Archive for the ‘christian living’ Category
A cancer update-the glory of God!
Posted by appolus on April 18, 2024
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, healing, Jesus, manifest presence, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant | 7 Comments »
Falling and rising!
Posted by appolus on April 11, 2024
Heavenly seeds are sown in the shadows of winter
Where the only light to be found is but a flicker
Yet come the spring, that which fell and died
Rises with the summer sun and is glorified
Tribulation may be the soil beneath our feet
Yet the glory is the blossom and the fruit
And storms and trials may be our lot
But Christ Himself is our very root
We can glory in the cross and in the shame
And we can do it all for the sake of His name
Yet the seed that falls and dies in the ground
Shall rise again in glory, and in Him shall be found
So cry aloud with all your might beneath the soil
For neither principality nor power can despoil
The coming glory of the day that follows night
And the saint who praises God with all their might!
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, Latter Rain, poetry, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
To behold His glory
Posted by appolus on April 7, 2024
If I could capture the light from a million sunbeams
And grasp every falling star from the sky
And be filled with the light of a thousand suns
Then I'll be ready when the time comes
When the time comes to walk into your glory
Where the brightest sun simply hides its face in shame
And the universe itself bows down in humble adoration
And we leave behind the very edges of our imagination
A place where the ocean is rendered to but a single tear
And all the heavens above cry out in resounding glory
And a million upon ten million incorruptible saints
Sway in the wind of the Spirit and know there are no restraints
No eye has seen nor has any ear ever heard
Nor has it entered into the hearts of those who love Him
Of the glory and the majesty of this heavenly place
Where we gaze upon His throne and look into His face.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Daily devotional, Jesus, poetry, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
If I ever have to leave you.
Posted by appolus on April 6, 2024
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Jesus, poetry, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, worship, worship music | 4 Comments »
Entertain or enter in?
Posted by appolus on April 3, 2024
I could not sleep last night, a mixture of the chemo and the prednisone no doubt. It has happened many times since I began treatment, but last night I awoke with the phrase “entertain or enter in.” The Lord was laying something on my heart. It occurred to me that if you take the letters “ta” out of entertain you are left with enter in. And yet, the definitions could not be more different. The Greek word for entertain is “psychagogia,” meaning “amusement-diverson-distraction.” The Greek word for”enter is “bo,” meaning “to go out or to come in.” The choice seems clear, be amused, diverted or distracted, or enter into His presence.
Interestingly enough, if you look at the two letters “ta,” in the Greek it means “the third person,” meaning “when you are speaking ( or singing) about someone else rather than directly addressing that someone.” Speaking in the third person you remain detached. Are we remaining detached from God in our modern day version of worship? Are we merely being entertained, an amusement or a distraction? A distraction from what? From actually entering in. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise (Psa 100:4) Enter into the joy of the Lord (Matt 25:23) For He who has entered into His rest has himself rested from his works (Heb 4:10) Not everyone that says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter in (Matt 7:21)
It makes my heart long for stripped down, simple/profound congregational worship, something the modern day worship ” team,” has wholly set aside for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is to entertain. We don’t need to be entertained and sit by as mere spectators/fans, we need to enter in. Enter into what some might say? Enter in by the only door available, Jesus and Him high and lifted up. And let every voice sing as unto the Lord and face heavenwards and not towards a “stage,” a place for actors. Let us take the “ta,” out of entertain and let us who know Jesus, enter in.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, False Prophet, Jesus, manifest presence, praise, prosperity gospel, revival, spiritual growth, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, worship, worship music | 2 Comments »
Love who wears a crown.
Posted by appolus on March 28, 2024
The love of God has taken me
From the miry clay and set me free
Tis all consuming it knows no end
My Lord, my Master and my friend
A love that barely sees through tears
A love that lasts throughout the years
A love in which there is no doubt
A love in Christ is paramount
A love that sets my heart on fire
A love that takes me ever higher
A love that's never let me down
A love that ever wears a crown
My heart is fixed on Christ alone
Who ever sits upon His throne
He also dwells within my heart
And we shall never be apart
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Devotions, Jesus, poetry, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant | Leave a Comment »
The latest cancer update.
Posted by appolus on March 26, 2024
Posted in cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, healing, Jesus, revival, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant | 2 Comments »
Thy grace is not exhausted.
Posted by appolus on March 25, 2024
The grace that I've found is not exhausted
It rises still like the incoming tide
And my heart is flooded to overflowing
From the fountain that comes from deep inside
There is a fountain in the depths of me
The Father, the Son and the Spirit three
Who came to forever set me free
All glory to my King.
Our fountain-head of blessing here is grace
And is our strength, and strength alone to run the race
For on no other hand I can rely
but the hand that stretches down from up on high
I fall into His arms that are surely everlasting
And to never leave this place is all I'm ever asking
Even the sparrow and the swallow are found within this place
My prayer is that I am found in your glorious warm embrace.
