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Posted by appolus on April 28, 2018
I wrote these lyrics a few weeks ago and my dear sister in the Lord, Mary Greig in Scotland recorded it in the studio and she and her family created this video to go along with it. It is shot above my home town of Greenock in Scotland. Please feel free to share this, it is a declaration of who God is and who He will ever be!
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, praise, praise and worship, revival, scotland, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, watchmen, worship, worship music | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 23, 2018
After 40 years in the wilderness Moses is ready. When he took off his shoes at the burning bush, Moses is removing the world from him and acknowledging a holy God. God was working and the backdrop to that working is banishment, wilderness dwelling and slavery. God refines His people in the fire. The fire is the reaction of the world to a redeemed and holy people. Do you remember why the Hebrew children were forced into the fire? They refused to bow down to the gods of this world. They defied the powers that be and were willing to die rather than bow the knee to the gods of this world. This is a spiritual principle played out down through the corridors of time.
Christ is coming back in all His glory in the sky. There is great movement in the heavenlies and the principalities and powers know that. God is preparing a people who will stand in that evil day. Moses removed his shoes before a Holy God. God had come to commission him and tell him to go and confront the world. In order to confront the world we must remove all worldliness from ourselves otherwise we shall be written off as mere hypocrites. God will call tried and tested saints to stand and bear witness to the truth and those saints will be saints who are willing to lay down their lives.
John the Baptist cried out from the wilderness after more than 400 years of silence from God “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.” Gods own people in this day have been walking through a wilderness and there is something in their bones that knows “ behold the Lion of Judah is coming in His glory in the sky.” God is not finished preparing His people for the soon coming evil day. Get ready saints to “remove your shoes.” The Great I Am is getting ready to bring an end to all ages. The culmination of everything written is soon coming to pass. You know it, you do not have to be convinced, the indwelling Spirit tells you so. The powers that be know it and they will not go quietly. We, the children of God, are their deadliest enemies for we are bearers of the light. Hold fast, stand strong, lift up your heads for you know where your help cometh from. And no matter what happens, remember the words of the Hebrew children in defiance of the essence of worldly power and let us add our words to theirs, we too will never bow down to the gods of this world, even if it means our lives.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 18, 2018
Eph 3:8-10 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, (9) and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; (10) to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
You see Paul here speaking of the “fellowship of the mystery.” And the purpose was to “make all see,” that which has been hidden in God from the beginning of the ages. God would have a victorious people drawn not only from the Israelites but also from the gentiles and He would make from them one Body by which all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Those nations that dwelt in darkness would have in their midst, a people of light. Now every individual saint’s faith is tested, tried in the fires of suffering and tribulation. This reveals not that we are weak, but that Christ in us is strong. Not only will we not curse God and die, we will actually praise God from the deepest dungeons and from the darkest of circumstances thus fleshing out the living reality of God dwelling in us. This is so “the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” Imagine if you will, a divine court room where exhibit number one is Jesus and His followers. Jesus proved by His actions that He was the Son of God come in the flesh. The Body proves by its actions the reality of the Christ that dwells within them, not only individually but corporately.
