Archive for February, 2015
Posted by appolus on February 28, 2015
There is an ancient battle that is playing out before our eyes. Now this battle has always been ongoing for those with eyes to see, but now the battle is increasing and will eventually be globally recognized. There will be an unveiling of evil for all the world to see. The anti-christ is arising and at some point will be unveiled.
ISIS and the various groups right now that have captured the media and worlds attention by their acts of horror, are but a mere prelude for what is to come. If we are to have ” eyes to see and ears to hear,” what is going on and what is to shortly unfold, let us look at Scripture. Many do not realize that Job was the first book of the Bible to be written which makes it a book of huge importance. All Scripture is Divine and important, but there is always something about the first and the last books. And so, what was the Lord showing to us in the drama that unfolded in Job…………….
Job 1:7-11 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (8) Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (9) So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? (10) Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. (11) But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” Read the rest of this entry »
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: principalities and powers | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 27, 2015
2Co 1:24 Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.
Oh brothers and sisters, where is the Apostolic leadership of our day? Where is the wisdom of God? Where can we find such leadership that would proclaim that they do not have dominion over ones faith but are actually fellow workers for the joy of the saints? If one of the chief purposes of gathering together is for the edifying of the saints, for the equipping of the saints, for the feeding of the sheep, then where is the servant leadership today? In our day we produce leaders, yet all though the Bible leaders were called of God by His Spirit. When Christendom is reduced to an industry, then the industry itself finds, promotes and trains its leaders. The land is in desperate need of men that are called by God and who reject all titles and privileges. All too often and in too many places the saints have been reduced to dumb spectators whose tithes and offerings are for the equipping of the salaried staff. We have it backwards, may the Lord forgive us.
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: Apostolic leadership, servant leadership | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 26, 2015
Mat 21:33-40 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. (34) Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. (35) And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. (36) Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. (37) Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ (38) But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ (39) So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. (40) “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees here. This must have incensed them as they realized He was talking about them and the people they led. God is the Landowner and the nation of Israel and its leaders were the vinedressers. Now it must be realized that God has also planted a church, the church was born at Pentecost. Just as the Lord was looking for fruit from ancient Israel, He is also looking for fruit from the church. God sent messengers and prophets to Israel and they abused them and treated the cruelly and killed them. Over the last 2000 years God has sent messengers and prophets to His church. Is there fruit behind the walls? Will He find faith on the earth? If He cut of the natural branches should that not give pause for thought to the branches that were grafted in? There is a harvest coming. The owner is coming back for what is His. Jesus’ first coming was the culmination of all the messengers and the prophets. His second coming will be heralded as well. The people and their leaders will be without excuse. God continually reaches out and exhorts and warns of that day that is to come for His love is without question and His long-suffering with a stiff-necked people is remarkable.
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: Israel | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 25, 2015
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
“I am the Truth.” Wow. Jesus had not come to teach us the truth, He had come to show us the Truth. Jesus was not another teacher teaching us about truth, He was Truth and He had come to reveal Himself. Jesus says in another place that if we abided in His Word then we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. In another place we are told that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Jesus is the Word. The Word and the Truth are Jesus. If we abide in Jesus, if we dwell with Him, if we come to Him, then we will know Him and in knowing Him we shall be set free. He who the Son sets free is free indeed, liberated from bondage and the curse of sin. Now, you can know the Bible and not know the Truth, but you cannot know the Truth and not know the Bible. Those who are in Christ and know Him are in the Word and the word is in them and they continue in it, they abide in it. There is a huge difference between memorizing Scripture and knowing the Word. He showed us the Way by showing us Himself who is the Truth and it led us deeper into Him, who is Life. All of that leads us to the Father. Show me a man with the life of Christ in Him and I will show you a man knows the Truth and walks the narrow way that leads to the Father and eternal life.