Posted in bible, cancer, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Feeding upon His faithfulness.
Posted by appolus on March 18, 2024
Cancer update.
I wanted to address something. Many people have messaged me and told me how strong I am in the midst of this cancer and how they admire my faith. I do not want to give the impression that going through cancer is easy and “all you have to do is,”……….fill in the blanks. A test is a test, a trial is a trial, not because it is easy but because it is not. Jesus is the star of this story of mine. He is strong, He is faithful, He is my high tower. I run into Him. I cry out to Him, I rely upon Him for the little strength and faith I do have. It is an honor and a privilege to represent Him no matter what my circumstances are. Consider these verses from Psalm 37. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
In this portion of Scripture we are instructed how to walk in the power and strength of the Lord. We are to trust Him and do good. We are to delight ourselves in the Lord. We are to commit all our ways unto Him. We are also told (NKJ) to ” feed upon His faithfulness.” I left that to last because this has been my primary source of strength. I feed upon His faithfulness. It edifies my very soul and gives strength to me physically.I have been through enough trials in my life that I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that He is faithful. He has never left me nor forsaken me. It is His faithfulness I celebrate, it is His strength in me that makes this weak vessel strong. I am nothing without the Lord and would have crumbled and fallen into the sea of life a long time ago without Jesus. I feed upon the faithfulness of my heavenly Father and I am well fed. It is well with my soul because of His residency there. In and of myself I am weak, yet, His strength is only highlighted in my weakness.
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, God's love, revival, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Peace in a noisy world.
Posted by appolus on February 25, 2024
In the quietness of peace and in the beauty of Holiness we should make our way through this noisy world. Like an elegant sailing ship making its way through calm waters with a beautiful fresh wind in its sails, we should walk through this world as peacemakers, drawing men and women to Jesus. We must not simply be a believer in doctrines but rather we must be a manifestation of such doctrines. Living epistles read of men. If men could read aloud the story of our hearts would it draw them to the Father? The narrative of our spirits should be like manna in the desert and water that bursts forth from rocks. In short, we should be life among death and light that pierces through the gross darkness of this world. A lighthouse that stands tall upon the Rock.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, manifest presence, revival, Spirituality, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence | Leave a Comment »
To look into the depths of who you are.
Posted by appolus on February 24, 2024
Your presence fills me with great joy
And turns every shadow into light
Great consolation is mine
Which feeds the deepest part of me,
and sustains me though the night.
Oh blessed joy is mine divine
The eternal longing of my aching heart
For the day when the morning star rises
And then, forever, we shall never be apart
To look into the depths of who You are
Even for a moment, gives life unto my weary soul
The one who took the many broken pieces
Before the throne and the Father made me whole
I will awaken the dawn with the praises of my King
You will hear, from the ends of the earth, heavenly choirs sing
Look through the door of your heart that He has knocked upon
And hear the angels singing their golden heavenly song
Then shall heaven and earth be one together
And we shall abide before His throne forever
I in him and He in we
Cast upon an eternal holy sea.
Posted in bible, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, inspirational, poetry, praise, revival, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
An update on my cancer journey.
Posted by appolus on February 15, 2024
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, God's love, healing, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant | 2 Comments »
Learning to forgive.
Posted by appolus on February 15, 2024
There is a process of sanctification and it takes the wisdom of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to discern and navigate our way when we are dealing with others. Are they babes in Christ? Are they immature? Are they our weaker brothers?
Forgiveness should always be readily available from us, given what great forgiveness we ourselves have received. Yet oftentimes, as the flesh is being killed daily, by the cross we take up daily, we exhibit its characteristics until, slowly but surely, little by little, precept by precept, death upon death, we become more Christlike.
The process never ends, we never arrive, but the genuine saint is always making forward progress, even when he stumbles, the very stumbling becomes one more lesson to him. He hates the stumble, he agonizes over the failure. And in the agonizing, in the fire, we are being shaped and molded. The great impetus for it all is the burning love of God that blazes at the center of who we are. Our love for Jesus, our love for the Father is so great, because He first loved us, that our singular desire is to never let Him down, never disappoint Him.
When we inevitably do, the work of the cross and the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit comes to bear upon us and we are changed. This is the genius of His love for us, we who are mere wretched creatures outside of Jesus. This is the astonishment of principalities and powers when the gaze upon us mortals and declare “What is man that you are mindful of us, and the son of man that you visit him?” ( Psalm 8:4)
They are astonished that our Father in heaven pays us any mind at all and visits us and loves us, even while we were yet in our sin. Astonished that He would sacrifice His very own son for us. We deserved nothing but hell and yet through His love and through His grace we received forgiveness and an eternal place in the heavenlies.