The mystery that God would dwell in the hearts of every saint and lead and guide them and direct them and pour through them living waters is a beautiful thing. Whoever you are in Christ, no matter what your role, consider what an important part you play in the plan of God, yes for your own personal life but also corporately. Perhaps you have heard the voice of the accuser in your ear telling you of how little significance you, it’s a lie from hell. Consider this, the old standard of measurement for the light given off my lighthouses was candlepower. The more candles the greater the light. If you were a candle giving off light then you were part of the whole. I want to tell you saint that Jesus is the light of the world and you are part and parcel of that light because God dwells within you. Never forget this. Don’t forget it today.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 16, 2018
And the remnant… shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. (Isaiah 37:31)
In the very depths of winter, spring can seem like a long ways away isn’t that right? This is also very true for our spiritual seasons for all of us will go through dark winters of our souls. Perhaps you are there right now?I would like you to consider the tree in winter. It loses all of its foliage. It stands stark and naked and bare against the cold winter sky. There seems to be no life in it at all. Yet there it stands. All activity seems to be suspended yet the root system continues to grow as the ground temperature just a few feet below the surface is warmer. In the depths of winter, the roots grow deeper. This is the season of the remnant. We are in the midst of a long winter which will only end with the return of Jesus. This long winter is by design. God is establishing a people who cannot be moved. He is allowing everything to be stripped away. All the foliage, all the pretty adornments that we have added over countless centuries are simply being stripped away. The traditions of men appeal to the world, it compensates for a lack of reality. Yet God has a remnant who simply must have Him. A people who, no matter what happens, will follow God and stand upon His Word. Stand firm brothers and sisters, be encouraged. You are not alone. Your trials, your tribulations and your feelings of isolation are by design. God must have an end time people who will follow Him no matter how fierce the storm. His people must have deep roots and these roots must be developed. Yes we are surrounded by a hard freeze and all things that have no depth is perishing, but be of good cheer brothers and sisters, you have depth. That depth is the Lord Jesus Himself and He gives and sustains life even in the harshest conditions. When winter finally breaks we discover the tree has grown taller because the root system with its life giving sap has been able to focus on that which remains. Branches and leaves, the circumstances and situations of our lives come and go but the root, the very depth of who we are remains forever and it alone is our strength.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on April 13, 2018
Lord of sky and sea (sung to the tune of Highland Cathedral)
Heavenly Father Lord of sky and sea
Forever you shall reign throughout eternity
The skies may fall and the seas run dry
We who are yours, we shall never die
Omnipotent Father, Love that knows no end
You are our Master, Saviour Lord and friend
We bow before you and we raise our hands
Your throne in heaven it forever stands
We magnify our glorious King
Listen closely hear the angels sing
Of who you are and you’ll ever be
And now we are forever free
Chorus
Now I shout it from the mountains high
I belong to you this is my hearts cry
Let no one ever doubt your sovereignty
I am yours for all eternity
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on April 12, 2018
Excerpt from an upcoming book……”My highest for His glory.”
October week 4
Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being
If we are passionate worshipers of Jesus, then everything else is secondary. If Jesus is the primary object of our passions, then everything else becomes the by-product. If we ever get that wrong, we cease to be effective. If soul winning is our primary object, we cease to be effective soul winners. If faith is our primary object then we cannot be faithful. If Holiness is our primary object than we cannot be holy. If revival is our primary object then we will never see revival. Outside of Jesus being the primary object of our lives then we immediately begin to lose ground in every aspect of our walk, whether we are pastors or teachers or whatever role we have in the Body.
I would argue that the saints who have rocked this world for Jesus are the saints who have walked in intimate communion with Him. He is the source of all love and majesty and glory and power. Only by abiding in Him ( Him being our primary object) can we walk in forgiveness and mercy and grace.Out of the abundance of the passion that we experience as we walk with Jesus as our grand obsession comes the overflow that changes those around us and brings light into a dark world. Are you being ineffective in your walk? Have you wondered why? Is Jesus the primary object of your life? Is there joy in you life? Is there glory in your life? Are you an over-comer? Do you have a thankful spirit?
Listen saints, if Jesus is truly the primary object of your life then what flows from that is love, joy, peace, faithfulness,thankfulness, forgiveness and so on. How often have I heard a saint say, on any one of the aforementioned issues ” I need to work on that.” That is quite exactly wrong. No amount of “work,” can muster up joy nor thankfulness nor love nor any of the issues of the heart. He must be our all in all. In Him we live and move and have our being. Jesus Himself is the answer to any problem you are having, any problem. The answer lies in Him alone, the answer lies before the throne.
Whatever you seek to achieve in the Kingdom of God comes directly from the depths of your relationship with Him. Find a man who is passionate about sports and he will bore your pants off speaking about it. Find a man who is passionate about politics and he will rip your shirt of telling you all about the latest policies and issues and the state of the world. Find a man who is truly passionate about Jesus and you will find a man who is changing the world. Out of the abundance of our passion flows the power of God.
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Posted by appolus on April 12, 2018
On the solid Rock I’m standing
Safe from all the shifting sands
Jesus, Lord my God and Saviour
Holds me in His precious hands.
