The time is coming when warriors will arise all over the world, and indeed has begun. Our weapons will not be the weapons of the world, we will not battle against flesh and blood, but we will be fearless warriors for God, despite increasing persecution. Many times in centuries past Christians in Scotland have stood against authorities, principalities and powers and paid the price with their lives. Indeed, saints from every nation and from every century have been willing to pay the price, even it was their very lives.Yet, what is death to the warrior born of God? He is already dead to this world and alive to the next. There is a growing movement around the world of hungry and thirsty children of God that He has driven into the desert. This will be the last great move of God. There will be new wine poured out, but not into old wineskins. This Remnant will come from every kind of background, the common denominator will be their hunger and thirst for the genuine presence of the Living God. If you are a saint in the wilderness, hang in there, God is teaching you complete dependence upon Him by stripping away every form of support that you know All that will be left will be you, God and the Remnant. Do not be discouraged by your situation or your circumstances, yield to them. You know that you are lonely, you know that you do not seem to fit in anywhere. You get no pleasure from anything anymore. You have lost your interest in the things of the world. What passes for “normal,” church has become a foul stench to you. You can see with your spiritual eyes that there is a crisis, but few seem to see it. Business as usual is no longer an option for you, but you do not know where to go. No one seems to understand you. When you try and explain they just look at you like you are mad. You are not mad. God is calling you out.God is calling His people out. The Lord is beginning to gather the saints together for His purposes. So stay close to God, stay in His Word. If you can find like-minded brothers and sisters, that is good, because even where two or three are gathered, He is there in our midst, but do not be discouraged if you cannot, just wait upon the Lord. He is doing a new thing. Read all of Isa 43, but know this..Isa 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Archive for March, 2013
The Remnant call
Posted by appolus on March 30, 2013
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: fearless warriors, principalities and powers | 8 Comments »
Even if I make my bed in hell…..
Posted by appolus on March 30, 2013
Even if I make my bed in hell, even there the name of Jesus is high and lifted up and all bow their knees. Where could I go oh Lord, where could I flee from your Spirit? In the darkest moments of my life, when my downcast soul cried out, all seemed lost and gone and suddenly, suddenly, suddenly you are there in all your glory. The seas that roared and the winds that blew, they bowed their knee to you and all was calm. Even when I lay bloodied and defeated in the battle-field of life, it was you Jesus, who rode on a mighty stallion through the debris and the fire and the destruction and plucked me from the jaws of total defeat and Calvary’s victory won the day. When I had fallen to the bottom of the bottomless pit and cried out with all that was left within me, you came for me, right where I was , to the very gates of hell , and you picked me up and you lifted me out of the darkness of hell and you put me down and made my feet to stand in a sure place. Thank you Lord for what you have done for me. You died for me, but praise the Lord on High, you rose again. You have conquered hell and death and because you live, I live.
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He is our Wall of Fire!!!
Posted by appolus on March 28, 2013
Zec 2:5 And I, says Jehovah, will be to her a wall of fire all around, and will be the glory in her midst.