How indeed can we not forgive others in the blazing light of such forgiveness? Today is the day to forgive anyone, it’s such a thing of beauty and a reflection of the very God who forgave us!
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, church, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, revival, spiritual growth, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant | 3 Comments »
Jesus pick me up.
Posted by appolus on February 8, 2024
Trouble came knocking at my door
And a voice inside said don't let it in
I opened it
And it knocked me to the floor
I got backup on my feet
And it knocked me down once more
Chorus
Jesus pick me up so I can stand again
Jesus pick me up, I so dearly need you friend
You are my Lord of Lords and King of Kings
The man of many sorrows
If you do not pick me up today
Then there will be no tomorrows
I came to a bridge over troubled waters
But the bridge was swept away
I went down into the waters
And in the darkness I heard Him say
I will be with you as you pass on through
And suddenly the waters withdrew
Then I came upon a mountain high
To scale it I would surely die
I asked the Lord to remove this thing
So that I could rejoice and praise my King
No My son, ask of me to give you power
To climb every mountain and to scale every tower
Bridge
I'll be with you as you pass on through
I'll be with you in all that you do.
Trouble came knocking at my door
And a voice inside said don't let it in
I opened it
And it knocked me to the floor
I got backup on my feet
And it knocked me down once more
Chorus
Jesus pick me up so I can stand again
Jesus pick me up, I so dearly need you friend
You are my Lord of Lords and King of Kings
The man of many sorrows
If you do not pick me up today
Then there will be no tomorrows
I came to a bridge over troubled waters
But the bridge was swept away
I went down into the waters
And in the darkness I heard Him say
I will be with you as you pass on through
And suddenly the waters withdrew
Then I came upon a mountain high
To scale it I would surely die
I asked the Lord to remove this thing
So that I could rejoice and praise my King
No My son, ask of me to give you power
To climb every mountain and to scale every tower
Bridge
I'll be with you as you pass on through
I'll be with you in all that you do.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | Tagged: faith, poetry, prayer, writing | 7 Comments »
When the stroke hits the soul
Posted by appolus on February 3, 2024
When the stroke goes down to the soul
And the billows they begin to roll
When the lightening fractures the sky above
Shall we be found to be anchored in His glorious love?
When the ship is swamped and going under
And the rain so loud and the clashing thunder
Cause you to cry out and look up towards heaven
Shall we stand upon God and not be so driven?
Surely goodness and mercy despite our afflictions
Will follow us forever without contradiction
And a table before us, a feast for a King
Will cause our troubled hearts to sing
Of His majesty and glory and joy without measure
As we gaze upon His righteousness, His heavenly treasure
He maketh me lie down in pastures so green
And beside the still waters eternally serene.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Blessings from the night.
Posted by appolus on January 31, 2024
It has been a night of grief, yet a night of blessing. A night in which there may have been many things which we would wish forgotten., yet many more which we should wish to be remembered for ever. Often during its gloom, we called it “wearisome,” and said “When shall I arise and the night be gone? (Job 7:) Yet how much was there to reconcile it, rather, to fill us with praise because of it! It was then the Lord drew near, and the world was displaced and self was smitten, and our will conquered, and faith grew speedily, and hope became brighter and more eager, and the things that are unseen were felt to be real and true. (H. Bonar)
Brothers and sisters, suffering draws us close unto the Lord. The long night of illness or trial draws us closely to the fires of heaven. We see with eyes that can peer through the night and give us sight to see our heavenly Jerusalem. The fading parchments of this life become somewhat crude in the light of heavenly fires. What comfort the children of Israel must have garnered as the fire by night nestled above them in the calm assurance of His presence. The cloud by day that would shelter them from the blazing desert heat. Our songs in the night give birth to sight. Out of darkness there comes a sure knowledge that He is with us. To not just follow Him closely along the narrow pilgrim way, but rather to walk hand in hand with Him and hear Him so sweetly that our hear burns within our chest……bro Frank
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian quotes, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, spiritual growth, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant | 1 Comment »
The crosses that He designs.
Posted by appolus on January 24, 2024
Sorrow leaves it's mark upon the soul
As the Lord shapes us and takes
back what the enemy stole
With an iron pen and
lead in the rock, it is written
The genuine work of God, His composition
He has written His word upon the heart
that He has given
And with many a blow, sin
from our soul is driven
Shall we not welcome the rod that can never miss?
And with a warm embrace, direct it with a kiss
We can count the cost, then embrace the cross
or lay it down and suffer the loss
Remember each one is crafted by His hand
And are designed so that no man can still stand
It's by His Blood and sorrow they were crafted
And they seal the wounds whereby we are grafted.
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
A poem from a soldier.
