Archive for the ‘Christian poetry’ Category
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 »
Oh blessed Grace.
Posted by appolus on April 6, 2024
He is crowned with righteousness
We are crowned with grace
And by the Blood of Calvary
Of sin, there is no trace
He is crowned with Holiness
We are crowned with Love
From the depths of His dwelling place
His grace shall be enough
His grace floods every part of me
In the depths of the midnight hour
Yet more still, shall it surely be
Come the dawn with all its power
It was grace from the very beginning
And its grace to the very end
And the love of God sustains me
Upon which I eternally depend
His grace, His grace, is sufficient for me
It saved me and keeps me each day
And throughout the span of eternity
Its forever on display
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, Christian poetry, Daily devotional, God's love, Jesus, poetry, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | 2 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 »
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 »
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 »
When hope gives way to presence.
Posted by appolus on January 27, 2024
I wrote this poem yesterday while I was having chemo. It was a long day but I very much sensed the presence of the Lord, in divine appointments and also a message from a dear friend who had just recorded the message in the middle of their prayer meeting in Estonia. He prayed for me and then his dear wife prayed for me and I could hear the other saints praying in the background. I was quite overcome to think how honored and how privileged I was. I was humbled, shed a few tears, then wrote this poem. You will notice that I use the word infused a couple of time 🙂
When hope gives way to presence.
When the desire comes, it's a tree of life to me.
And the tree nourishes the parts you cannot see
Hope deferred causes my aching heart to long
And in the longing creates in me a song.
Sing my heart, sing of all His glory
Create in me the desire to tell Your story.
To scale the highest mountain, just to shout your name
Consumed by your majesty, ignited by your flame.
Come to me, draw me to your throne
To that place I know that I am truly known
And the tree of life infuses me with peace
And your glory, from the depths of me, released.
Beyond the falling leaf there lies the pastures green
And a heavenly river infused by glorious streams.
Beyond the troubled waters you have surely come to me
And you take my spirit over, to that place beyond the sea.
Posted in cancer, Christian, christian blog, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, God's voice, healing, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
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 »
Update.
Posted by appolus on January 10, 2024
Posted in battle against cancer, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christian quotes, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, praise, revival, 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 | 8 Comments »
We must decrease!
Posted by appolus on January 1, 2024
The Lord, of course, was acquainted with sorrows and sufferings and this gives us strength to know that He knows and He sees all of our afflictions. In the end, our walk must simplify as we mature in Him. We must decrease and He must increase. This decreasing is something of a mystery. Perhaps diminished is also a good word, to be diminished in our own estimations of our “self.”
The greater damage we do to self, the clearer the two kingdoms become. The kingdoms of this world and its ruler, and the Kingdom of God, that was, and is, and is to come and it’s ruler, the Lord Jesus. How do we “diminish,” “self?” How do we decrease? How is the hold that self has on us loosed? Only by the cross. Only ever by the cross. The flesh refuses to die, it refuses to relinquish control. We cannot negotiate with it or compromise with it. Absolute surrender, which is so offensive to the world and self, is our stance. Therefore it’s a battle to the death. No quarter to be given.
As we go down this road, by the power of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit, we begin to turn a corner at some point. As we surrender to surrender our eyes begin to “see,” things more clearly. We begin to hear the call of heaven more loudly. It begins to fill us and fill us with a greater longing to only live in the Kingdom of God. The things of this world begin to lose its grip on us. We can picture ourselves in the dungeon with Paul and Silas, praising God in the darkness of the midnight hour.
Paul “learned,” to be content. He did not just suddenly arrive at the place where he could declare all things loss as dung in comparison to be found in Him. He walked through many fires and afflictions. He suffered greatly with infirmities. He was hungry and naked, shipwrecked, lashed to within an inch of his life. He was despised and rejected. All of this happened to him as he walked down the path the Master has blazed for us. Shall we continue down the narrow path brothers and sisters?
This narrow path leads to Calvary, the ultimate death. Can we say, with our Lord ” for the joy that is set before me?” What joy is this? The joy of fulfilling the will of God in our lives. His will, not ours. His will, which is so violently opposed by our flesh and fights so viciously to exercise its own will. His will is the solid Rock upon which we stand. His will is the center of all that exists. His will is our very spiritual existence. Death to the flesh begins to leads us to an unobstructed view of His will.We see more clearly His desire for us. His desire for us becomes our desire for ourselves. The desire of our hearts is to glorify Him in all that we do.