Who will harm me in my tower
High it is above the waves
Safe and Holy is my shelter
Jesus Christ my Saviour saves
I will sleep in peace and safety
At His feet I’ll surely rest
My corner stone and strong high tower
Stands with me through every test
So here I stand, there is no other
place that I would rather be
Upon the Rock of all the ages
Who stands upon the stormy sea
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on April 11, 2018
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.(Rev 6:10-11)
This is the cry of the saints who dwell beneath the altar who have been martyred for their testimony, their witness, and for standing upon the Word of God. The God of all the earth shall not come and judge this world until their numbers, the martyrs, have been fulfilled. And so the measure of the Lord’s return is numbered by the saints who will be martyred, there is a number and it has to be fulfilled. We often hear that the Lord will return when the Gospel has been preached in all the world. Have you heard that? It is almost always quoted in an incomplete fashion, not unlike “And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the world of their testimony.” How many times have you heard that quoted, maybe you have quoted it yourself. And yet, for the most part, the most important part of this Scripture is left out and this is very telling, folks almost always leave out “and they loved not their lives unto death.”
And so, when it comes to Matt 24:14 we typically hear ” And the Gospel shall be preached in all the world and then the end shall come.” Of course the actual verse, which is predicated upon the previous verse which says that those who endure to the end shall be saved, reads “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.(Mat 24:14) And so here we see a tie between Rev 6:10-12 and Matt 24:14, they both speak to what ushers in the end, the return of the Lord. And so, since scripture never contradicts itself, both must be saying the same thing and they do. They key part of Matt 24:14 is that the Gospel must be preached in all the world as a witness, not simply just preached as is commonly taught , but must be preached as a witness. What does that word ” witness,” mean? The word witness in Matt 24 is the Greek word “marturion” which is a derivative of the word ” martus,” which is where we get our word “martyr,” from.
And so there is a number that only God knows and that number is the number of martyrs that must be fulfilled before the Lord will return and judge the earth. And so when we see the saints martyred in every nation as a witness to the power of the Gospel then the Word of God and these times shall end. Remember, it is by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony and by the fact that they loved not their lives unto death that is the witness. This testimony shall be witnessed for the whole world to see and then shall come the Lord in all of His glory. God is raising up that generation that shall usher His return. It is a generation of martyrs who will never bow down to the gods of this world and because of that, this world and the ruler of it will be so furious that he will attempt to kill them all. But be of good cheer saints, God knows the number and Scripture must be fulfilled and then the end shall come and those who endure to the end shall be saved.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on April 10, 2018
Excerpt from an upcoming book “My highest for His glory.”………….
Midweek (June week 2)
Isa 62-6-7 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who will not always be silent all the day nor all the night; you who remember Jehovah, do not be silent. And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Brothers and sisters, this is God’s word to us in this day. Do not remain silent even although you may have suffered much for your stand. Continue to come before the Lord and give Him no rest until He establishes and brings to pass His will in His people. God has commanded that we give Him no peace. He has encouraged us to keep coming to Him and praying for the Church, even although as we survey the land we see great desolation. Can I tell you today that God has given us great promises for His own, He says it, so it shall come to pass, that her righteousness shall go forth as brightness and her salvation will be as a lamp that burns. He tells us that we have a crown of glory and that we shall be as a royal diadem in His hand. When the world looks at the church they shall no longer mock or laugh derisively.
Now, they may hate us and come against us with a great fury, but we shall not be ignored because the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon us. The world will see a people who the Lord delights in and that He has called His own. For too long they have seen a body of people who look just as they look, that are no different from them, but the Lord still has a people that are as yet, for the most part, hidden. Yet when He pours out His Spirit upon His people, when He embraces them for all the world to see, then they shall see a people, a bride, ready to receive her Bridegroom.
And so brothers and sisters. Do not remain silent. Speak to what burns in your bones. The Lord says to you to go through the gates. God is throwing open the gates of Babylon, the gates of the world, and calling His people out. Do not be afraid, come out of her, go through the gates and leave Babylon behind. Others will follow but first there must be a remnant that leads. Prior to the Lord Jesus coming the first time, John the Baptist took His place in the wilderness and He prepared the way of the Lord. There was a work of repentance in the land prior to the Lord Jesus coming. As it was then, so it is now. John rejoiced to see the Lord coming and proclaimed “Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.”
