter calls.” If you read my previous article it doesn’t say anywhere that I am against alter calls. I am one hundred percent for alter calls as long as they are Biblical. But what I am against, and what my desire to communicate is; that when people find their security in the fact that they raised their hand during an evangelistic crusade and then continued living life unchanged. I would never offer that person any assurance of salvation. I would return and preach the Gospel over and over again until they finally repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

So with that said we are now lead to the next obvious question: How Do You Know Your Saved?

This is the one question I have been asked more than any other question, and I think it is the one question we all need to honestly and Biblically deal with.

In America where the majority of people would call themselves “Christian”, the answer to this question has been skewed. We have turned from the Biblical definition of salvation to a popular comfortable one.

When people are asked the question, “how do you know your saved?” Often their answer sound something like: “well, I am a good person” or “I prayed a prayer with my mom when I was five” or “I repeated a prayer with a pastor” or “I was baptized when I was a baby (or maybe when you were an adult)” or “I stood up or raised my hand during an alter call.”

Wait!!!

Is that what the Bible really teaches about your ability to be sure that you are saved? Is my eternal security determined by a date that I wrote in the front of my Bible? NO! You know you are saved because the Holy Spirit bears witness that you are born again. You know your saved because your life has changed toward holiness and is changing and continues in a process of change and when you stop changing your merciful heavenly Father steps in and like any good father would; He disciplines, corrects, and disciples you until you step back onto that path of repentance and obedience to His Word. This is the evidence that God has stepped into your life and done a supernatural work of salvation within you, that you continue to grow in repentance and continue to grow in your belief. Or to put it another way, that you continue to grow in hatred of the sin that you once loved and you continue to fall more and more in love with the righteousness that you once hated.

Salvation often gets treated like an immunization shot we got when we were kids. We got the shot once and we never need to think about it again. That’s not what salvation looks like. The evidence that you truly repented and believed long ago is because you are still repenting and believing today even to greater and greater degrees.

When John the Baptist stepped onto the scene of the New Testament did he say something like, “Accept Jesus into your heart”? No. He said, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” When John was speaking with the hypocritical Pharisees did he kindly say, “Wow! you guys got everything together. The only thing you are missing is Jesus Christ”? Absolutely NOT! He said, “You brood of vipers… bear fruit worthy of repentance.” I think we could put this another way which would sound something like: “you think you are secure in your salvation but you lack one thing… the evidence of repentance in your life… You look just like the rest of the self-righteous world who thinks they can stand before the God of Glory on their own two feet. Repent of your sin!”

When Jesus started His ministry what does it say He did? Well, turn to Matthew chapter one verse seventeen. There it says, “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Or go over to the parallel passage in Mark chapter one verse fifteen where it says, “… The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Do you hear that?  Repentance and belief is necessary according to Jesus!

The salvation message of the New Testament always says (in so many words), “Deal with your sin before a Holy God.” That means I need to recognize my sin and my standing before a Holy God and mourn over my wickedness and then turn in repentance and believe that Jesus Christ has paid the redeemers price for me! Then and only then will the God of heaven take up residence in our lives.

Now let me take it one step further and say: when the God of heaven takes up residence in your life it will be evident and it will have lasting effect. It should never be considered a common thing when the creator God, the Sovereign and Holy One moves within you and changes your heart to reflect His image. At that time holiness and righteousness will become the passion of your life and everything you do and every choice you make will be determined by that reality.

So here is my challenge for you this upcoming week. Has God done such a supernatural work in your life that you continue to grow in your hatred towards the sin you once loved and continue to fall more and more in love with the righteousness you once hated? You cannot have a real relationship with God until you have a right perspective of sin. Sin separates you for God and if you desire Him, you will do whatever necessary to weed sin out of your life.

I would LOVE to hear your comments and feedback on this article. Please leave a comment. Also, you can join SGWM on Facebook and help us spread a passion for God and His mission.