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 | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 24, 2015
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. (Hab 3:17-19)
Have you ever seen the mountain goat traverse almost vertical sheer cliffs? It is a sight to behold. In the making of these goats God withheld fear. It is as if the mountain is not there. There is something in their very make up that causes them to move with ease in surroundings that would kill almost any other living creature, God made it so. When gross darkness comes upon us brothers and sisters, there is a perfect love that casts out all fear. We traverse the mountains and the valleys and the shadows of death with power and love and a mind that is stayed upon Him. He is your strength and He will make you fearless when the time comes and you will walk in high places. Even in the midst of great turmoil and chaos, peace will reign in the hearts of the saints whose eyes are stayed on Him.
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 | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 23, 2015
The title of this piece is very controversial. I have lost friends over this subject. I do not take it lightly. It is quite an audacious thing to say that the very system that most of Christendom labors under is un-biblical and flawed but there it is, that is what I believe. The mere fact that it has existed in some form or fashion for countless centuries in no way legitimizes it. If it did, then the Catholic church would be the most legitimate church out there. It seems plain enough that in Scripture, Christians met in their homes and their very homes became places of worship, houses of prayer if you like. The outside world saw life in these people, saw love in these people and God Himself added to them daily. Think about all the church programs that are designed to ” get,” new members or to somehow stop the ” revolving door,” and keep the folks who come and visit. Yet the early believers had no such programs.
What led people to the truth was the very life in those who represented it. A burning love and passion for Jesus. They had no desire to bring folks to their particular house, or tell people that they must hear their particular teacher or pastor, no their singular obsession and passion was for the one who radically transformed their lives and it was now no longer them that lived but Christ lived in them. Therefore they were not afraid to die for Jesus , in fact, the early Church counted it as a great honor and thanked God that they were counted worthy to suffer for Him. This was the life of Christ burning in their bones, coursing through their veins, it completely dominated their whole lives, their life was about His life in them and this drew others to Jesus. God Himself was given all the honor and the glory for the drawing of others to Himself as of course it should be. Consider the words of T.A.Sparks……………………………
The Lord has not called upon us to form churches. That is not our business. Would to God men had recognized the fact! A very different situation would obtain today from what exists, if that had been recognized. It is the Lord Who expands His Church, Who governs its growth. What we have to do is to live in the place of His appointment in the power of His resurrection. If, in the midst of others, the Lord can get but two of His children, in whom His Life is full and free, to live on the basis of that Life, and not to seek to gather others to themselves or to get them to congregate together on the basis of their acceptance of certain truths or teaching, but simply to witness to what Christ means and is to them, then He has an open way…. Read the rest of this entry »
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, Uncategorized | Tagged: the Body of Christ, The Pilgrim Church | 19 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 22, 2015
Joh 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
The beginning of a manifestation of His glory. This would culminate in the greatest manifestation of Gods glory here on earth, the transformation and the regeneration of a human soul. To take what is dead and bring it back to life again.To take what is broken and to restore it. To take what is captured and to set it free. The earth cries out for such manifestations of glory in our day, yet perhaps the church is crying out for other things?
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: manifestation | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on February 21, 2015
Psa 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
The Lord Jesus is as a mountain to His people. He is our higher ground. He towers over our valleys and beckons us to come up higher, to come to Him and rise above our circumstances. When you are in the valley of weeping lift up your eyes and see where your help comes from. Three times a year the people of God were called to come up to Jerusalem, to the temple of God. Psalms 120-134 are songs of ascendancy. It was vital for Gods people to come unto the sanctuary at various times throughout the year. This would give them the strength to dwell in the valleys and plains where they lived. Jesus, in a larger sense, came down from the mountain of heaven to the valley of this world. Time and time again He retreated to the mountain. He shared some of the greatest truths from the mountain, consider His ” sermon on the mount.” He would retreat to the mountain and get alone with His Father. Brothers and sisters, do not neglect this higher ground. One must come up and into the presence of God if one is to navigate the deep valleys of life.