At the particular time that this was written, Jerusalem was a city without a wall. She was naked and vulnerable, and open to attack. In those days, a city without a wall would be like an army without guns. Now , with broken down walls, God Himself would be a wall of fire to them. In these last days, the remnant people of God will be a people without walls. The conventional wisdom of the past will no longer apply. Not unlike the City of Jerusalem of that day, God’s remnant people will be a broken people, a vulnerable people, and a people without the traditional protection of the Church. They will seem lonely and isolated. Yet, when God brings this group of people together, He will be their wall. It will not be a wall that is built by human hands. Consider why Jerusalem was in such a position when the above Scripture was written. Their wall, built by human hands, had been breached, undermined, overcome, tore down and ultimately destroyed. If we are God’s remnant people, we will be a people that has been breached, undermined, our brokenness will be apparent, we will seek God will all of our heart. In our brokenness, in our hunger and because of our driving thirst for the things of God and for His presence, we will seek Him with all of our hearts and we will become fully dependent upon Him. When we seek Him in this way, He will be found by us. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. His presence is our wall of fire! So, we will be a people without walls around our hearts. Walls are designed to contain, to keep out, to mark boundaries, to hide behind. We will not be a people who will be able to contain the things of God. As He pours out His latter rain upon us and it enlarges our capacity to receive (If I am a vessel that wants to be filled, I must first be emptied to make room for that which I seek), then we will freely give what has been given to us. We will love more and we will forgive more and we will do good to those who miss-treat us. And as we do all that, the world will hate us more and more. It’s ironic that the more love that will be poured out into a dying and ever darkening world, the more the world will reject it. When Jesus walked the earth in all His love and mercy, He was ultimately rejected by a multitude who at first received Him. As with the Lord, so it will be with His children. Yet, no matter, love will conquer evil, the gates of hell shall not prevail against Gods remnant children. Their love shall overcome evil even as it seeks to destroy them.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: latter rain | 1 Comment »
Yea, though I walk……
Posted by appolus on March 27, 2013
Perhaps you are facing some tough situations today. Circumstances have conspired against you and you may feel like you will drown in them.I want you to know that there is a peace in the valley to be found. Despite the darkness, despite the circumstances, the Lord will make a way for you through them, it is His promise to you. He said He would never leave you nor forsake you. When you can hear nothing else, you remember that. Here is a word that the Lord gave me once when I was in the Spirit………”Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid ,because I know that your Spirit goes ahead of me. It is a fire by night and a cloud by day. This fire that burns at the center of my soul, consumes the all consuming darkness and lights up the way ahead in the blackness of my many deserts. It warms me against the night cold that would sap me of my strength. And your cloud oh Lord covers me from the searing heat of my many trials and afflictions that would drain me and cause me to stumble and fall. You are the very essence of my life. You are the wellspring of life itself. You are my Jesus. Its at the name of Jesus that the demons flee. Its at the name of Jesus that the world shakes. The thunder roars and the lightning flashes at the name of Jesus. Mountains fall down at the name of Jesus, the birds themselves sing of your fame. Even the very darkness is light to you my King.” This was the overflow of words coming out of His presence. And He had prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies and His goodness and His mercy followed, praise the Lord, life itself.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: name of jesus, peace in the valley | 2 Comments »
Look unto Me
Posted by appolus on March 26, 2013
The Lord says “Look to me, I am the author and the finisher of your faith.” Shall we begin in the Spirit and attempt to finish this journey in the flesh? Brothers and sisters, if you would join this ancient army, this kingdom that was and is and is to come, if you would march in lockstep with Gideon and with David and with Joshua, if you would run towards Goliath, if you would take on ten thousand and slay them all, if you would kneel down in the arena of life as the lions approach, if you would take your place with the heroes of faith then it is high time that we take our eyes of of ourselves and look up, look up to the cross of Calvary. Brothers and sisters, when I look up I see humility. I see my Lord humbled and naked for the whole world to see. Nothing hidden. When I look up I see justice. I see sin condemned. Oh brothers and sisters when I look up I see mercy . Mercy for me, mercy for me, mercy for me. I do not see my own condemnation, I see my Jesus. Yes, I see Jesus. There is therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.Oh what a glorious freedom. Free indeed, free indeed , free indeed. Free indeed to stand and fight. To battle even unto death, with my fellow freed men. I pray today that those whom the Son has set free will push the doors of their captivity of wretchedness, that they would realize their freedom, that they would reckon their freedom and walk out of their cells into the glorious sunlight of no condemnation and join the Lord’s army in these the final days of the battle, one more battle in the war that is already won.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: glorious freedom, heroes of faith | 9 Comments »
Where two or three are gathered….