God Bless,
Pastor Mike Thiemann
Director
Saving Grace World Mission

I find it strange that in today’s “American Christianity” there is a silent debate roaring under the radar. That debate consists of two important questions, ‘Who was Jesus Christ?’ and ‘Did He truly demand radical obedience?’ Obviously, these two questions are of supreme importance for every Christian today to take to heart and develop an honest Biblical answer.

During my own wrestling with these questions I found myself perusing through a Christian bookstore. I couldn’t help but wonder if the Jesus of the Bible is the same person we see depicted in all of the “coffee table” devotionals, with flowery paper that I saw filling the bookshelves. As a lot of these books were written by today’s Pastors I wondered, “Is He (Jesus) the one we hear represented from their writings and pulpits?” Or have we lost some of whom He really was and kept those things that we like?

My fear is that the majority of evangelical Christians living in America today are learning about and following a domesticated Jesus that we have created in an image that fits our liking and comfort zone. When I read the Bible and hear the things that Jesus said and commanded, and when I hear the radical commitment He called His disciples too I can’t help but question many of the teachings of today’s American Christian Pastors. If we were to do a side by side comparison of the disciples that followed Jesus then with the “disciples” that follow Jesus now would they look the same? Would we see as a norm, radical people who give up their lives, jobs, comforts and follow Jesus to the death? People that no matter what hardships they face will be faithful to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth? Because, that is what I see from the lives of those that Jesus called in the New Testament times. Did the call change in the past two-thousand years or have the ears of the Church today been plugged with things that don’t demand radical commitment and obedience?

To build my case let’s look at one simple passage found in Matthew chapter 9. We see that Jesus’ ministry is well under way when He encounters a tax collector named Matthew. Now I don’t think I need to build the context of the tax collectors corruption of that day. But one thing is I think is clear, these men were most likely well off financially. It is a man in this occupation and way of life that Jesus walks up to and simply says, “follow me.” Matthew had a choice to make. I believe Matthew understood all too well the realities that were packed into those two words. Matthew new abandonment to his old life and ways were now required of him to be able to follow Jesus. Matthew counted the cost and it says, “He (Matthew) arose from his tax collecting table and followed Him” (emphasis added). He abandoned all to follow Jesus!

Has that calling changed? Does Jesus say to sinners today, “stand up, abandon your life, pick up your cross and follow me!” or does He say, “simply raise your hand or make eye contact with a pastor during an alter call?” I don’t think the call to discipleship has changed. I believe the same redial commitment to discipleship is still required of ALL Christians. However, I see all too often people today finding their security in the fact that they raised their hand during an alter call while everyone eyes were closed or some other form of preaching tactic. I don’t think that is what He demanded  of people. I see Him calling people to stand up and forsake their former lives, turn from their sin and wholeheartedly without question follow Him no matter what the cost.

The Jesus of the Bible is not domesticated like a little house kitten, He is the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and “He will rule and reign with a rod of iron.” The choice remains the same for people today then it was back then – bow and recognize that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords and that He demands obedience and faithfulness to His Kingdom from His citizens. We have the choice. We can bow now and submit to Him as our King and Lord or have our knees shatter under the wait of glory that will be made manifest before His Throne on that day of judgment when we come to realize that He is in fact the King of kings and Lord of lords.

My New Years Challenge

Please take some time and examine these passages and ask yourself “is this true of you?” Because, it is what Jesus required then and it is what He requires now.

Matthew 10:34–39 (NKJV)
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Luke 9:23–26 (NKJV)
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.”

Luke 9:62 (NKJV)
But Jesus said to him,  “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Jesus’ call requires that you accept ALL of Him and that you give your life ALL for Him or you have not, nor will not, receive any of Him.

Think about it!

I would LOVE to hear your comments and feedback on this article. Please leave a comment.

All For Him,
Pastor Mike Thiemann
Director
 Saving Grace World Missions