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: higher ground | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 18, 2015
A wise man once wrote ” Friction is the polish that shines our graces.” Another way of saying that could be ” suffering is the path that leads to glory.” Now, this is never a popular teaching, but suffering is a gift from God in the sense that it helps to sanctify us and shape us and teach us. The flesh screams out against ever going down that path. As mere humans we would never personally choose to go down such a path. Yet do you know what that path is called? It’s called the narrow path and it leads to life. One might ask ” how can trials and humiliations , pain and suffering and even sometimes death lead to life?” As Christians, do we really need to ask that question? This was the life of Christ. He was acquainted with suffering, He was a man of sorrows. Some would teach that He suffered so that we would not have to. This is not true. He overcame suffering and hell and death so that we could overcome too in His name and by the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures tells us that “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Heb 5:8-9)
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;(Php 1:29)
If you are suffering today and in the midst of a sore trial, I want to encourage you. God is in control. He knows and He sees. There is nothing lost not a single tear. One day soon, all of those tears will be wiped away in the glories of heaven.
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: pain and suffering | 9 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 17, 2015
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (Mat 4:8-9)
In this encounter with Satan, this is the final test for Jesus in the desert. Look at what Satan wanted, this is what he wanted over and above all other things, he wanted authority over Jesus. He would gladly give him all the kingdoms of the world and all the glory that goes along with that if He would only bow the knee to him. Of course Jesus refused.
I want you to see something in this. Satan wanted the authority and the preeminence that belonged to God alone. This is the sin that Satan was guilty of, this is the genesis of pride, listen to his words……Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:” You see, you can have everything this world has to offer if you will only bow to the authority of man which is ultimately the authority of Satan. This is where the struggle began and this has been the ancient struggle which will finally be dealt with at the return of Jesus.
The challenge to every saint in every age is what they do with established authority. Now they hated Jesus and Jesus told us if they hated Him then they would certainly hate us. Who would hate us? The rulers of this world, religious or otherwise. Why would they hate us? Jesus refused to bow His knee to the ruler of this world who is the ruler of rulers. Genuine saints have received the love of the truth and they abide in it and it has set them free. Those who perish and are deceived are those who would not receive the love of the truth.
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2Th 2:10-11)
Brothers and sisters, those who have received the love of the truth which is a gift from God are the persecuted saints down through the ages. They are the deadliest enemy of the father of lies. They will not bow the knee to him nor any of his emissaries even if they appear as an angel of light. This ancient battle of darkness against light started when Lucifer, in his mind, exalted himself above the throne of God and then would have Jesus bow down to him. There is a deadly fury of all of hell that comes against the one who refuses to bow to anyone other than Christ. It will culminate soon when all the world will bow down to the god of this world who is a pretender to the rightful throne of Christ. He will command all men everywhere to bow down to him, the saints will not. For they love the Truth more than they love their lives. When Jesus comes in all His glory then every knee will bow of those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
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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, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 15, 2015
The Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches
A.W. Tozer
Here is the burden of my heart. While I claim for myself no special inspiration I yet feel that this is also the burden of the Spirit.
If I know my own heart it is love alone that moves me to write this. What I write here is not the sour ferment of a mind agitated by contentions with my fellow Christians. There have been no such contentions. I have not been abused, mistreated or attacked by anyone. Nor have these observations grown out of any unpleasant experiences that I have had in my association with others. My relations with my own church as well as with Christians of other denominations have been friendly, courteous and pleasant. My grief is simply the result of a condition which I believe to be almost universally prevalent among the churches.
I think also that I should acknowledge that I am myself very much involved in the situation I here deplore. As Ezra in his mighty prayer of intercession included himself among the wrongdoers, so do I. “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens” (9:6). Any hard word spoken here against others must in simple honesty return upon my own head. I too have been guilty. This is written with the hope that we all may turn unto the Lord our God and sin no more against Him.
Let me state the cause of my burden. It is this: Jesus Christ has today almost no authority at all among the groups that call themselves by His name. By these I mean not the Roman Catholics, nor the liberals, nor the various quasi-Christian cults. I do mean Protestant churches generally, and I include those that protest the loudest that they are in spiritual descent from our Lord and His apostles, namely the evangelicals.
It is a basic doctrine of the New Testament that after His resurrection the Man Jesus was declared by God to be both Lord and Christ, and that He was invested by the Father with absolute Lordship over the church which is His body. All authority is His in heaven and in earth. In His own proper time He will exert it to the full, but during this period in history He allows this authority to be challenged by the world and ignored by the church.