Posted by appolus on March 25, 2013
A long time ago the “Church,” was redefined by men as something separate from the people. They created a building and a system and they called it their own. This is always the folly of men. Consider this, consider what men would do with this. Say, we had in our possession , the bush that burned and the sand that surrounded it when Moses encountered the Lord.It would be venerated and visited by the masses of people and it would be worshiped. Yet all it would be would be a bush and some sand. It is the presence of God that makes the ground Holy, whether it is a bush, some sand, a building , a living room, a basement. God dwells within His people. They are the Church. They are living stones, built upon the chief stone, the cornerstone. When two or three of them gather together, then He is there in the midst of them. Two or three brothers and sisters. Not one, for one can worship and pray alone and come before the throne, but to the two or three there lies the promise. This corporate presence of God is unique and beautiful and Holy and majestic. It cannot be compared. It cannot because it was created that way, praise the Lord. Now if I know that and you know that then the enemy of our souls knows that too. This, I would charge, would become one of his greatest tasks, to destroy genuine gatherings of the saints. He has had much success but has ultimately failed. Just when he thinks he has down a wonderful job, then God begins to call all His children all over the world, His remnant children to come together for these, the final days. What seems like the enemy’s greatest victory will become his ultimate defeat. As the saints begin to gather in defiance of his works, then he will reveal himself and come against them with hell and all of its fury. And then, in the midst of all of that, the Bridegroom returns for His bride. The lion of Judah returns and He rides, not on a donkey but on a stallion. Not now as the Lamb but as the Lion. He comes to bring justice and judgement. There will be a fire in His eyes and a two-edged sword in His mouth, glory to God, glory to God
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: lion of judah, presence of god | 2 Comments »
Time for a u-turn?
Posted by appolus on March 23, 2013
I have a GPS system in my car. It’s awesome. As a directionally challenged Real Estate agent it has been such a blessing to me. I simply put in the address and follow the blue line and I inevitably end up at my destination. Yet even with this system, you can take wrong turns and the system will automatically “recalculate,” and give you new directions to get you back on track. This almost always involves “taking the next exit,” or doing a “ legal u-turn when possible.” Sometimes when you take the wrong road, but it runs near to or initially parallel with the correct road, the system still believes you to be on the right road. As the wrong road slowly veers away from the correct road, the system finally figures it out and re-directs you . Much of Christendom has taken the wrong road. Initially it runs almost parallel to the correct road and , without discernment,it is almost impossible to know that you are on the wrong path. Most will simply plow ahead down the road directed and its at a point of getting lost that the person realizes that they have went astray. When Amelia Earheart attempted her epic flight, it is reckoned that she only had to be a tiny fraction off in her calculations to miss the Island that she was aiming for by hundreds of miles. To continue flying and being slightly of course, would take her ever further away from her destination. Today, Christendom is moving further and further away from its destination. When the destination ceases to be God Himself, and the destination becomes something other than His presence, His Tabernacle, His alter, His throne room, then we simply get further and further away from Him and the narrow path that leads to Him. Only by getting off at the “next exit,” or doing a “ legal u-turn,” can we get back on the narrow path. The address, the direction itself must always be God Himself. Are you headed in that direction, is that what is plugged into your spirit, is He your destination?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: narrow path | Leave a Comment »
God’s called out children
Posted by appolus on March 22, 2013
I believe with all my heart that Gods remnant children are being raised up all over the world. They are being separated, like the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares. Many of them are in a sort of desert, not of their own choosing, but by the calling of God. In that desert they are learning to depend upon Him entirely so that when the time comes, persecution and so on, that even if none go with them, still they shall follow. Yet that does not change the fact that they have a sincere and genuine desire to have genuine fellowship with those of like-mind, meaning those who burn with a passion for the Lord and are hungry and thirsty for His presence and simply just cannot do business as usual anymore. This is the process of God calling His own. This is the process of counting the cost. Certainly, when the Lord was crucified, one would have to be found outside the walls in order to be identified with Him. To be outside the walls, to be detached from the system is not an easy or a simple thing, it comes with great cost and indeed if it did not it would not be the decision that it is. This calling is only going to get more intense as we move forward, as the day of the Lord approaches. Yet the Lord has called us to gather together, and all the more as we see that day approach and that is why I believe you will begin and are beginning to see a visible representation of these called out children.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: genuine fellowship, visible representation | 4 Comments »
Can you hear the voice of God?
