Archive for October, 2014
Posted by appolus on October 30, 2014
God does not give us overcoming life-He gives us life as we overcome( Oswald Chambers)
How many of you have found that to be true? It is true that all the promises of God in the first three chapters of Revelations are made to the overcomers. ” To those who overcome I give….”
Many times in our lives we can fall, we can find ourselves down. This is common to all the saints, every saint has experienced this time and again in their lives. So how do we overcome, how do we grab a hold of the abundant life in a life full of trials? We get up.
I knew a saint who suffered from bouts of severe depression. He told me about a time when he had not left the house in weeks. He then describes an overcoming moment. He decided to go to the post office. Sounds ridiculously simple does it not? It took every ounce of effort in him to first decide then to walk out that door. It was terrifying and exhausting and was undoubtedly one of the battles of his life. Just to walk out the door you say? Yes, just to walk out the door. Now of course there was a story behind the depression, and the story really is not that important. The whys and the wherefores of getting down, while they can be very traumatic, is not the point, it’s the getting up.
As you decide to get up, and it is a decision, then God will join you. There is a diligence in the getting up. There is an overcoming in the getting up, there is endurance in the getting up. People think that it is when we are down that we endure, that is not true. We, as Christians are not designed to be down. We are, however, designed to overcome. The endurance comes in the getting back up and getting back into life and then comes the abundance. The abundant life belongs to the victorious life. Not victory over circumstances, victory in the midst of circumstances, that is true endurance.
If you are down today my brother, my sister, my prayers are with you to get up. The hands that hang low cannot praise God, only that hands that are lifted up. The eyes that are down cannot see God , only the eyes that are lifted up to the heavens can see God. Lift up your hands today and praise God. Lift up your eyes today and see the glory of God. Get up today and walk with God. You will experience His manifest presence as you get up. God never leaves us nor forsakes us this is true, but to walk in the abundance of life we must choose to overcome, to endure, to get up, to get out the door. God has made a promise to us that He will be with us as we move on. Get up and move on today, leave your defeats behind and as you walk away from them you will be walking in victory and with His manifest presence.
And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
(Exo 33:15-17)
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 | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 28, 2014
I will be in Scotland from the 5th Nov- through the 21st. ……………..bro Frank
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | 11 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 25, 2014
I wrote the poem below last night after speaking with a friend who is dealing with cancer for the second time. You can easily take out the word cancer and replace it with ” trials.” God is with us in out trials shaping us. Often times we are only a doorway away from His glory and presence. When He becomes our primary object and not the trial itself then we discover a way of walking through the door.
Trials and Comfort
It’s not the cancer that I fear
It is the thought that you’re not near
For in your presence worlds collide
Beneath your wings I’ll surely hide
Take me to yourself I pray
Walk with me along the way
I’m tired O Lord please hold my hand
And pull me out from shifting sand
For in the sands there is no ground
Nor solid place that can be found
No handkerchief to wipe the tears
Surrounded by my many fears
You pull me up you cover me
You saw me longing to be free
And now I’ve found a place in you
On solid ground I stand tis true
I fix my eyes on you alone
I lift my hands unto the throne
Of glory mercy love and grace
I gaze upon thy Holy face
And as my gaze is fixed on thee
I find that I am surely free
And in your presence I draw near
And perfect love casts out all fear
Oh my King take all of me
Take every part that you can see
Then in thy hand you’ll hold me tight
Two hearts entwined shall then take flight
Now here I am before your throne
Not forsaken not alone
Legs once weary now can run
Into the arms of God’s own Son
The joy of the Lord is my strength
And you shall go to any length
To take me deeper into thee
To heal me Lord and set me free
Posted in cancer, Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | Tagged: word cancer | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 22, 2014
JUST TURN UP THE MUSIC AND FIX IT WHEN YOU HAVE THE MONEY!
So recently I had a problem with my car. Every time I went over 70mph I could hear a whistling noise. Obviously I was concerned so I checked with the experts……..I googled it. Interesting array of answers and typically if you get seven out of ten people saying the same thing then that is probably the answer. Anyway, as I was looking I came across this solution to my problem ” Just turn up the music and fix it when you have the money.” It made me smile. I could also relate to that solution in my past.
