The triumph of the lonely saint!
Posted by appolus on May 13, 2024
The manifest presence of God is the tangible reality of the Lord in our lives. Too often we simply have fellowship with each other about fellowship. We often just simply talk too much rather than enter in. So many of our services are devoted to talking about the theology of God. We hear teaching after teaching and it takes up 90% of the service.
The sad truth is that we would rather hear about God than hear from God. To hear from God is to shake the very foundations of our comfortable lives. To hear from God is to cry out like Isaiah “I am undone.” The manifest presence of God leaves nothing untouched. The secret garden of our heart is penetrated.
If the garden is good then we are overwhelmed with His goodness. If the garden has weeds, has secrets, secret darkness, then the Light of God shall make it known. This is why our services, for the most part, do not resemble 1 Cor 14 with the gifts of 1 Cor 12 in operation. It would be too “messy.” The “order of service,” would be turned upon its head. The “liturgy,” would fall by the wayside. We would do real business with God and with each other.
Yet, I believe the main reason this is avoided is because most of those sitting in the pews know nothing of the new birth. And, sad to say, so many of them who occupy the pulpit in our day know nothing of the new birth either. One luke warm generation after another has caused the very idea of a 1 Cor 14 church to be an impossibility. One gift after another has been cast out of the service until all we are left with is 20 min of rehearsed professional music, and a regurgitated sermon and a plea for money.
It’s a sad indictment of our age. It’s the tragedy of our age. Yet there are a remnant of God’s people. There are still those who have been born again and know of His glory. Who have been touched and forever changed by His glory. Whose hearts are set on Him. Whose secret places are filled by His light and His glory.
Have most of these Spirit filled saints been chased away from the typical Sunday morning service? Yes indeed. They can find no place in the order of things, so they find themselves, often times, in a lonely place, a wilderness of sorts. And in this wilderness they find that God will meet all of their needs. Their intimacy with Him grows in direct proportion to their direct needs met. And one day soon enough, those whom God has called away unto Himself will come walking out of that desert.
Just as John the Baptist declared from the wilderness “behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world,” the remnant saints will declare “behold, the Son of God is coming in all His glory to judge the living and the dead.” They identify the signs of His coming and the world will mock them. And as each sign becomes increasingly hard to ignore, the world will increasingly hate them.
Yet they will find that this remnant has been individually and uniquely trained in the desert. They have been taught in the ways of endurance. They have walked through trial and flood and our Lord God has taken them through them all, they are overcomers. And now, they shall overcome the last great battle against them by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimonies of Christ in them, and , because of what the Lord has trained them in the desert, they love not their own lives unto death.
So dear lonely saint, be of good cheer, for the time of the Lord draweth near and let us ever draw near unto Him by entering into the manifest presence, the glory which the Lord Himself has given and revealed to us.
A Call To The Remnant 
John Thomas said
I certainly agree. My wife and I are among those who gave up on finding our place in organized religion. We have tried over and over again, but now realize that we are not the problem. The problem is rooted in systems that try to keep “Christians” happy and keep church leaders happy. I have been warned to not forsake the body of Christ by withdrawing from fellowship. I don’t believe most churches are part of the body of Christ though there may be a very small number of disciples in attendance at their services. I will no longer listen to sermons given by unbelievers or listen to praise and worship lead by people who are living in blatant sin or who are trying to induce manmade ecstasy and then call it the Holy Spirit of God. I praise God for every minute that I can have in true fellowship with other saints, and accept the fact that those brief minutes might be far apart.
madrekins said
Amen! Praise the LORD
madrekins said
Amen Brother Frank perfectly stated. The LORD has shown me that the story in scripture of Jesus and the blind man that He prayed twice for was exactly what you shared about. Jesus led the man out of Bethsaida (House of fish). He wants us out of organized religion. He wants us outside the gates as Jesus did. Another example is Jeremiah when he tells GOD he did not sit in the congregation of the mockers. (Jeremiah 15:17)
The LORD showed me that “church” is all about us. However, when we go to His Word or walk with Him quietly as He talks with us we are making it ALL about Him.
I’ve been walking in the Garden with Him. It beautiful and peaceful. His presence is amazing and wonderful and I know the peace that surpasses ALL understanding. HalleluYAH Praise the LORD.
I too have fallen prey to those accusing me of not fellowshipping. But, the LORD takes me where He wants me to go for it. One of the best is my local coffee shop owed by Christians that put the WORD into action. There I fellowship often sharing the Word of GOD and being exhorted. HE Leads us IF we follow THE WAY.
Thank you for this lovely confirmation of what I already believed about you Brother Frank.
Anonymous said
Everything you share brings tears to my eyes but this one…this one 🥹❤️🔥 I am a wilderness “dweller”, have been for years…
I just want to say “thank you” for your insight to this type of journey
What a gift you are to the body of Christ…💝
Praying for you, brother…🙏
appolus said
Thank you so much for your prayers!…..bro Frank
Anonymous said
I’m new here, well commenting that is, I have been reading your articles for some months, though not regularly.
That was just wonderful to read, and filled a deep hollow that’s been in my heart for a long time – many months. Because it is so true what you’ve said. It’s impossible for a true child of God to sit with the mockers no matter how lonely or isolated we feel. And you, dear Appolus, have shown how our Lord is with such ones through all their trials and tribulations.
I so hope you will be fully healed soon.
With much love in Jesus our Saviour.
Jen
appolus said
God bless you sister……..bro Frank
The triumph of the lonely saint! – Online Answers said
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