Archive for November, 2013
Posted by appolus on November 30, 2013
Religious spirits are those who come as angels of light! Their deception is deep and hard to recognize, but once it is uncovered they reveal who they really are and you find no love in them! You willl find judgement, bitterness and strife all the while they will accuse you of this very thing! I pray we all become educated by His Holy Spirit to be able to discern the true from the false! Just because one says Jesus is Lord! Does not make them a true follower of Jesus!- Bren Brantley.
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I pray that if you are looking for me, the one place you are guaranteed to find me is before the throne and not before the crowd.- Bro Frank
But the word about Him spread even more. And great crowds were coming to hear, and to be healed from their infirmities by Him. But He was drawing back in the wilderness, and praying.
(Luk 5:15-16)
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The narrower the path we are called to walk in this world, the greater the desire we will have for the world to come- Bro Frank
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Do you conform to the image of your church and its characteristics or do you conform to Jesus and His characteristics?-Bro Frank
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, Quotes, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 26, 2013
The holidays are here. We see people rushing to and fro. Images abound on billboards and TV and for many it is a truly wonderful time where family and friends gather together. And I say God bless them all. Yet there are many folks who dread this time of the year. Perhaps an empty seat at the table reminds you of someone dear who is no longer with you? Or maybe it’s the people in the seats that’s the problem? Maybe your family is not exactly the Cleavers? My own son will not be sitting at my table and has not now for the last four years. He is in prison. Fathers feel the need to be strong. You have to steel yourself. I believe that there is no greater agony than watching your child suffer and being powerless. This is not the first time I have felt this kind of agony with this, my eldest son who is now 30. When he was two he was burned over 60% of his body with third degree burns. Part of his treatment, to keep him alive, was to plunge him into a salt bath everyday and remove and replace his bandages. The nurses would have a parent help them with this. If you have ever had a small cut on your finger and got some salt in it, you know how painful that is. Now imagine a small child having to endure the agony of being forced into a salt bath day after day after day. The absolute helplessness I felt was a hell on earth as I helped force my child into this bath as he kicked and screamed and cursed. There was no way he could possibly understand why his dad was doing this to him.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 25, 2013
How many times was the Lord rejected? How many times was He ridiculed and scorned? How grievous the journey knowing the end? How savage the battle in the garden? How savage the treatment at the hands of Romans? How cruel the desertion of all of his friends, including his best and dearest? How indescribable the drinking of the cup? Yet even in the midst of one of the cruelest deaths known to man, He ministers. How deep the love that cries ” forgive them Father?” Can we forgive?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 22, 2013
Gal 4:17 They are zealous for you, but not well. But they only desire to exclude you, that you be zealous to them.
In this particular context the Apostle Paul was speaking of the false teachers who desired to keep God’s freed men under the law. Yet there is a wider application, it applies to all false teachers, the pattern never changes. Today Christendom is full of false teachers. And we can see that many men and women desire that God’s children be zealous for them. How many Christians have you heard talking about famous women teachers and famous men teachers. They will tell you plainly that they love them and buy all of their books and go to their conferences. They convince others to join them saying things like ” you just have to hear so and so,” or ” you must get this book.” Such as these are lovers of men , zealous for them and it is by design. These teachers build their ” brand,” and enrich themselves by cashing in on this zeal that they have created in the masses. So what does Paul mean when he says that they desire to exclude you?
That is a heavy charge. We know that God is a jealous God and He shares His glory with no one. You cannot give your zeal to a man or a women and maintain your relationship with God, He will have no other gods before Him. These teachers who desire the zeal of men are little gods unto themselves and others. And because they are gods unto themselves they see no problem at all with enriching themselves and making merchandise of God’s word and truth. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If He made a scourge of chords for the money changers and drove them out of the temple here on earth, what will He do when they come before Him in the world to come? If zeal for His house ate Him up and that was for a temple built by human hands destined to be torn down, what shall that same zeal do to those who defile the heavenly temple? You cannot follow men and follow God, you will be part of one and excluded from the the other. You are excluded from fellowship with God when you follow men.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: Apostle Paul, false teachers, God's children, relationship with God, women teachers | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 21, 2013
Control seems to be a great part of the system of churches. I know that in very many Pentecostal circles that unless the testimony is in some way connected to the Pastor then it will rarely be heard from the platform because it does not lift him up. This only exemplifies kingdoms and fiefdoms of men. The notion of Jesus truly being preeminent is something that is lost to almost all of Christendom. What a beautiful thing it is when your chief role amongst the bretheren is to come along side them and support them in what The Lord has them do. Oh it is so beautiful when a man can say from the bottom of his heart that he must decrease that The Lord may increase.
