Archive for the ‘Daily devotional’ Category
Posted by appolus on January 31, 2017
Hi saints. I just want to comment on the hysterical nature of what is going on in America and in Europe right now. For many years now I have spoken about coming persecution of the saints. I believe we are much closer now than ever. One might think that the election of someone like Donald Trump would change that. It will change nothing, in fact the hatred of Christians is being primed by the recent election results. Now what do I mean by that?
I believe that God is exposing those forces that have claimed tolerance. How many times have we heard that word in the last decade? How many times was that word used to effect political change? How many times was that word used to effect societal change, cultural change? It was used over and over and over again. And now God is revealing the true nature of those who have stood in the shadow of that word. He is exposing the fact that not only are those people intolerant of anyone who dares to disagree with any of their positions,they are full of hatred and poison.
This hatred, this intolerance of any position other than their own is akin to Nazi Germany. There was one ideology and if you did not fall in lockstep with it, you were exposed, condemned, rounded up and eventually killed. What is interesting is the moralizing by the hysterical mob. All arguments are now parsed as either moral or immoral. Remember, these arguments are being made by people who love abortion. Who love homosexuality. If you are not in favor of these then you are now categorized as haters. Interesting isn’t it, that with such an outpouring of actual hatred that this word would be ascribed to born-again Christians.
God is in the business of exposing hypocrisy in all its many forms. If you claim any moral high-ground then the ground upon which you stand had better be solid. And this applies across the board, it is a universal truth. Just as pride coming before a fall is universal then so is the exposing of the hypocrite. It is a universal truth, it applies to all of us whether we are Christians or not and all men are equal in the eyes of the Lord. If the forces of tolerance are in actual fact the forces of hatred and bigotry then the Lord will expose it. He has exposed many ministries in the last two decades. He has exposed many top evangelicals including the leader of the evangelical society in America, Ted Haggard. Christians know that judgment begins at the house of the Lord, but we also know that it does not end there. God is, as we speak, showing the whole world the true nature of those who have claimed to be tolerant.
This intolerance of all things holy, of all things just, of all things Biblical will not just stop at mere hatred. This poison that is in the souls of men will continue to spread. It will not stop until the saints are hated by all. It will not be local it will be universal. Saints will be hated all around the world for nothing more than identifying with Jesus and His word. If you dare to stand upon the Word in these coming days the enemy will come at you in all of his fury. And the forces that he will use are the forces who identify themselves as tolerant. Now this irony will only cause Satan to smile.
So saints, I urge you to draw closer to our Lord in these days. Do not get caught up in the hysteria and the hatred. Jesus was dumb before his accusers because he knew that their minds were already made up. Now it made Pilate marvel but only caused the mob to scream all the more loudly for His blood to be upon their heads. The tolerant mob will soon be screaming for your blood and desire it to be upon their heads and the heads of their children. These things must come to pass. It is part and parcel of their final judgement. So let us go into this dark night wrapped in light, clothed in the garments of righteousness and love. Let our actual tolerance be the weapon against those who are filled with hate.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on January 28, 2017
It’s a wonderful thing to feed a hungry man a fish, but unless we teach him to fish, we become his source. Its a wonderful thing to give someone who thirsts some water, but unless we show them how to dig a well, we become their source. Too often in Christendom, leadership in all it’s many forms have been happy to be the source of relieving people’s needs, which can only ever be temporary at best. We should always strive in life to point folks towards the source of all life, Jesus. In that situation, only He is elevated and preeminent.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, 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 January 26, 2017
It can be very difficult in times of peace and prosperity to stay as close to God as we should like. I wonder if it might be near impossible? I think about the Scripture ” My grace is sufficient for you.” There is, it seems, a unique grace to be had in times of trouble. The memory of that grace, the knowledge and the experience of knowing that no matter how difficult our situation was, the Lord never left us nor did He forsake us, is an attribute of the mature saint who has learned to be content whether in the stormiest of seas or tranquil windless days.
The closeness and the dependency that we discover in the midst of troubles and sufferings is a resource that we carry with us as we move along the narrow path. When we come across others in similar situations we are then able to comfort them with the very same comfort we ourselves were comforted with. Living waters flowing through us, through tried and tested vessels, brings life to those who receive it. Broken vessels cannot withhold living waters, it simply, by nature of its brokenness, allows waters to flow freely from the depths of who we are and who we have been shaped to be by the one who dwells in the very depths of us. From whom all living waters flow.