How many people do that with their lives? There is a problem and they know there is a problem but they do not have the resources to fix the problem so they just ” turn up the music.” The music could be sex or drugs or rock and roll or food or politics, you name the music, as long as it drowns out the underlying problem. If the problem persists, just turn it up louder, get more drunk, more sex more politics and so on until your life is in ruins and still the underlying problem exists.
Jesus met a woman at the well. This woman had underlying problems. She was at the well at a time when other women would not be there, in fact when no one should have been there. And there she meets Jesus. How like Jesus to meet a person when they have burned every bridge, when there is really no one left to turn to. Like a surgeon Jesus asks the question ” where is your husband?” The woman replies that she has no husband. It was a great shame for a woman of this age not to be married in those days. It turns out that the woman had five previous husbands and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. We know the names she would have been called, it would not have been pretty.
Fortunately for the woman she had just encountered a resource that was limitless. She no longer had to turn up the music, for the underlying problem was going to be taken care of by a resource that had no end. An eternal well of purity and hope and love and forgiveness and power. A well that would never run dry, a well that would quench every thirst.
Now, the proper thing for me to do when my car is not working and it is something beyond my ability to fix is to take it back to the manufacturer. Who better to know how to fix my car than the folks that built it? Who better to know how to fix your soul than the God who made you? Is it time to turn down the music? Come to the well that will never runs dry. God sees your heart He knows instantly what ails you. Maybe you have been married five times? Maybe you have went through many different men or women in an attempt to find the intimacy you crave? Yet sin and brokenness are barriers, a doorway that stands in the way of entering into the fullness of life and what God would have you to be. Come to the well, come to Jesus. He has life-giving water and when you drink of this, you shall never thirst again. This is His promise to you.
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 | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 22, 2014
Jer 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. Jer 23:19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. Jer 23:20 In the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
We live in strange days indeed. Days perhaps some of the older generation could never have imagined seeing. How rapidly has wrong become right? Much of Christendom is taken up with prosperity and the ways of the world. In Biblical days we would simply call it Baal worship but now the eyes are blinded to that reality. Much of Christendom is dead in that they refuse to allow the activities of the Holy Spirit in their services but the eyes are blinded to that reality. Much of Christendom now ordains homosexual ministers in open rebellion to the Word of God but their eyes are blinded to that reality.
In all of the above cases men are walking after the imaginations of their own heart. Their wisdom is earthly and sensual and certainly does not flow from a Holy God but from the unholy gods of this world. They are at ease in their sin and do not consider that there is a coming storm, a whirlwind that is coming with a fury. It will only be apparent to the wicked as it crashes down on their heads. It is a terrible thing to be given over to blindness.
Yet in every generation God has His servants. They are a witness to the truth. They are lovers of the truth. They declare Gods word without fear or favor of men. They despise flattery as this is a common tool of the blind who encourage the blind. They are exhorters. They encourage the saints and they reach out to the wicked. They have an indignation for the honor and the glory of God that causes them to run to the battle. David was indignant when he heard the giant mock God’s people. There are mocking giants today filled with the same evil spirits who mock and try to intimidate God’s children. Yet praise God, the same Spirit that filled David and caused him to triumph over Goliath fills the saints in these the latter days.
Jer 23:30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
The false prophets of this age steal from those who genuinely know God and who are led and speak by His Spirit. They take what they want and they mix it with their own imaginations. They are like the narcissist who is incapable of feelings and can only mimic what they see. And so they steal the word of God and mix it with the ways of the world and they come up with abominations. In doing so they have incurred the wrath of God and will be blind to the coming storm which begins first at the house of God for that is where we find the false prophet who seeks to gain followers, standing, reputation and money.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (Jer 23:28-29)
The word of the false prophet is smooth and flattering and self-indulgent. They pat each other on the back and congratulate themselves. They are at ease in Babylon. Yet the true word of God is like a fire says the Lord, it is like a hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces. It has a dynamic force that causes a tumult. It penetrates and thoroughly pierces the hard hearts of men. Men are stabbed in the heart by the penetrating word of God. We see this when Peter preaches after Pentecost and three thousand are saved. We also see it when Stephen preaches and is stoned to death. In each case the scriptures use the phrase ” they were stabbed in the heart.” The true word of God spoken by those filled by Gods Spirit will always cause a violent reaction either unto life or unto death but never unto ease.