The pyramid system of authority in the churches, rather than a plurality of leadership is truly erosive amongst the Body. He has His parts and He has apportioned gifts and leadership. That is why I believe The Lord is raising up a remnant generation, hungry for His presence, hungry for His preeminence and hungry for the organic church we read of in Scriptures.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 9 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 20, 2013
Today most pastors try to be all things to all men. Many complain that this is foisted upon them, but the reality in so many churches is that this is by design. It is the nature of what we now call church. God has shown us that church is where two or three or ten or 100 are gathered together in His name. The number is not important, what is important is God’s definition of what church is and how it should operate.
Now we know that the Body of Christ is just that, it is a body. It was God Himself who uses this analogy and if we are to follow Him then we have to follow what He has laid down. “For the body is not one member but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If all the body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If all hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body as it has pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where would be the body?” (1 Cor 12:16-19)
Where is the body today brothers and sisters? Does it function as you have just read? Does your church function in the Biblical fashion or is it ” one member,” a pastor who does all the preaching, all the praying, all the exhorting all the prophesying , all the words of knowledge and so on? The truth is that this is the Catholic model and it is indeed a sick model. How can the body function if it operates as one member? In your church, are you merely a spectator? What does your participation look like? Paul says ” We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the sphere which God appointed us.” ( 2 Cor 10:11)
God has appointed men and women to operate within the church in the gifts He has bestowed upon them. Any system which suppresses these gifts or simply does not allow them to function is in direct conflict with that which God has ordained. And so, rather than measure themselves against the Word of God, modern pastors ‘measure themselves by themselves.’ This is not wise and God will not participate in any system that so directly violates His commands and instructions.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | Tagged: church | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 19, 2013
Josiah Batton writes………
The issue of John MacArthur’s recent Strange Fire Conference (and forthcoming book) is all the rage in the Evangelical blogosphere right now. Truth be told, I’m impressed by the attention the whole thing is drawing. If you know anything about MacArthur you know he is a cessationist, and that he has promoted cessationism publicly for quite some time.
I gather the issue is not MacArthur’s cessationism, which is well-known. The issue is that MacArthur has thrown down the theological gauntlet. He’s not merely saying continuationism is wrong, he’s saying it’s wrong and dangerous. While I was not at the conference, reports I read had MacArthur likening Charismatics to Mormonism, saying that Evangelicals will challenge 14 million Mormons, but are silent in the face of half a billion Charismatics. This is inflammatory, perhaps even reckless, speech.
But as you may have gathered from the title, I’m not writing this post to point out MacArthur’s errors or where I disagree with him (though such disagreements do exist). That I’m writing in general support of Strange Fire implies I have particular differences with the conference and some of its themes. This post is about my support of the conference, not my differences with it.
