Thank you for inexhaustible fountains
That flow down from the highest mountains
Higher still and then again
We find the source of the falling rain
Living waters whose source is the King
By their refreshing we hear angels sing
Sing to the Lord for He has done excellent things
Cry out ye saints for He is greatly to be praised
Deep in unfathomable mines there is treasure
And at His right hand forevermore there is pleasure
Refreshed by the waters that flow down on me
They carry me onward towards an eternal sea
We shall draw water from the wells of salvation
Upon the Rock we shall stand, our eternal foundation
We shall raise our sails high and be carried along
By the breath of the Spirit and a heavenly song.
Archive for the ‘manifest presence’ Category
Inexhaustible fountains.
Posted by appolus on May 17, 2023
Posted in Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, poetry, spiritual poetry, 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, theology, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
I am persuaded.
Posted by appolus on April 11, 2023
My father died on the 21st of March and I went back to Scotland for the funeral. Below is a a part of his eulogy that I gave.
A portion of my fathers eulogy………. (picture I took that morning)
On the morning of my fathers funeral I got up early and walked along the shore. In a country where it could easily have been pouring down with rain, it was cloudless. The sun rose in the sky and the air was sharp and clear. I sensed the presence of the Lord and a word came to my spirit, so tender, and so beautiful and it spoke to me. This was to be the opening of my eulogy…………………
I am persuaded this morning of the blessed hope in Christ my Lord. Just as surely as the river keeps running and the hills and the mountains stand guard over the valley, my hope in Jesus is even more sure than that. I am persuaded that just as the sun rose gloriously this morning, my father has been gloriously raised again into eternal life by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. I am persuaded that………………….God is in this place. I am persuaded that God loves each person in this room and desires to know each of you personally.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us……….Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?………..For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's voice, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, 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 | 7 Comments »
Absalom- and the remnant saints leaving the church.
Posted by appolus on March 14, 2023
Over many many years Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel. You see, Absalom wanted what his father had. He wanted the exalted place among the people. He would rise up early and stand beside the gate and those who came looking for the king, he intercepted them and spoke to them. They were not his people, they were his fathers people but Absalom, falling foul to that most ancient of sins that caused Lucifer to fall down from the heavens, desired to have what was not his to have. And so he wooed the hearts of the people away from their King.
Is that not the very essence of religion? There is one mediator between man and God and His name is Jesus. How many men and religious institutions have sought to replace Jesus over all the centuries? One pretender after another, rising early in the morning, slowly and deceptively seeking to displace God and stealing the hearts of the people away from their rightful King. And all the worse is the fact that so many of these men and institutions knew something of the mercy of God, had been blessed in many ways by His goodness and His forgiveness. They had been touched by His love and by His word which only serves to make their deception and their desire to have what He alone has all the more treacherous.
And so finally David hears of this rebellion against him. Oh what a dagger must have penetrated his heart, to know that his very own had turned on him. One that he loved and had forgiven and had showed mercy too, and he repaid all of that with hatred and animosity and a heart bent on taking what was not his. It is hard to imagine the anguish of David, now no longer a young man, having suffered so much in his life and so much of it undeserved, now as an older man, having to flee from everything that had been his. The city of David, the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant would all be left behind and he and a remnant few would flee the jealous forces that were arraigned against him. They would flee into the wilderness.
Today there is a remnant few who have fled into the wilderness. They have left the city behind with all of its religious trappings. No walls, no tabernacle, no ark of the covenant. Stripped of all the religious trappings, they have something that David had. He had the presence of God with Him. Not that which represents the presence, but the actual presence of God. While religious men hung onto the trappings and rituals and icons, for that is all they have, David goes into the wilderness, the remnant go into the wilderness with God Himself. And as he ascended Gods holy hill he wept, he and the people with him wept. With tears the seed is sown brothers and sisters, tears of sorrow for what has become of something that should have been so beautiful and brought glory to God, but has been so thoroughly corrupted by men who desire to steal the glory of God and steal the hearts of the people.