Posted by appolus on March 21, 2013
What does it mean to hear God? Seems like such a simple question. You would imagine that no Christian would object to “hearing,” God speak to them. That small still voice, the voice of the shepherd speaking to His sheep, and His sheep recognizing His voice. The Holy Spirit whispering into the hearts of believers. The Holy Spirit leading and guiding and magnifying the Lord Jesus in our hearts.Here is the very essence of hearing God. A man I know of, went into the supermarket to buy his wife a rose. It was his practice to do this every week. He picked the rose that he wanted and made for the checkout lane. As he walked toward the line , the Holy Spirit spoke to him, that small still voice from the Shepherd. “Give the rose to that woman.” Immediately the man resisted. “Lord, that makes no sense. What if she thinks I am hitting on her? What if she thinks I am crazy? What if others hear and think I am a weirdo?” There was such a resistance in his flesh, yet he knew the voice of the Lord, and he knew he had to be obedient. So, he took a deep breath and walked over to the lady and said to her “The Lord wanted you to have this rose.” The woman looked at him for a second, then looked at the rose, and as she reached out to take it, she began to weep. She explained.”My husband died several months ago. Every week , for years, he would buy me a rose. This morning I was feeling so lost and forgotten, I cried out to God and asked Him if He had forgotten me, I told Him that I needed to feel loved.” The man cried too. You see how the Lord loves us? You see how He speaks to His people?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: hearing god, small still voice | 2 Comments »
In the Shadow of Jerusalem
Posted by appolus on March 21, 2013
In the shadow of Jerusalem
My Christ He died today
For you and I, He died alone
On the rugged cross He’d stay
He did not die within the walls
He died outside the gate
He died that you and I may live
To make the crooked path straight
He did not die a rich mans death
On Him our sins were cast
A thief on either side of Him
He gave up the Ghost at last
Now into the grave they put our Lord
Where all dead men are placed
Yet this was the mighty Son of God
Whom God Himself would raise
And on the third day He arose
And death had lost its sting
The grave had lost its power
Yet the earth had gained its King
All glory to the King of Kings
All hail Emmanuel
No power on earth could hold Him down
Not even the power of hell
The Lord our God is coming soon
He is coming for His own
And men from every tribe on earth
Shall gather round His throne
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
Can you hear the angels sing?
All glory to the risen Lamb
All glory to the King
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: glory to the king, glory to the king of kings, holy holy holy | Leave a Comment »
Seeking after signs
Posted by appolus on March 20, 2013
The Lord will not commit to those who are not committed to Him. This present generation of loud and “tumultuous,” believers are seeking to establish the Lords kingdom here on earth. The sign the Lord gave them is not good enough for them. What sign did the Lord give them? He gave them the sign of the Prophet Jonah. When all aboard the ship knew that they were lost, Jonah was sacrificed to save them. He then spent three days in the belly of the whale. All of mankind was and is caught up in a great storm of darkness and tumult. It is to Calvary that one must look. In the quiet of faith, the Lord will respond to His own, He always has and He always will, but He will not respond to a crass church which seeks to gratify their own corrupt lusts. So all of the church’s that cry out for miracles, the Lord knows the motivations of their heart. Signs and wonders would follow. Follow what? The preaching of Calvary. The proclamation of the Truth. The bold witness for Christ. The unashamed stance of the one truly committed. The genuine love of the lost, expressed in practical terms. So, those who place the cart before the horse do so for a reason. And in doing so, they expose the fragile nature of the faith that they claim to have.The Lord will not commit to those who have built their houses on sinking sand. This is why we see the “house,” of ”believers,” come tumbling down when faced with “unanswered prayers.” For they are not established on the solid Rock of Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary. “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” Does your faith depend upon you seeing a miracle? Or does your faith stand upon the finished work of the cross of Calvary? Miracles are a bi-product not the primary object. That object is Jesus!!!!