You might be curious about how I, as a Pentecostal pastor, could possibly support any conference that fundamentally challenges the theological foundation of my movement and condemns many of its practices. My reasons are simple: Read the rest of the article here …. http://questiontradition.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/a-pentecostal-in-general-support-of-the-strange-fire-conference/
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: cessationism, John MacArthur, Strange Fire Conference | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 18, 2013
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 17 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 15, 2013
When the mountain is insurmountable
And there is no way ahead
My mind drifts back to Calvary
Where my Savior died and bled
When all around is darkness
And it seems I’ve lost my way
Your light it shines from heaven
And gives me strength for one more day
When there are tears upon my pillow
And the night has lost its song
I lift my eyes unto the throne
And I see where I belong
I belong here in your presence
You bid me walk on through the door
To stand at the right hand of your glory
Where your blessings are forevermore
And in your presence mountains crumble
And tumble, falling to the sea
As I stand before your glory
Where I shall ever be
The darkness has receded
It fled away from you
The light of heaven shines on me
And the sky above is blue
Your presence dries up all my tears
And in my heart there sings a song
Of the Lord that came and died for me
To whom I now belong
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 14, 2013
Its a terrible thing to be held captive by our own thoughts. How exhausting can it can be when we allow them to consume and overwhelm us? They can begin to eat away at us. They can even rob us of sleep and leave us tired and weary. I thank the Lord that He freed us and gave us the ability to take every thought into captivity and focus on Him. If a specific situation or trial has taken your mind captive today, know that there is a way of escape, you are no longer slaves to the flesh but bond-servants, willing servants to the Lord of power. If you have been set free by the Lord then you are free indeed. You now have the power to take those thoughts captive, they must bow to the Spirit of God in you. By an act of your will, take your eyes off of that situation today and turn them to Jesus and draw close to Him and peace will flood your soul. “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 37 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 13, 2013
There is a groaning generation being raised, a witness to God’s truth and glory being raised for these last days, raised for rejection , raised to be persecuted and reviled , raised for martyrdom, raised to praise God not only from the mountaintops but also from the deepest valleys – bro Frank
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Nominal Christians are nothing like the real thing. Their lives are cold copies of the reality, faint lines traced by a dull pencil, conveying nothing of faith’s force and grace. According to Scripture, Christianity is not a geographical concept ( not an accident of birth) but a spiritual one. It does not depend on our being a native of a Christian country, it is a condition, a state of heart, a unique possession – William Wilberforce , Real Christianity
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Persecution failed to destroy the church, but it seems that the enemy thought that if he could not beat them then he must buy them.What we in the west consider blessings, from God could in fact be one of many Trojan horses designed to infiltrate and weaken, dilute and compromise Christendom. Ultimately those who identify with Christ’s sufferings will not fall for the notion of these ” blessings,” and will see it for what it is. Something to held very loosely – bro Frank
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian quotes, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 12, 2013
Below is a comment I received from a dear saint this morning. I thought I would share it as it did my heart good and it is thought provoking. The comment was in regard to a post of mine ” A Call To The Remnant,” https://acalltotheremnant.com/a-call-to-the-remnant/ which of course is also the name of this site. The comment…….
“Wow, I really enjoyed this post; it brought tears to my eyes and it really encouraged me, because I am one of those who was wounded by Christ, and I am now a remnant soul. Jesus disciplines those he loves, isn’t that so? I was deeply embedded in the Word of Faith cult, all the while thinking I was saved, I was in need of deliverance. I thought I was in the light, but I was in a false light that was really darkness, and how great was that darkness! While he was dealing with my mother’s adulteries through sicknesses, to the point of bringing her rebellious heart to finally repent of her sins while on her death-bed, he was changing my heart too. In the aftermath of prophecies and promises of her healing that were supposed to be from the LORD, but were left unfulfilled, I was finally ready for the truth. I was desperately hungry and thirsty for the real Almighty God.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 11 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 11, 2013
The Man After God’s Own Heart (Part Two) —-Bro Allan Halton
As we read the story of Saul we discover that he wasn’t a man who had much of a regard for learning God’s ways. His own ways were quite good enough for him—as they were for the Gentile kings. No one told them what to do. And, after all, wasn’t he a king just like the nations round about? Isn’t this what the people wanted in the first place? But this was God’s kingdom, and the two “mistakes” we highlighted in the first part of this message cost Saul the kingdom. He made others beside the two we have spoken of, and they were all rooted in the same soil—a heart that was ready enough to sideline God and do what was reasonable in its own eyes. As we said last time, we see this same heart of Saul on every hand in the leadership of the churches of our day, and because of it an immense collapse is inevitable. The thing is… finding fault is easy enough, but knowing where others are missing it is of no value if we are not searching our own heart. If we want to make sure we ourselves don’t get caught in the looming disaster it will mean two things:
1) We must wait for God when waiting is so difficult. In the press of desperate circumstance when God is nowhere in sight we must resist the temptation to do what is expedient in our own eyes; we must wait for God—for His direction, for His help, for His strategy… for Himself, His Presence. Our churches are chock full of things that men decided to go ahead with when God was absent, was silent; there are countless programs and methodologies that the Lord of the church had absolutely nothing to do with bringing into being. We must repent of this evil, and get on our knees with a broken and contrite heart and seek the Anointed Jesus our Lord to come to us once again… and with His anointing help us offer the burnt offering.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: fear of God, Man After God’s Own Heart | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 8, 2013
The Man After God’s Own Heart (Part One)
Something like a hundred pages of my Bible are devoted to the account of Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David. It’s an engaging story but God has more in mind than entertaining us with history; we need to learn what the Holy Spirit would teach us from the lives of these two kings. For, in our day the same drama is being played out again in the church of Jesus Christ.