Then what is our part as we walk down this narrow pilgrims path? A desire to be used. A willingness to be broken. A perseverance that stands firm in the midst of the flames. A knowledge that God is with us as we pass through the waters. A deep desire to please our Lord and be obedient to Him. Perseverance and overcoming. Having this at the center of our heart ” Even if He slays me, yet will I trust Him.” Even if He does not deliver us from a certain situation, we will never bow down to the gods of this world. These, I have discovered, are all attributes of the saint who walks the narrow path.
So, whether we are full or whether we are hungry we shall praise Him. Whether we are rich or we are poor we shall adore Him. Whether we are naked or we are clothed we shall sing of His praises. Whether in sickness or in health we shall lift our eyes unto the hills and see where our help, our grace comes from. Whether life works out the way we had envisioned or takes a totally unexpected turn we shall trust Him. Whether we feel His presence or not we shall love Him. Whether our prayers are answered in a fashion that we expected or not we shall testify of Him. For in Him is our all in all. In Jesus is our very life and sanity. He exists outside of our imaginations yet fills every part of who we are. Eyes have not seen nor ear has heard nor has it entered into our hearts the plans of God for us yet we know Him and more importantly He knows us and He beckons us to move ever closer to Him.
Be encouraged today saint. The Lord is with you no matter what your circumstances are. In the fire, in the flood, on the mountaintop or on a windless still ocean where it appears that we are dead in the water and making no progress. Be assured that today you are one day closer to coming into the fullness, one day closer to coming into a place that the Lord has prepared for you that you have not even imagined. One day closer saint. Every day we are one day closer, one day further down the narrow path that leads to the fullness of life and the completion of the work the Lord has done in you. Celebrate your journey today and celebrate the faithfulness of God in your life. It shall release power into your spirit.
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Posted by appolus on January 12, 2017
If you have searched your heart
And found your conscience clear
Despite the troubles of the world
Your Lord and God is near
When all around are troubles
And there’s no sleep to be found
For sure you’re on the narrow path
And your Lord is all around
When you survey your troubled world
And despair knocks at your door
Do not doubt the path your on
Gods behind you and goes before
You will often hear this whisper
Your God has abandoned you
You are lost and you’re forsaken
But you know this is not true
He was a liar from the beginning
He’ll be a liar until the end
Your Lord and God is watching you
He’s your King and He’s your friend
So let me tell you something saint
When you think your all alone
There is one who ever intercedes
Before a Holy throne
Lift up your head oh child of God
And see that heavenly host
Surrounding you on every side
In Christ now make your boast
Stand up stand up ye child of God
Stand up in Him alone
Draw near and weep and worship Him
Before His holy throne.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on January 11, 2017
The way God shapes His children, in general, is through the fires of affliction. Yet, I believe He will not inflict these fires upon those who have no genuine desire to be like Him. To be like Him is to enter into His sufferings. If we enter into His sufferings then we will reign with Him in glory. 2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him:
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Posted by appolus on January 2, 2017
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. (Teddy Roosevelt)
How easy to be the critic of others. How easy to point to the one who dared but stumbled. How easy to sit in our armchairs and throw rocks at the moon while we ourselves never step outside the front door. There is something very much alive about the man or woman who keeps getting back up after being knocked down. Who, when they are old and dying in their beds will be able to look back on their lives and know that they tried to climb every mountain that stood in their way. They swam across every river that barred the way forward. They did not lie down and simply let the snow cover them. Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved and lived to count the cost. The question today is ” will you step into the arena?” In order to step into the arena you have to step outside of your comfort zone. Nothing happens within this zone. It is the place where vision comes to die. Do you know how to spell faith? It is spelled R.I.S.K. What will you risk this year? Some will risk something small, some will even risk it all. Better to risk something than not to risk at all. The man or woman without faith is the man or woman who will risk nothing and live in a gray colorless world. The Kingdom of God is alive with color but only the bold enter in. Will you step into the arena this year? Do not be a cold and timid soul who knows nothing of victory or defeat. Step over fear and into faith.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on January 1, 2017
He still rules the winds and He still rules the waves
He still reigns in majesty and His precious blood still saves
He is the Christ and His light still shines forever and a day
I am the branch and He’s still the vine, His light still leads the way
He is Lord of your yesterdays and all of your tomorrows
He wipes away our fears, our tears and every one of our sorrows
Today is the day, we can know nothing more than this
If your eyes are on tomorrow then His presence you will miss.