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A Christian tide of Holiness
Posted by appolus on March 17, 2013
Right now, Christendom is in a similar situation to those Israelites of Ezra’a period. We have joined ourselves to the world, and we have lost our distinctiveness. It is no surprise that the world cannot tell us apart from them. In 9:12 The Holy Spirit speaks prophetically through the priest and says “Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.” We, as the church here on earth have given our children, sons and daughters in marriage to the world. We have sought peace by giving up our principles and turning from the word of God. We have sought prosperity and the things of the world and we are not strong. We are entering into the days of the Lords indignation. God says to us in Ezekiel 22:24″ You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation. The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey, they have devoured people:26: Her priests have violated My law and profaned My Holy things, they have not distinguished between the holy and the unholy.27: ” Her leaders are like wolves tearing the prey ………to get dishonest gain.” Yet the Lord has a remnant people and He is calling them. They are people who love the Lord with all of their Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: hunger and thirst | 2 Comments »
The tyranny of insignificance!
Posted by appolus on March 16, 2013
In Scotland we have a phrase ” He’s not worth tuppence.” Tuppence meaning two penny’s. It does not get cheaper than that. Maybe my American friends would say “I wouldn’t give you a dime for him.” Whatever phrase you know or use, the meaning is clear, somebody or something is worthless. For a Christian to use this phrase would be tragic. This phrase or these phrases are anti-Christ. To believe yourself or someone else to be worthless is to not understand the most basic principal of Christianity which is Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” If you are known personally by God, If He knows every hair of your head, then how is it that you could ever imagine yourself insignificant? Is that not a lie from the pits of hell? How much evil and mischief has the enemy of your soul been able to achieve by simply convincing you that you have no worth and are insignificant?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: god so loved the world, sibling rivalry | Leave a Comment »
Can you turn the other cheek?
Posted by appolus on March 15, 2013
I believe, that to a genuine Christian, injustice is one of the hardest things to deal with. It goes against everything that we are and when we witness it, no matter where, no matter what the context, it is always agonizing to our souls. We instinctively begin to march in lockstep behind the forces that would right a wrong. The reason we do this is because we are recipients of the outcome of the greatest injustice known to man. When Jesus was lynched, when Jesus was dragged in front of men who cared nothing for justice, who had already decided what to do with Him, then we know that His Holy Spirit burns within us with a spirit that identifies with all lynched men. We identify with injustice, wherever it would take place around the world. So when Jesus begins to teach in the sermon on the mount then He begins to teach revolution. Not a revolution against civil authorities, but a revolution against the very essence of sinful man. Every part of self , every corrupted gene in the human body is taken on and exposed on the Mount. Jesus gives us the strategy to destroy the wickedness of the flesh and to become new creatures in Him. So when our enemy spits in our face, slaps it, then we turn the other cheek. When he assaults us, compels us, we do not resist, but rather we surrender to the flesh and return love. Even as I write this my own flesh rises up. It so goes against my humanity, my manliness, my Scottishness. Yet my Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: human-rights | 2 Comments »
A garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness.
Posted by appolus on March 14, 2013
Perhaps you have a heavy spirit this day. You may be having a hard time imagining that things will ever change. It seems to you that tomorrow will inevitably be like today because today was just the same as yesterday, and on it goes. For whatever reason you cannot seem to shake this of. The Lord has provided us with a solution and a way of escape from every situation. He says that we should put on a “garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” If you will begin to praise Him right now, even although you do not feel like it, then the spirit of heaviness will flee. The song goes like this “Put on The garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness, lift up your voice and sing, sing with the Spirit and with understanding, Oh magnify the King” Let our King be magnified this day. For as we lift up our eyes, as we look unto the mountain, we shall see where our help comes from. Let us magnify the Lord Jesus this day, this very moment. Let us consider all the battles that He has taken us through, how He saved us, how we came to know Him, how His presence is so sweet. Lets consider eternity, and that these present trials will fade into memory as we walk on with Him in the beauty of Holiness. If you will lift up your head this day, then you will see the glory of the Risen Lord, for the head that hangs down cannot see what is above him or what is before him. He is above us, and His Spirit goes before us and will make the crooked path straight, He will make “rivers in the desert,” He will “make a way where there seems to be no way,” for He is faithful and true and is holding out His hand to you right now, lift up you head, reach out and take it, He will lead and guide you through this difficult part of the journey. In the world, when a person is most at risk and in great danger, then they rely greatly on their five senses. In the Spirit it is not so. As you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, as you negotiate the most dangerous parts of your journey, the Lord asks that you would suspend your senses, close your eyes and let Him lead you. He will lead your every step, minute by minute, day by day and far from feeling vulnerable because you have closed your eyes, you will feel more secure than you have ever before because you have surrendered your ability to cope, and you are completely dependent upon Him.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: beauty of holiness, garment of praise, rivers in the desert | Leave a Comment »
Keep you eyes on the prize!