Stand fast brothers and sisters. We live in dark days for sure but we are not like those who dwell in darkness for the light of Christ is in us. The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. “Bless the Lord o my soul for you are great and you are clothed with honor and majesty and you cover yourself with light.” Lord may we walk in this light as you are in the light. Let us have fellowship one with another, the children of the light. In the mighty name of Jesus, whose name is above every other name, we pray these things. Lord pour out your blessing upon the Body of Christ that we may begin to stand as one in these final days, amen.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: Christendom | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on October 19, 2014
Just a couple of months ago, former Israeli president Shimon Peres met with Pope Francis and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. At that meeting, Peres suggested that a ” United Nations of Religion,” be formed to combat modern-day wars which seem almost exclusively to be fought in the name of God. http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/09/05/shimon-peres-floats-idea-of-u-n-style-united-religions-with-pope-francis/
He further suggested that the Pope head this organisation because “he is perhaps the only leader who is truly respected”. I would like you to ponder the ramifications of such a union in light of the times in which we live and the Scriptural fact that a whore church will emerge in the end days which will swallow up all religions and nations. There were no details given as to how such an organisation would work or what kind of authority it would have. Ponder again if you will, the three major religions of the world united, Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
What would the argument sound like coming from the scholars and theologians and clerics of these religions in order to establish such a group? I believe that they would take the people back to Abraham. They will show, rightfully, that all three groups can trace their roots back to Abraham. They will argue that we should focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. They will say that we are all one family of God and that although we disagree over Muhammad and Jesus, we all agree on God. Some call him God, others Allah and still others Yahweh, but He is the one God of us all. So the emphasis must be on God alone and while some favor Muhammad and others Jesus, we must cease to speak of these names in public because they have caused so much troubles and wars in the past and in the present.
This will gain some traction especially amongst the liberals of the three main religions. The secular portion of each of these religions and secular society will hail it as the way forward, yet the ” hardliners,” or ” fundamentalists” of each of these groups will reject it out of hand. As groups such as ISIS continue to appear with all of their horrific crimes of butchery on view for all the world to watch on YouTube, a growing revulsion will spread around the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: major religions of the world, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Pope Francis, Shimon Peres, United Nations | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 14, 2014
I was walking this morning on the trail, my quiet time with the Lord. As I went under the bridge there was a young woman, maybe late 20s, sitting beside the creek with her headphones on just staring at the water. I got a check in my spirit. As I walked on the Lord asked me to pray with this young woman. So I kept walking, arguing with myself a little bit. I walked about another mile but cut my walk short. I turned around and thought to myself ” if she is still there, I will talk to her.” A notion crossed my mind that she was contemplating something bad. Anyway, when I got back to that spot, there she was. She still had her earphones in. I walked past several yards, then thought ” what the heck.”
I turned around and approached her. She took her earphones off and I asked her if everything was okay. She said “no.” Tears were just falling from her face. I asked her what was going on and she said someone she knew very well had let her down very badly. It seemed such a gracious description of what was going on. No names, no details, just the simple truth. I asked her is she was going to be okay and she said ” yeah, sometimes you just gotto cry it out.” I asked her if I could pray for her and she said , yes, please, all the time tears just freely flowing.