Christ alone still rules and on His throne He reigns
He’s setting loose the captives and breaking all their chains
He’s washing clean the sinner and healing their disease
He still sees our afflictions, He still hears all our pleas.
He’ll finish what He started, He’ll make us all complete
He is the balm of Gilead for those found at His feet
He is our light in darkness, our joy in the midst of pain
Open up the door He knocks and He’ll do it all again
Yesterday , today and forever He will always be the same
He loves you with unending love that is why He came
If you will follow in His steps, that path that He has paved
You will discover that He still rules the winds and rules the waves.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, The Psalms, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on January 1, 2017
No saint who has walked through the fires or passed through the waters would ever say that God will not give you more than you can handle. We are truly shaped by the events that bring us to our knees. The place where we realize that we have limitations and we have reached the end of ours is truly the place of transformation. We are never the same after realizing that we are finite and all of our abilities are finite. This is where the infinite steps in and touches us and reaches out His hand and helps us up from off our knees.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on December 28, 2016
Sometimes you just want to walk into the light
And leave the shadows far behind
Tis cold when the wind is blowing
Especially when it’s blowing through your mind
When the center of my soul is cold and weary
And the snow is falling in my heart
I turn my face towards the sun
The one who saved me from the start
And with heavy feet and the weight of the world
I stumble forward for there’s no going back
One step at a time, day by day
Following footsteps in the snow, in the dark
A path before me, footsteps in the snow
One step in each footprint is the way I must go
One day at a time ever closer to thee
No longer you and I but forever we
Tis your footsteps in the snow
That I follow each day
They wind their way through the valley
Ever leading the way
Thank you for the sun
When in my heart the snow falls
Thank you for your voice
Over the wind it still calls
I’ll follow the path that you tread for me
Despite the darkness the path I can see
And even when the snow is heavily falling
Through the wind and the rain I hear my Lord calling
So your word is my lamp and your voice leads the way
And the path that you walked guides me every day
Through the wind and the rain, the snow and the storm
In a very cold world your love keeps me warm
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Posted by appolus on December 18, 2016
I love it when incessant winds die down
And all around is silence not a sound
And then I feel the sun upon my face
And I am caught up in a warm embrace
When all around me is desolate land
I feel the sun and still I stand
And even though there are dark clouds everywhere
Beyond those clouds I know the blue skies there
The wind it often chills me to the bone
Yet just one ray of sun and I am not alone
One foot in front of another is the way that I must go
I cannot deviate despite the blinding snow
Neither to the left nor to the right
Neither stormy seas nor darkened night
Can keep me from the narrow path I know
Although it may be flooded or blocked with snow
I’ll keep om walking till the very end
Because I know He is around each bend
I shall wade through waters high and mountain snow
As long as He is with me this I know
So if you cannot see your way ahead
Nor fall asleep when you lay down your head
Lift your eyes and see that shaft of light
That warms your face and guides you through the night
Then all the noise shall cease, no not a sound
I love it when incessant winds die down
And then I feel the sun upon my face
And I am caught up in a warm embrace.
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Posted by appolus on December 18, 2016
The things that truly shape us are not the choices that we make. The totality of our lives cannot be found in the choices that we make. If that was true then we would be masters of our own destinies. This is the fodder of all guru’s and self help charlatans and has infiltrated the church. Joel Olsteen and others being masters of this kind of teaching. What really shapes our lives is the circumstances over which we have no control and how we react to them. The disasters, the defeats, the tragedies, the loss, these are what truly shape our lives, those and how we respond to them. None of us would choose disaster, none of us would choose tragedy. Yet, the building blocks of who we are, are forged in the fires of affliction. God has guaranteed that there is no money to be made nor fame to be had in sharing this truth.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 11 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 26, 2016
This is the final chapter in my book “The Fall of Christendom.”
This final chapter of the book will look at the failed and fatally
flawed system of church that we have labored under for centuries. I
know that this is a controversial subject and I have lost friends over
this but I must speak what the Lord has laid upon my heart. It is
quite an audacious thing to say that the very system that most of
Christendom labors under is un-biblical and flawed but there it is,
that is what I believe.