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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, Uncategorized | Tagged: Jesus Christ, Waning Authority of Christ | 12 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 10, 2015
In a recent post, I spoke about the vital need to be found wearing the full armor of God if we are to stand in the evil day. I would like to speak about another aspect of our relationship with God that will be vital if we are to stand in that day.
The subject of passion can be so divisive because for the most part it is subjective. Yet , I will argue that Gods elect, His remnant, are a passionate group of believers. Passion; what is it and how do we measure it and how can it be obtained? A basic definition of passion is a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. Can you say that you are passionate for Jesus? What produces passion in anyone for anything? Well, if we are to be passionate about something there must first be an encounter. In the world men and woman will testify that they met someone and it was ” love at first sight.” Within a month they are married and they remain married for the next fifty years. They fell ” madly,” in love with one another and the thought of ever being apart was something they could not even consider. Are you madly in love with Jesus? Does He produce that kind of passion within you? Can you say that you have encountered Him in such a fashion?
One of the most passionate sermons in all of the New Testament was Peters sermon after he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He has been penetrated to his very core, Christ Himself had taken up residency in his heart by the power of the Holy Spirit to such a degree that out of the abundance of this filling overflowed the sermon, the speech, the sharing with the crowd, call it what you like, but such was the passion and the power of his words that mens hard hearts were penetrated also. You see, out of the abundance of our hearts our mouths speak. It is a universal principle. If a man has a passion and you want to know what it is, just hang around him for a while and you will soon know. If it is politics, then he will speak of politics. He will know all about it and he will continually speak of it. If it is sports or music or hunting or history it will be just the same. If it is Jesus, it will be no different. Out of the passionate heart flows passionate words.
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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: full armor of God, relationship with God | 11 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 6, 2015
Recently we heard President Obama, at a prayer breakfast of all places, speak to a very diverse crowd including the Dalai Lama. In trying to establish a historical immoral equivalency between ISIS and the Crusades and the inquisition he erred. In actual fact there are not two or three or many historical incidents and periods from which to draw from and deem them to be equivalent. There is but one evil and it is ancient. It has been present at every barbaric act ever carried out in the name of religion. It is presently uniting the world through horror. In order to see the bigger picture you must be able to draw back the lens, come up higher. The view encompasses the beginning and the end. The world will come together, there will be a new order and that new order will be the deadliest enemy the genuine saint has ever faced. If you can believe it, it is already unfolding, hiding in plain sight. Because of the horrors and barbarism of ISIS and other groups, we are unwittingly coming together and uniting together, on face value to fight evil, but the intent of this evil is to unite the world against everything called fundamentalism. The world is a chess board and men, even the most powerful men, are but mere puppets, proxy’s in an ancient war of darkness and light. One hates the other. The conclusion is soon to come when Christ appears. Genuine saints must keep their eyes upon Him and walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. May you have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is showing and saying to the Church.
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, Uncategorized | Tagged: Dalai Lama, President Obama | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on February 2, 2015
There is a revolution coming to the Body of Christ. You may or may not be ready for it but it is coming. When the colonists stood against Great Britain, they were defying the very order of things. It was inevitable that the establishment would come against them with great fury in an attempt to destroy them. Out of that revolution came the most powerful country the world has ever known.
If you study revival you will know that there are certain characteristics that are common to them all. There is a powerful tangible awareness of God’s presence. There is powerful and heartfelt prayer and supplication to a Holy God. There is weeping and repentance and salvation.There is glorious worship. There is a changing and a shaping of the society in which it takes place. It effects every walk of life in the geographical area in which it takes place, and often times its effects are more widespread than that, as visitors come and are changed by the presence of God and they take something of it back from whence they came. Now, there is a common characteristic to all revivals, there is a unique sense of unity. Now, in psalm 133 it says ” Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” There is so much oil poured out that it runs down the priests, Aaron, beard and down over his garments, in short, all of him is covered by the oil. And there, the word says, the Lord commands a blessing and the blessing is life forevermore.
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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: Body of Christ, brothers and sisters, glorious revolution | 4 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 