And so, there beside the little river, I brought this young woman before the throne of grace to my heavenly Father. In my prayer I thanked Jesus that He had stood up in the temple and announced that He had come to heal the broken-hearted. I asked Jesus to heal Nina’s heart. I thanked Him that Nina was not alone there besides the river , that God was with her and had seen her tears. Then I asked Jesus that Nina would open up her heart and let Him in that He may heal her. I asked it all in that wonderful name of Jesus, we hugged and I walked on, amazed once again at the love of God. So, brothers and sisters, be on the lookout for Nina’s today. There is a hurting world out there and if we want and desire it, the Holy Spirit will use us in very simple ways. If you feel led by the Spirit, be bold and step out in faith. Not only will you minister to others, the Lord will minister to you as you do. And if you remember, pray for Nina today.
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 | 7 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 13, 2014
Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through-we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we can come to a place of enlightenment and realize- ” God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!” —-Oswald Chambers
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 7, 2014
Joh 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
In many tightly controlled circles there is what is called an ” echo chamber.’ This is where ideas and teachings are transmitted and amplified and no dissenting view is allowed or accepted. Some may call it strong leadership, others can clearly see it for what it is, but obviously not those within the tightly controlled group. In the best case scenario men and women are simply locked into their own little world where no other view is accepted. The worse case scenario is that a cult is formed whether large or small. Who are susceptible to the echo chamber scenario? Typically it will be those who were raised in very tight conservative circles and who have been taught to fear the ” outside.” Or on the very opposite scale there is the extreme charismatics who appear very different from the extreme conservatives but their motivations are exactly the same. Those who have very low self esteems, who do not realize that they are children of the living God but have been taught that God is an angry God just waiting to fall upon them at their every failure are very susceptible to these men who honor one another but who do not seek “the honor that cometh only from God.”
Now who are these men who seek to control people and set it forth as a virtue? They are men full of pride and vain glory as the old saying goes. Their ambition is worldly honor. They typically do not work and seek to be supported by others. They set their hearts upon receiving glory from other men within the confines of their own circles. They seek to add to their circles by using flattery. They flatter others in an effort to receive flattery back. They make the praises of men their idol. “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.” (Mat 23:4-8)
There is a beautiful freedom in Christ. The enemy of your soul hates this freedom. He wants to see you in the chains of legalism. He wants to hear you cry out ” Oh wretched man that I am.” He sends out his emissaries to try to rob the children of God of their freedoms. “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
(Gal 2:4-5)
Beware of such men brothers and sisters. Do not give place to them ” no not for an hour.” As the days grow darker all manner of attacks shall come against the Body of Christ but we know this, that greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. God loves His children with an everlasting love. His thoughts towards you are more than the sands of the seas. We know that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church, praise God. Heb 5:14 “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” It is absolutely vital, as we enter the dark days that are upon us, to be able to discern good and evil. This comes through the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that we can be led and guided into all truth. To know the Word of God and be a lover of the truth is vital in discerning the schemes of the wicked one. May the Lord bless the saints in these ever-changing days. Praise God, His word never changes.
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, Uncategorized | Tagged: conservative circles, echo chamber | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 5, 2014
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Many times in my walk with the Lord I have forgotten this truth. Many times in the last twenty-five years I have come across many brothers and sisters who have either never learned this or have forgotten it. If God so loved me as a sinner that He sent His Son to die for me and then I was reconciled to Him, how is it that I could ever think that some how I had blown it with Him? If Jesus died for me while I was yet in my sin, how much more does His eternal life in Heaven at the right hand of the Father, interceding for me, guarantee that He will never leave me nor forsake me and the He indeed is the author and the finisher of my faith. He died for my justification and He rose again victorious and reigns for my sanctification. This is the promise upon which I stand. He is the author and finisher of my faith. By His power I was saved and by His power I shall be sanctified, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you are feeling very low today? Maybe you have fallen down and it seems like you shall not recover? Maybe you feel like you cannot be used by God, that you are not good enough, not Holy enough, not anointed enough, not gifted enough? Can I reassure you today that if you were saved by Jesus you shall be sanctified by Jesus, you shall be used by Jesus, you are a work in progress and the last chapter of your life is not written. All that the Lord requires from us is a broken and contrite spirit. If you live long enough you will know that life can and often breaks people. Yet right there, in the midst of your brokeness the Lord says ” Lift up your eyes, come to me, see where your help comes from.” Come to me in your brokenness and I will give you rest.