The mere fact that it has existed in some
form or fashion for countless centuries in no way legitimizes it. If
it did, then the Catholic Church would be the most legitimate
church that we have. It seems plain enough that in Scripture,
Christians met in their homes and their very homes became places
of worship, houses of prayer if you like. The outside world saw life
in these people, saw love in these people and God Himself added
to them daily. Think about all the church programs that are
designed to get new members or to somehow stop the βrevolving
doorβ and keep the folks who come and visit. Yet the early
believers had no such programs.
What led people to the truth was the very life in those who
represented it. A burning love and passion for Jesus. They had no
desire to bring folks to their particular house, or tell people that
they must hear their particular teacher or pastor, no their singular
obsession and passion was for the one who radically transformed
their lives and it was now no longer them that lived but Christ
lived in them. Therefore they were not afraid to die for Jesus, in
fact, the early Church counted it as a great honor and thanked God
that they were counted worthy to suffer for Him. This was the life
of Christ burning in their bones, coursing through their veins, it
completely dominated their whole lives, their life was about His
life in them and this drew others to Jesus. God Himself was given
all the honor and the glory for the drawing of others to Himself as
of course it should be. Consider the words of
T.A.Sparksβ¦β¦β¦β¦β¦β¦
The Lord has not called upon us to form churches. That is not
our business. Would to God men had recognized the fact! A very
different situation would obtain today from what exists, if that
had been recognized. It is the Lord Who expands His Church,
Who governs its growth. What we have to do is to live in the place
of His appointment in the power of His resurrection. If, in the
midst of others, the Lord can get but two of His children, in
whom His Life is full and free, to live on the basis of that Life,
and not to seek to gather others to themselves or to get them to
congregate together on the basis of their acceptance of certain
truths or teaching, but simply to witness to what Christ means
and is to them, then He has an open wayβ¦. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 16, 2016
As an immigrant to America I have many thoughts about what is going on in the country right now. I hear reports, mostly unsubstantiated, of people being abused because they are different in some way. This does not represent the America I know. It hurts for me to think that the foreign press would pick up on these stories and give the world the wrong impression of American people.
I have traveled a lot and met people from all over the world. I can say from my experience that the American people are the most friendliest and welcoming people in the whole world. They have loons on the far right and the far left just like everyone else but a handful of anecdotal stories in no way represents the heart of America and who they are. Your average American is warm and friendly and generous to all people.
I hear a lot about tolerance, yet the irony is that those who constantly speak of tolerance tend to be the most intolerant people you will ever meet. They are only tolerant to those of a similar view. If they meet someone of the opposite view, watch the venom pour forth. This dividing of the people for political purposes is evil. I think of the 49 people killed in a nightclub recently by a terrorist . That story became a gay story when the real story was that 49 Americans were killed.
Why is it always a gay story or a black story or a white story? In a mad effort to be inclusive, the politicians who push such an agenda have managed to make this country more divided that it has been since the time of the civil rights. By focusing on the rights of a tiny minority of people such as gay people and transgenders (perhaps 3.5% combined) the President( President Obama) has driven a huge wedge between the folks. There is no tolerance for anyone who disagrees with their agenda.
The truth is I can completely disagree with the notion that people are born gay and still be tolerant and inclusive. I can think that there should be stronger border control and not be a racist or a xenophobe. Those who do not allow for this thought are truly the folks who are dividing this country. The true reason for Brexit and the recent election results in America is that regular folk are pushing back against the powers that be, who spend an inordinate amount of time and energy on a tiny minority of people to the exclusion of the majority. And it is not just the exclusion, it’s the demonizing of that mostly silent majority. They are considered to be toothless morons because they disagree on issues of morality and economics.
Where will all this lead? I have no idea. I am cynical of people in general. Our younger generation was supposed to the most inclusive generation ever, yet we see by their reaction to the election that this inclusiveness and tolerance is nothing but a thin veneer. Underneath that thin veneer lies the ugliness that has haunted mankind from the beginning. They hate people they do not know or understand and would like to destroy them.
Outside of Jesus Christ, people, no matter what generation they belong to are as flawed as they have ever been. We live in a modern world surrounded by technology and comfort in the West. Yet we still hate as we have always hated We still divide along lines, does not really matter what the lines are, all that matters to the enemy of our souls is that we do divide and hate one another and seek to destroy one another. The utopian dreamers and liberal thinkers are just as full of hate for those they do not understand and with those with whom they disagree with.
As a young man growing up in poverty in a housing scheme in Scotland, I hated the middle class and the upper class. The region that I came from was known as the “Red Clyde.” The shipyards that dominated my town and many towns in Scotland were full of socialists and Communists. This was my heart as a young man. Come the revolution I would have manned the guillotine and gladly pulled the lever, over and over again. I longed for the revolution.