And so we have been called to prepare a highway. We have been told to “build up the highway……. take out the stones,” and I love this part “lift up a banner for the peoples.” Brothers and sisters, our salvation is coming. Jesus is coming again in all of His glory and He has His reward in His hand. He has sent before Him a holy people, a people redeemed of the Lord to carry out this work and the Lord says to you today that you have not been forsaken and that He is coming for His Bride, remain faithful and true to your calling and where He leads you must follow. Go through the gates today brothers and sisters. Do not look back, lift up your eyes for your salvation draws nigh.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 5, 2018
I think that we must note that there is a vast difference between the doctrine of Christ’s coming and the hope of His coming. It surely is possible to hold the doctrine without feeling a trace of the blessed hope. Indeed there are multitudes of Christians today who hold the doctrine-but what I have tried to deal with here is the overwhelming sense of anticipation that lifts the life upward to a new plane and fills the heart with rapturous optimism. It is my opinion that this is largely lacking among us now. (A.W.Tozer)
Can you see what Tozer is getting at? He says there is a vast difference, a chasm, between holding to the doctrine of Christ’s return and actually having a blessed hope within you of His soon coming. For the last ten years or so I have met saints from all over the world whom the Holy Spirit has impressed upon their hearts that Christ is coming back very soon and to get ready. These saints come from every possible background, from every tribe and tongue and every nation. This word from the Holy Spirit has indeed lifted their lives upward to a new plane and filled their hearts with a rapturous optimism and anticipation. This word from the Lord has not been a message of doom and gloom to them, in fact the exact opposite, they revel in the blessed hope.
I would argue that you could easily extend this message to every area of who we are in Christ. Do you have such a blessed hope, a holy optimism? When you pray either in private or in a public prayer meetings, do you actually believe you are praying to God? I know that sounds like a strange question but can I suggest that there is a world of difference between believing the doctrine that God hears your prayer and actually believing that you are standing before His throne and talking directly to God. One is a standard tradition and belief, the other is a dynamic life changing reality. What about when you gather together on a Sunday morning? Do you actually believe as you make your way to the meeting place that you are going to encounter God? It is my opinion that most do not. There is a dynamic life changing power in Godly expectancy, holding to a “Blessed hope,” as opposed to merely holding to a doctrine. It is one thing to believe something in the head while at the same time your heart is far from the reality of what you believe.
The cynic says something like “well folks have always believed that.” The saint responds to what the Holy Spirit is showing them. Has the Holy Spirit laid on your heart that the Lord is coming back very soon, even in your own lifetime? Has He shown you something of what is to come? It would not be possible to live life as it has always been lived if we actually lived in the blessed reality of this hope. There would be a fierce urgency in our spirits, a dynamic rapturous optimism would take a hold of us. A different perspective would take hold of who we are. We would more clearly see what is important in life and by that same token, what is not. We would not get easily caught up in the affairs of this world if we truly believed in the blessed hope of His soon coming.
The spirit of expectancy animated the early church and much of the church for the following 2000 years. How can we arouse that same joyful spirit of expectation today? Can we lecture those who do not have it, can a sermon convince those who are lacking it? I do not believe so, it must come from revelation. The Holy Spirit must reveal this to the hearts of those who are still teachable. There can be nothing done for the searing cynic, the sophisticated modern mind. But, to the child-like unsophisticated open heart, the Lord can clearly show them that He is at the door, that the birth-pangs of His coming have begun and that He is actually coming back as He said He would. They will have ears to hear the blowing of the trumpet, they will hear the midnight call that cries out “He approaches, awake, arise from your slumbers you who sleep and Christ will give you light in the midst of a great darkness.” You will hear that voice say ” Do not walk as fools but as one who is wise, redeem the time that is left wisely, for the days are evil and the darkness, the gross darkness is at the door.” He will continue and say ” despite the coming darkness there is a greater coming light, the light of the soon return of your Lord, coming back just as He left, with all His glory in the sky. Hold fast and stand in the power of His might and you will overcome the darkness.”
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 1, 2018
Jer 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.
The everlasting love of God. It is such a mysterious thing. He loves the world with an everlasting love, in fact He loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to cruel torture and death that we, the world, might be redeemed. The Word tells us that the Lord our God would have none to be lost but all to find salvation in Him. This does not happen of course but not because it is not the heart of God, it is the heart of God, why is that?