Let everything that does not bring you peace, let everything that does not bring you to this place, go. In the end we love Jesus more than everything. Which was our genuine declaration in the beginning of our walk. Our peace in Him, our joy in Him, is our strength. Without this strength we can do nothing. When all those around us are floundering, when all are losing their heads, then we must be found in Him. We cannot go down with the ship, rather we must walk upon the water and reach out our hand to them. We walk upon the water by keeping our eyes on Jesus. Lift up your eyes today dear brothers and sisters, and see where your help comes from. Reach out to Jesus, take His hand, and never let go!
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, healing, Jesus, miracles, revival, spiritual gifts, 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, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Deep calls out to deep.
Posted by appolus on December 24, 2023
Deep calls unto deep
At the noise of your waterfalls
And in the daytime
Your loving-kindness calls
And when the nighttime comes
Your song shall be with me
And even in the darkness, I shall see.
To the Lord my Rock
I run beneath thy wings
And in the night watches
I listen to the angels sing
When darkness is all around
Send out Your light to me
Shackles are broken, and I am free
A very present help
Though the mighty waters roar
And mountains they fall down
Yet your Spirit helps restore
My troubled heart in times of need
Within my chest it surely leaps
As the deep within my soul calls out to Deep.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
My situation with cancer.
Posted by appolus on December 23, 2023
This is the word from the Lord that led to my last poem. This video is an update of my current sitution, may the Lord be praised through all of it………………..bro Frank
“And in the silence there is peace. It dwells above the noise and the din. Above the begging and the pleadings and the raging storm, there sleeps Jesus in the boat. Shall we too arrive at the place where sleep is not dependent upon the storm being stilled? Where trust lies down among the lions. Where perfect love casts out all fear. This is the Kingdom of God, this is the rarified air of heaven. This is the shaft of light that pierces the darkness and guides us home.”
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, intimacy, Jesus, revival, scripture, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church | 6 Comments »
Sleeping in the boat
Posted by appolus on December 22, 2023
This a a poem I just wrote based on a word the Lord gave me last week due to my current circumstances (cancer)
And in the silence there is peace
It dwells above the noise and din
And faith from heaven is released
And fills completely from within
Beggings and pleadings are not heard
By our own hand we are not kept afloat
Yet Christ Himself in the midst of it all
Keeps the storm at bay, asleep in the boat
I shall lie down, at peace in the silence
When all around, the storm rages still
Safe and secure in the depths of His glory
In perfect peace at the center of His will.
I sleep in the midst of the lion's den
They are held at bay by His heavenly hand
His perfect love casts out all fear
And in peace or storm I shall surely stand
I breathe in deeply the air of heaven
It fills me and fills me with His perfect love
A shaft of light shatters the darkness
It leads me and guides me to my home high above.
Posted in bible, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, 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, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
This one thing. (Psalm 27)
Posted by appolus on December 9, 2023
The Lord is the strength of my life
He is the ground upon which I stand
And though war has risen and come after me
I'm confident in the God who has set me free!
And in the secret place of His tabernacle
He's set me high upon the Rock
And His pavilion is a home and shelter to me
I am confident in the God whom I can see.
This one thing is the desire of my longing heart
That I may dwell in His house forever
And behold His beauty and His marvelous grace
And forever and continually seek His face
I would have lost heart, but for this one thing
His beauty and the glory of His might
And when everything's gone and I'm all alone
I shall seek His face before His throne
Wait on the Lord when it all goes wrong
When the world and it's ways presses in
When the night has come and there's no way ahead
Wait upon the Lord and bow your head
Fall to your knees and lift up your hands
Cry out to the one from above
And without any notice, quite suddenly
You shall drenched by His marvelous love.
Posted in bible, Christian, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, God's love, Jesus, poetry, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
He dwells within my heart.
Posted by appolus on November 19, 2023
My hope is in the Lord my God, who dwells within my heart The one who came and died for me, His glory to impart The Christ who raised me from the dead To live forevermore The one whose broken ever chain and opened every door. He's the Lord who whispers in my ear, He listens to my cries The one who never ever sleeps, the one who surely died He died for you and He died for me He surely rose again Removing every doubt and fear, removing every stain He's my sunrise in the morning, the light for every day To chase away the darkness and in my heart He stays And there He always shall remain Until my day is done He gives me strength to carry on, the victory it is won. He's the sunset of my life, He is with me to the end He heals the very depths of me, the broken He shall mend He lifts me with the rising tide To stand on higher ground He's with me through the waters, in Him I shall be found.
Posted in bible, Christian poetry, Devotions, Fresh Fire, Jesus, poetry, 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, the state of the church, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
A Call To The Remnant 