Too many people fall and then believe that they are not worthy enough to come to God. This is a lie from hell designed to keep your face in the mud. Jesus died for you and for your justification. He rose victoriously for you and reconciled you to your heavenly Father to whom you have access and can cry ” Abba.” God dwells with the lowly and the contrite, He is the healer of the broken. Do not make the mistake of falling and being broken but not coming to the Lord, this is the enemies desire. For there is a world of brokenness which leads to despair, hopelessness and ruin. Do not let your brokenness lead you there, let it lead you to light and to life, the life of Christ and Him resurrected. Come unto Him today. He awaits.
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.
(Isa 57:15)
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: brothers and sisters | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 2, 2014
We live in a generation that is almost wholly unreached by the Gospel. Does the problem lie with the unsaved world? The world is wicked, for sure, but it has always been that way, but what of the light? What of the salt? Is our light hidden, has our salt lost its saltiness and if it has, what is its use? Is anyone bold enough to say that Christendom is in good shape? And if it is not, then why not? It cannot be the wicked worlds fault for the world has always been wicked. It cannot be Gods fault for in our God there lies no fault. If the world has grown darker, and we have been charged as being bearers of the light, then where is the light? Is there an increase of darkness or a decrease in light? If their be a decrease in light then what cause? Yes indeed , judgement begins at the house of the Lord.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 1, 2014
” The histories of the monks and the friars shows that if a spiritual movement can be kept within the confines of the Roman Catholic Church or any similar system, it is doomed and must be dragged down to the level of that which it sought originally to reform.It purchases exemption from persecution at the cost of its life. Francis of Assisi and Peter Waldo were both laid hold of by the same teaching of the Lord and yielded themselves to Him with uttermost devotion. In each case the example set and the teaching given gained the hearts of large numbers and affected their whole manner of life. The likeness turned to contrast when the one was accepted and the other rejected by the organized religion of Rome. The inward relation to the Lord may have remained the same, but the working out of the two lives differed widely. The Franciscans being absorbed into the Roman system, helped to blind men to it, while Waldo and his band of preachers directed multitudes of souls to the Scriptures, where they learned to draw for themselves fresh )and inexhaustible supplies from the ” wells of salvation.” (The Pilgrim Church, pg 117)
Can you see what Broadbent is saying? Those who bow to an institution,any denomination, are doomed to die a slow death and that which began as fire is doused by the waters of compromise and idolatry. God is a jealous God. He shares His glory with no one and no institution. You cannot serve two masters, you will ultimately love the one and hate the other. The burning fire of God takes place outside the walls, outside the bounds of organized religion. This fire ultimately becomes the enemy of all religion. That is why Frank Bartleman was so upset when the Azusa street revival morphed into a denomination. This would guarantee the demise of the movement itself. Whether a movement begins within the confines of organised religion or becomes an organised religion, the end result is the same. Better to stay within the confines of God and God alone and be persecuted and killed, than to die the slow death of compromise and idolatry. The Waldenses that Broadbent makes reference to when speaking of Waldo, was ruthlessly hunted down and eventually wiped out by religion. Yet, the gates of hell did not prevail against the genuine Church nor can it. God always maintains a witness in the land, a remnant.
Gods end-time Church will burn with the fire of God outside the camp of religion. They will be no less hated by all men. They will fulfill the high priestly prophecy of John 17 and they shall be one for a witness to the world, without compromise and idolatry. The only authority that they shall bow to will be the authority of God. The authority of man ultimately corrupts the moving of God. Self preservation and a desire to avoid persecution in all its many forms is the death of any movement of God. The last great movement of God shall embrace persecution and count it an honor to suffer humiliation and rejection and persecution for His sake, for in this they follow closely in the footsteps of Jesus. And the greatest persecution will come from those who seek to control and organize the people of God. When Gods people reject the authority of religion, they become its greatest enemy and this leads to their persecution. Only lovers of truth will stand in the coming days of darkness. One must be willing to forsake all in order to gain eternal glory.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: organized religion, persecution, Peter Waldo | 25 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 