Let us plunge right into the story. Israel had asked God for a king so they could be like the nations around them. This displeased the Lord, for His intention with Israel was to make them very different from the nations. But when Samuel protested that their desire was not of God, and that the king they wanted would use them to advance his own kingdom and interests, they refused to listen. “Nay, but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like the nations…” (1 Sam. 8.19). So God gave them their hearts’ desire—something that you and I should remember when we persist in asking God for something that He has indicated is not His will. We might just get what we ask for… to our sorrow.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: Israel, Samuel, Saul and David | 13 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 6, 2013
THE CONSTANTINE CONTAGION
Let us look at what kind of Kingdom Constantine built. You decide if he initiated and contaminated Christendom with a contagion that lasts until this day, that created the Catholic church and also the reformed church. In 313 Constantine issued the Edict of Milan. This granted freedom of religion to all men, including Christians. I know that this may come as a shock to many American Christians, but yes, there was freedom of religion prior to some settlements in the colonies. Constantine went on and decreed that the properties stolen from Christians during the persecution would be returned. He also decreed that the houses of prayer that were burned would be rebuilt and paid for by the state. And even with that , Constantine was not finished. He decided in his earthly wisdom and undoubted friendliness towards those of the Christian faith that they should have very fine buildings in which to worship, very much larger structures since it was now the favored religion of the state. The previous modest houses of prayer would be too small to hold the large crowds that would now come, so he built them ” churches,” that were more ornate than the pagan temples of the day.
So we went from a faith that met in very modest houses of prayer to highly ornate temples of worship. We went from a faith that was persecuted by the state to a faith that was made an amalgam of the state. Constantine further recognized that most bishops and deacons lived on or near the poverty line. Now think about that saints-saints on or near the poverty line. Now this was often by choice, men gladly giving up their estates, but nevertheless that is how most bishops and deacons lived prior to the great persecution of Diocletian. Now Constantine thought this most improper that men of the status of a bishop or a deacon should live in such a manner. So Constantine decided that the state would pay them a handsome salary. Think about it saints. Just a few years before Christendom had faced the most sever persecution and now here was Constantine, building extravagant buildings called churches and paying bishops and deacons handsome salaries. Brilliant strategy of the Devil? Good cop bad cop syndrome with Diocletian and Constantine? I would argue that it could only have happened against the backdrop of such a great persecution. Prior to this men of God would not even take governmental roles never mind have the state pay for ornate buildings and receive a wage from them. One more thing, Constantine decreed that these churches did not have to pay property tax, which was one of the main ways Rome raised revenue.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Constantine, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: Constantine, Kingdom Constantine | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 5, 2013
This article will be in two parts and will explore the effect that the Emperor Constantine had on the church world then and as we know it today and how this relates to genuine Kingdom or remnant saints. So what is the title of this article asking? What does it mean to be either a Kingdom , pilgrim or remnant saint? All of these titles describe one person, the saint who walks in the Kingdom of God. They come from every tribe, every tongue and every nation. They cross denominational lines. Their identity is established in Christ , not in men or men’s Kingdom. The walk of such a saint is often a lonely walk.
In every century down through the ages, beginning with the death and resurrection of Jesus, we see this saint. He is a lover of the Truth and would rather die than deny this truth. He would rather walk this world alone than compromise the truth. His country cannot shake it, his friends cannot shake it nor even his family because while he may love all of these passionately , nothing even comes close to his passion for the Truth. He has been captured by it, bought by it, ruined for the things of this world by it. Of course this truth of which I speak is the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father except by Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, ruler of the Kingdom of God.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, Church history, church of scotland, Constantine, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: Constantine, Emperor Constantine, parable of jesus | 8 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 1, 2013
The authentic saint is founded upon relationship not theology or doctrine. That is not to say that the authentic saint does not study theology or have doctrine. What it does say is that their entrance into the Kingdom of God came by way of encounter, not by information. One is of the head, the other of the heart. One radically transforms, the other puffs up.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: doctrine | 3 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 