Posted by appolus on March 13, 2013
In 1911 there were few great adventures left, few places on earth not already discovered. One of the last places on earth for men to explore was the Antarctic, the South pole. A race of epic proportions took place between Captain Scott and his British team, and Amundsen and his Norwegian team.There are many reason why Amundsen won the race, but I am more interested in how victory affects our attitude, and how that in turn affects everything that we do. When Captain Scott and his team finally arrived at the South Pole, they were devastated to find the Norwegian flag already planted, it was clear they had lost the race. Eight hundred grueling miles in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, only to find they had been beaten. Amundsen and his team managed to race back home in record time, knowing fine well that the world waited to laud and to cheer on the victors. Fame and glory awaited them and they ran towards the prize. Scott and his team, on the other hand, had no such glory awaiting them, and they struggled, monumentally struggled to trek back the eight hundred miles they had just came. Sadly, every member of the team died in the effort, laden down with problems, and with biting bitterness and disappointment, they all died, one by one, in the frigid wastelands of the bottom of the earth. Brothers and sisters, we are walking in victory, the prize is already won. Do you run this race of life as one who knows that victory is theirs ? Is that your attitude to life? Or perhaps you walk this life, defeated by circumstances, ready to fall in a frozen wilderness? Remember, both teams faced the same conditions. The difference between life and death for these two teams was that one was victorious and the other was not. The last of the Scott team was found dead just 11 miles from a full supply of food. We, brothers and sisters are marching home on the back of a victorious risen Christ. The source of everything we need lies within our very hearts. Rise up today in victory with the full assurance that He will meet our every need and that glory awaits at the end of this journey. Keep your eyes on the prize.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Whipped and beaten and killed
Posted by appolus on March 12, 2013
I watched a movie one time. In the movie there was a man who had been falsely accused of a crime and, bayed on by the angry townsfolk, three men stepped forward and took this man and stripped him and began to whip him. The crowd cheered as the man was punished and the men ferociously whipped him. At first he screamed and tried to get away, and the crowd cheered as he was pulled back and the whipping continued. Then he fell silent but the three men were in a frenzy. Now the crowd grows silent as the men continue to whip their victim, even although all resistance is gone and he lies face down motionless. One by one the crowd disappears and the man is whipped to death, unrecognizable. His tormentors are unrepentant as they finish their work, feeling nothing as they eventually kill the man.This is a graphic illustration of what Satan and his workers do to their victims. They whip their victims with the cords of un-forgiveness, bitterness , anger, hatred and murder in the heart and they will flog their victims until there is nothing left and all is lost in their soul. I talked to a woman one time. She was caught up in a storm of bitterness, anger and un-forgiveness for her husband on what seemed like a small and reasonably insignificant incident. What I saw in the Spirit was a woman enslaved to fear and insecurity and past hurts. Each of these elements fueled the other ones. The original master’s name was “past hurts.” He went out and had insecurity and fear join him as they mercilessly whipped this woman. If today, brothers and sisters, you have even the slightest of these feelings, or perhaps you are caught up in a violent storm of hatred and bitterness and un-forgiveness, you must look to the anchor of your soul. He has gone ahead of you and just beyond your temper, just beyond your un-forgiveness, just beyond your despair, lies the safe harbor of peace. The entrance to the harbor is forgiveness. We can find this entrance to peace in Jesus. He has come to set the captives free.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, revival, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Seek ye First!