I finally got my revolution. I personally met the most radical revolutionary ever to walk the earth. I met Jesus. He upended everything I thought I knew. He invaded my very DNA. He took all of the hate and all of the jealousies and all of the insecurities I had and he dismantled them piece by piece often with me kicking and screaming. I learned not to judge ” groups,” but to encounter individuals. I encountered true love and the enormous power of it. I learned that it rested in truth, that truth and love were one and the same thing and If I could learn to speak the truth in love then I could become an agent of incredible change, one person at a time.
And so my appeal today is that we saints on earth be radical lovers who speak the truth without fear or favor, in love. If God so loved the world, and He did, that He sent His only Son to die for that World then we as saints must be radical lovers of every man and every woman no matter their background or how they perceive themselves. The greatest dividers are always those who seek power, no matter if they are wonderful orators or speak brutally and bluntly.
In this time of disunity and hatred and division, let the true lovers of all men and all women step forward as representatives and ambassadors of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Love people as you find them saints and speak the truth in love. The true revolt in men and women is the revolt against the schemes of the enemy. Let us be revolutionaries for the cause of Christ. No man or woman can fill the void that is in the hearts of those on the left or on the right, only in the radical center of God’s will is there wholeness and fullness of Joy as opposed to the schemes of men which is full of bitterness and division.
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Posted by appolus on November 8, 2016
The beauty of the forest
Hides the broken tree
The wonder of your Blood
Covers all of me
The glory of your love
Covers all my sin
It brings a wealth of healing
And beauty deep within
You heal the brokenhearted
And set the captive free
You allowed you’re broken Body
To hang broken on a tree
You’re love is all-consuming
You wipe away all tears
It follows and it leads me
Down through all the years
No matter where I run to
I always find you there
On the highest rugged mountaintop
Or in the valley of despair
You surround me with your beauty
And impenetrable light
You walk with me throughout the day
And every darkened night
Where could I flee from your presence
Over land or hill or sea?
The wonder of our mighty God
Is that He dwells inside of me
Thank-you for your glory
And sharing it with me
You came and touched this captive
And forever set me free
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 3, 2016
In these latter days people have exchanged the truth for a lie. To exchange something is a willful act. This is why it is so important that Jesus is the most important thing in our lives. We must prefer God above all things, even our own families and friends. This day is a day of separation.
The prophet once said ” choose ye this day whom you shall serve.” This certainly applies to the times in which we live. Before this is all over there will be no middle ground left to hide in, no shades of grey, only darkness or light, only the sinking sands of the world or the solid rock of Jesus. The times in which we live will expose whether the structure we present to the world has a foundation or whether the winds and the rains will simply sweep it away. God is coming back for a pure and spotless bride and the that bride will be made like the finest of gold by the refining fires of persecution. Who will stand in this evil day?
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Posted by appolus on November 3, 2016
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Daniel speaks of a time when the saints will be worn down. I believe the process of the saints being worn down has already begun. Times have been changed and wrong has become right and truth, at best, is relative. This is wearing the saints out as they struggle to come to terms with these fast changing circumstances. There has been a blitzkrieg so to speak in the realms of the spirit. Compromise and unrighteousness has surrounded the saints. We are an obstacle that at some point will have to be removed if the enemy is to have total dominance. More laws will be changed and we will witness more compromise by Christendom
These are the days where it is vital that we find our strength in Jesus. We must press into Him, we must abide under the shadow of the almighty. It is time to be unashamed of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Yes you will lose friends, even Christian friends. Co-workers and family will find you unacceptable as they are drawn ever deeper into the sea of compromise and corruption. But listen brothers and sisters, if we lose our saltiness, then what good are we? If we allow the light that is in us to become dim and we cover it, then what is our purpose on earth? If the light in the lighthouse is turned of then what good is the lighthouse, it would be a structure without a purpose and countless people would drown in the storm as they are crushed upon the rocks.