Posted by appolus on January 16, 2024
It seems to me that an old soldier’s life would be marked by the battles in which he fought. He could look back and remember the wars in which he participated. He would remember certain foxholes. He would remember the comradery with his fellow soldiers. He would certainly remember the ones he fought back to back with. In many ways he would acknowledge that he had been shaped by each battle. Little by little, precept upon precept, he would become the soldier he is. And even when his wars are all fought, he will always be a soldier. I know that the battles I have fought have shaped me. The seasons that I have walked through have molded me. I remember well the foxholes I have been in at particular times with saints, brothers and sisters, that I have loved as David loved Jonathon.
The seasons of loss, the seasons of victories, the seasons of crying out to God. There are secret times when I have despaired. Times when only the Lord would see the tears upon my pillow, many a sleepless night I have walked where it was just me, all alone, with my Lord. Yet I can say that while all of those battles and seasons have shaped and molded me, none of them has identified me. I am not the guy from the broken childhood, not the guy who lost a son, not the guy who has a special need son. Not the guy whose son went to prison, not the guy who fought for his grandson. And now, not the guy who has cancer. My sole identity is the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. No neighbor or friend would know my background, unless at certain times I could share small portions of my life to comfort them with the very same comfort I have known. Each poem I write I write is either from the battle-field or from the memories of a battle fought. They are forged in the fires of battle or spring to life from from heaven’s throne-room. I wrote this one yesterday. A soldiers poem from a present battle.
THE THORN THAT PIERCES
Shall I shrink back from the crown of thorns
Shall I fall away when I’m battered and torn
Shall I not rise though broken and wasted
And declare heavenly treasures that I have tasted.
This earth is neither my portion nor my rest
And these thorns are but my heavenly test
Pierced and broken but never defeated
I look to heaven where soon I’ll be seated
I cast my eyes upon dark Calvary’s hill
And from the valley floor seek to go higher still
Closer and closer and closer to thee
Where chains are broken and from fetters set free
The night is far spent and the day is at hand
And with Your help alone I will surely stand
The storm may rise and the waves grow higher
Yet to be where you are is my one desire
Nearness to God is the source of it all
Whether we walk or run, or stumble and fall
Through the storms, through the rain, the day or the night
He is there upon the waters, what a glorious sight.
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
An update on the cancer situation.
Posted by appolus on January 15, 2024
Posted in bible, cancer, christian living, Christian poetry, Christian quotes, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, revival, spiritual growth, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church | 4 Comments »
His light in the darkness!
Posted by appolus on January 11, 2024
“How fast we learn in a day of sorrow. It is as if affliction awoke our powers and lent them new quickness of perception. We advance more in knowledge of Scripture in a single day than in years before. We learn songs in the night, though such music was unknown before. A deeper experience has taken us down into the depths of Scripture and shown us its hidden wonders.” (Horatius Bonar)
And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. (Isa 45:3)
When darkness comes knocking at our door and we come to the end of our own resources, we cry out into the night. There is a hidden treasure that awaits the saints who are overtaken by afflictions. Out of the darkness, God Himself has commanded that light would shine. It shines into the depths of our hearts and dispels all fears. Our perceptions change. Worldly things that were important yesterday, are no longer important today. Our hearts and our minds are drawn up into high and lofty places. Our brokenness allows the hidden treasures of God that lie within us to pour forth as never before. The night watches, so dreaded by men, becomes our sanctuary. A holy place where the Lord Himself gives us a song. Is there a more sweeter sound that the song that resonates in our heart in the night? The contrast of darkness only serves to illuminate the brilliance of the light of God.
Down we go, down into the depths of the Word and His truth and His promises. And as we are taken by the depths of His love, we are lifted to the heights of His glory. The precious hand of God wherein we lie, closes over us and holds us tight as the storms and the waves reach up to try and pull us down. Yet, they cannot, for nothing can pluck us from the hand of God. Every precious word of God becomes a shaft of light that pierces through the darkness. And that light warms us and envelops us and keeps us from the icy blasts of this world with all of its ravages. We become super sensitive to His presence and to His promises and to His love. We begin to actually live one day at a time just as our Lord and Master Jesus told us to. And what a glorious way to live with our eyes truly set upon Him.
As we consider the lilies of the field, as we consider the sparrows of the air, as we understand that His eye is on the sparrow and He clothes the grass of the fields with much more splendor that Solomon was ever arrayed, we understand His eye is on us. And in the knowing of this, in the depths of our heart, there arises great joy. Joy in the darkness? Joy in the affliction? Joy in the depths of infirmities? Yes, yes, yes!!! It is the joy of the Lord. And the joy of the Lord that rises up from the darkness is our strength in the night. You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psa 16:11) His presence is my song in the night. His presence is my fullness. His presence is my joy. He alone lifts me up to the mountaintops from the valley floor. In fact, they are both alike to Him for where He is, is Holy ground…..bro Frank.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
A Call To The Remnant 