Many years ago, I was representing buyers in the purchase of a house. They were a nice young couple, but the seller was a very difficult older woman, maybe in her mid to late 60s. I met her on the day of inspections which does not typically happen. As we spoke, it turned out that she knew my father-in-law, they were both New Age folk. She softened when she realized who I was. I asked her what her plans were, now that she had almost sold her house. She was not really sure where she was going to end up, she would stay with some friends for a while she said. The lady was netting about $50,000 from the sale of her house and she told me that this was all the money she had in the world and it was going to her son’s defense. She explained to me that he was in his 40s and was addicted to meth and crack cocaine and had been in and out of prison for most of his adult life. Over the years she had spent all of her money on her son for lawyers and so on which is why the money from the sale of her house was all she had. She tells me about her son when he was a boy. He was smart as a whip and kind and loving, and really still was she said. I asked her what crime was he was accused of committing. She told me that he had been in a motel with a prostitute and another drug addict and he had shot them both dead, but it really was not his fault. Her friends were begging her not to use this money on him as he was clearly guilty and this was the last money she had. She told me she was not going to listen to her friends.
This is a sad and tragic story. Yet there are some elements I would like to pick out. This woman had given birth to her son. She loved him as any mother loves her son. She raised him and saw that he was good, very good. Yet at some point he gives himself over to sin and crime and drugs. Now the son that she knew and loved was gone. For the rest of her life she had been and continued to be delusional about him. When she looked at her son she still saw that little boy, she still remembered all her hopes and dreams that she had for him.
Now, through the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit we see that Adam is created and we see that he was created in the image of our God and that he was good. God loved Adam and would walk with him in the cool of the day. But the day came when Adam fell. Unlike the woman with the drug addicted son, God was not delusional about Adam. In fact, now Adam would have to face the consequences of his actions, his sin, and leave the garden of Eden and go out into the world. It was not an easy thing to do, in fact it says in Gen 3:24 that God “drove” him out meaning that he had to be “thrust,” out. Yet God still loved His creation despite the fact they had fallen. When He looked at creation He saw what they could be because He saw Himself in them for they were made after the Godheads image.
And so God so loved the world and so desired to redeem every single one of them that He sent His only Son to take their rightful punishment. And in doing this The Lord Jesus made a way for fallen man to return to the Father and be restored to their state prior to the fall. You can also see elements of the prodigal son in this as he had went out into the world and found himself up to his neck in the pigsty that was his life. When his eyes were finally opened to his situation, when all the allure of sin was gone and all that was left was a slow death, drowning in his own muck and sin, he decides to seek out his Father and make his way back. This way back was made possible by the Lord Jesus. It is grace that opens up our eyes to who we are and what we are and at the very same time grace opens up our eyes to the fact that the Father loves us. Even when we were yet in our sin, even when we were still a far way off and seeking to find Him, He comes running and meets us on the way and rejoices in His heart as does all the angels in heaven because this creation of His, who was lost in his sin is found and is redeemed by His everlasting love. Jesus our Lord and His sacrifice at Calvary is the loving-kindness that draws us and opens up the way for us. Faith is the decision to forsake all and be obedient to the voice of God.
Maybe you have someone like the lady who was selling her house? Maybe you are someone who has squandered life and now it seems that there is nothing left. The meaning of the word grace is “unmerited favor.” There is nothing that we can do to merit the favor of God, or to make Him love us. He already loves us. Not because of anything that we did for our God is no mans debtor, but because of who we are, His creation. If an unrighteous delusional mother can love a terrible sinner, not because of his sin but because she gave birth to him, how much more so can a righteous God who sees everything, who knows you through and through love you? Yes He knows what you have done and yes despite your sin He loves you so much that He sent His precious perfect Son to die for you on the cross. He does all that because He loves what He created and he remembers Adam before he fell and He remembers His fellowship and His walks with him in the cool of the day. He wants to walk with you! Will you come? Jesus has made the way.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 1, 2018
In the end, without the love of God, without His hand holding ours, we would lose our minds, the battle, and this race called life. In Him we can be battered and broken, without Him we would fall down and be covered by the snow and disappear. Yet here we are, we stand and we keep our eyes on Him lest we fall and never again rise. We rise because He arose!!!
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 