Posted by appolus on March 11, 2013
When there is nothing much going on in our lives there are many things that we fret about. We have the luxury of thinking about things that we would otherwise not . Small things become big things.We long for God to use us, and we can secretly be discontent. It is sad that when things are quiet and we should be doing nothing more than being joyful and thinking on Him, we seem to do the opposite. And it seems that we always live to regret it. Something happens and suddenly we long to be back in a time and place where life was just “normal.” Most of us are either living in and for the future, or living in the past. Everything we do is touched by our thoughts that have went before us or our fears and hopes for tomorrow. This living one day at a time seems so remote to so many of us. Then it happens, as it does to all of us. Disaster strikes. A job is lost.A loved one dies, a child or spouse is diagnosed with some terrible disease. All of a sudden, what seemed like a complicated life, suddenly becomes very simple, we now focus like a laser, on what really matters. Things that seemed important the day before, now are no longer afforded even a thought as we cry out to God for that which presses on our souls and that which has consumed us. What a thousand excellent teachers and preachers could not convey, circumstances, affliction, adversity suddenly become our teachers and our perspective is quite dramatically brought into focus as we realize what is really important in life, and, by the same token, what is not. We cannot change the past and we do not know how much future lies ahead of us. It seems pretty clear that God, if we know anything, is the God of the now. The past is gone and the future is yet to come but we know that we are here now. It is now that we should worship. It is now that we should walk in His presence. It is now that we should exercise grace. Most of us also take what has happened in the past and use that as a measuring stick as to what will happen in the future. Yet we know that God stands outside of time and space in eternity. In timeless eternity there is no past or future, only the eternal now, the eternal reality of His presence.So, when we use the past as a measuring stick for the future, it is not an act of faith, it is an act of the intellect. God cannot be known by our intellect. May the tyranny of time not be found amongst us. May its constant demand be set aside, yet to do that we will have to set aside our fears and insecurities. If we fail to live in the now, then when calamity or trial or test comes upon us, we have to scramble to come into that place with Him. Today is the day to seek the Kingdom of God and His peace and His righteousness. Slow down and consider the beauty of God and His Holiness and His beauty. Do not let the small cares of this world consume you, be consumed by Him and in this you will stand in a sure place.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: living one day at a time | 4 Comments »
Stepping stones to Heaven!
Posted by appolus on March 10, 2013
Imagine you are crossing a great river. The world is on one side and you are headed toward the other side, the heavenly side. Each time you are obedient, each time you turn your back on sin, another stepping stone appears before you and you move forward towards your goal. One step at a time on the road to glory. It is by obedience that we make forward progress towards a deeper walk with Him and overcome. Yet brokenness, submission, surrender and love must be the building blocks of our obedience If we simply try to be obedient without first taking these steps we will discover that there is an obedience that binds us in chains and the weight of these chains will drag us down and drown us. Yet, obedience born out of love and a desire to please the one that we love frees us and fulfills us and propels us on.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: road to glory | 4 Comments »
A Symphony to God
Posted by appolus on March 9, 2013
Each whisper, every God-ward thought, every prayer spoken, each moment of silence spent in His presence is like a musical note to the Lord. And so He who sits above the circle of the earth, sees each and every one of these musical notes from around the world from the Body of Christ, rising up in a majestic symphony of love and worship and it is a sweet, sweet sound in His ears. This day, become part of that symphony, let your days be filled with thoughts of Him, release whispers of love to add to the music of prayer. Simply whisper the name of Jesus, all throughout the day, remind Him of how much you love Him, thank Him for the day, no matter what kind of day that your having. Rediscover that bond of love and joy and peace that comes simply by being in His presence. When you do this brothers and sisters, your prayer life will change dramatically, but not only your prayer life, your life itself. For when we walk in continual prayer we begin to see the beauty of the Lord everywhere. If it rains, we see His beauty in the raindrops, if the sun shines we see His beauty as the flowers turn themselves around to face the glory of the Son. If it is cloudy we see his beauty break through the clouds in beams of light that remind us that despite the momentary darkness, He is not finished with us and that His light is ready to break through.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: continual prayer | Leave a Comment »
A Call To The Remnant 