Let us continue to stand upon the solid Rock of Jesus. Let His Truth be the light that shines from our inward man to a dark and dying world. Do not be afraid brothers and sisters of the terrors of the night nor the arrows that fly by day. For we shall call upon the Lord and He will answer us. We shall be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus for the Lord is our hiding place, we continually abide in Him and in Him there is no darkness. Let your light so shine before men and be fierce advocates of the Truth no matter what……bro Frank
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Posted by appolus on October 27, 2016
The most dramatic moments in my Christian walk have been when I discovered just how much sin was in my flesh. It has brought me low and trembling into His presence fully expecting and in many ways desiring punishment, and there, right in that place, finding grace. It has reduced me to a body wracked and sobbing. The realization of the depths of His love and forgiveness produced a flood of tears that lifted me up to the heights of His glory and majesty.
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Posted by appolus on October 14, 2016
I am lost in the silent depths
Of Your secret wonders
Like gazing at the universe
And the sky above that thunders
Who could plummet the depths
Of a peace beyond all measure
Who could even begin to count
What’s amassed in Your heavenly treasure
Who could soar the heavenly heights
Of the glory that’s all yours
Who could begin to guess the strength
Of your power that simply endures
I can plummet all of Your depths
And soar to the heavenly heights
I can walk by the strength of Your arm
That takes me through the darkest nights
Your heavenly treasures supply all my need
They simply never come to an end
There is peace and joy and boundless hope
From my Lord, my Master and my friend.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 14, 2016
This election proves that this country is under judgement. Terrible choice presented to the people but if you look closely, both these candidates with all their faults, are pretty representative of the population as a whole. People typically get the leaders they deserve. As for the saints, we must not be caught up in fray. Now, I don’t believe that means we do not speak the truth in love with boldness, we must speak the truth in love with boldness, it is our calling, we are a light in the darkness. We are the salt of the earth, it is through us that goodness and light prevail. Even as they turn on us, and they will with boldness, very soon, we must still be that light, that salt, that boldness and fearlessness for the cause of Christ. It is indeed by the Blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death that they overcome.
Now, I have written for years about hypocrisy. It is something that Jesus roundly condemned. The Pharisees were the only people who really caught it from Jesus, He did not hold back in his criticism of them. He completely ignores the Romans, not a single harsh word about them, but slams the Pharisees whom he refers to as hypocrites and white washed tombstones, meaning they looked good on the outside but He knew exactly what they were like on the inside.
The Romans were evil brutish people who for entertainment would roast people and crucify them and feed them to animals and do other things that were so horrendous you could not write about them. But they were what they were, they did not pretend to be anything other than what they were. The Pharisees on the other hand were ” actors,” which is the Greek word for hypocrite. What they said in public was not what they said or did behind closed doors. And so, I have always reserved my criticism for hypocrisy.
I lost quite a few friends for severely criticising George Bush, the golden boy of the Evangelicals. Yet, his actions spoke louder than any words. Now this election cycle my focus has been on the actor, the one who says one thing publicly but in private is a completely different person. So let me say this loud and clear, Hilary Clinton is a clear and present danger to born again Christians. Not religious people who call themselves Christians, but actual Christians.
She and her supporters will come after anyone whom she considers to be deplorable. Now, one of her tests for being deplorable is how someone views homosexuality. If you view it to be a sin, then , in her and her supporters eyes you are a homophobic and deplorable and irredeemable. Now, the meaning of that word is ” beyond all hope.” I want Christians to know that the stage is being set for persecution. Within eight years of a Hilary administration, it will be illegal to speak to the issue I just mentioned in public. It will be a litmus test for every pastor and church in the land. Now, the answer to that is not Donald Trump, it is Jesus Christ.
There are no answers for the saints in Washington DC. Persecution is coming and saints, it will be your friends and family that will be doing the persecution. Yet this is exactly how the Scriptures says it would happen in the great falling away. So, our hope is in Jesus and we shall stand strong in Him and even if the whole world turns against us we shall not be moved. Be encouraged saints, greater is the Spirit within you, than the spirit that is in the world.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 19 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 9, 2016
Christ is real no matter our circumstances and the reason we have seeker-friendly watered down Gospel is because people have been taught by ear tickling men. Christ dying on the cross is doom and gloom to those who are perishing but glory and victory to those who are not. Paul speaking out from his dungeon words of faithfulness is glory and majesty but the fearful can only see the dungeon. Stephen glorifying God as the stones rain down is glory and majesty but to the fearful is a terror because their eyes are not on the eternal glory of the Living God and His children but on the temporary temporal things of this world. In Christ there is no fear, He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. So, to those outside of the Spirit , doom and gloom, to those who walk according to the Spirit glory and majesty. Only God Himself can give us these eyes that can see the glory in the very midst of suffering for His name sake.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 5 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 