Do not despair in the wilderness brothers and sisters. In God we have peace no matter what men think about us. In God we can rejoice despite the fact that the forces of Absalom are arrayed against the remnant few. Listen to some of the things that David says in this time and be comforted…… Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice…… because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee……….I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches……….From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I……………………. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
There is an inevitable end to the forces of Absalom, those who would attempt steal the glory of God and from His King. David speaks to this very thing and to those very forces in psalm 63……But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. Glory to God saints! Is the end we shall come out of the wilderness by the power of God. The soul that weeps, the soul that thirsts after God in the wilderness shall find joy and inexhaustible waters of life even in the driest deserts and when He comes again into His rightful place then all of God saints will rise up and cry Holy.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Eschatology - Study of the 'End Times', False Prophet, False Prophets, false teachers, Jesus, leaving the church, manifest presence, revival, 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, theology | 3 Comments »
You are God forever!
Posted by appolus on February 19, 2023
Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
There is a name which is above every other name, that name is Jesus. He is the brightness of God the Father and His express image. He upholds all things and He purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty. His name is exalted above all others. Its at the name and in the power of Jesus that the worlds came into being. The stars shine in the heavens above and the sun burns with such intensity by the hand of the Lord Jesus. He is so high and lifted up that even a single tear from the Masters eye causes the oceans to blush. The sun is a mere flickering candle in the brightness of His glory. He holds the whole universe in the palm of His hand and by His power alone it is all held together. He is begotten of the Father and the Son of the most High. The angels all bow down and cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty.
Lord Jesus, you laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hand. Hide your face and the whole world is troubled, hold your breath and we crumble and die, look away and the world falls to pieces, we exalt you oh Lord on high. Everything that exists shall be rolled up and burned up in that day, but You Oh Lord remain forever. You are eternal, Your Word is eternal and you have invited us into the eternal Kingdom of our God. Tears of joy and wholeness rise in me, water from the saints that are deeper than the deepest sea. Only in this place of eternity do I truly belong, where the saints all gather around the throne and sing a glorious song. As far as the eye can see, like wheat gently blowing as one in the wind, you are surrounded by millions upon millions of those who had formerly sinned. Redeemed by Your glory and Majesty, redeemed by the Blood that you shed, we should have dwelt forever in the depths of darkness, but here we are before You instead. We shall sing of Your glory forever, and forever and forever and a day. And here where Your glory fills the temple, is the place we shall eternally stay.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, Jesus, manifest presence, revival, spiritual poetry, 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, theology | 2 Comments »
He is far above all things.
Posted by appolus on December 15, 2022
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Jesus, that name which is above every name. There is no other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved. It’s at the name of Jesus that ever knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He is above all principalities and power, and might and dominion and every name that is named not just in this world but in the world to come. It is the Father of glory, The Lord’s Father, our Father,who bestows upon us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him that the eyes of our understanding might be enlightened. That you may know what is the hope of His calling and what is the riches of His glory as His inheritance to us the saints. His exceedingly great power is directed to us who believe. We are rich in His mercy. We are rich in His grace. We who trust in Him move in His wisdom. We are awash in the treasures of heaven, given and dispensed to us in measure by the Holy Spirit.
All of these things were written to people who were exceedingly poor by the measurements of the world. This was not Corinth. These saints were not wealthy in any measurable way, yet they were living the abundant life in Christ. They had life, and they had it in abundance. They were not living their best lives now as we have come to understand that phrase. Yet they were living richly in Christ Jesus and in His fullness whereby He fills those who love Him and trust Him. They had heavenly treasures in earthly vessels. For the God, who had commanded the light to shine out of darkness, had shone it in their hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And this is what they indeed had. They were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise and He was their guarantor. He guaranteed the redemption of the purchased possession. Eternal life has been purchased for you and for me, and for those of us who trust in the Lord our God we have all of those same promises and treasures. You may not have the wealth of this world, but you have the treasures of heaven.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, manifest presence, revival, spiritual growth, 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, theology | 2 Comments »
I am known by You
Posted by appolus on October 22, 2022
To be known by you sets my troubled heart at ease It lifts me high above the waves, above the stormy seas To be known by you fills me with such great desire It overflows my flooded heart and puts out every fire To be known by you means that I have been redeemed Delivered from the guilt and shame and every voice that screamed To be known by you puts a sword into my hand To be lifted up from the battle-field that I once more might stand To be known by you sets all my enemies to flight And with the Word of God helps me navigate the night To be known by you it is manna to my soul For that which once was broken, you have now made whole To be known by you will hold me in that hour When all the world is crumbling, I'll be standing in your power This I know in the depths of my heart to be true That I am overwhelmed that I am known by you.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, Fresh Fire, gifts of the spirit, God's love, God's voice, healing ministry, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
What is Godliness?
Posted by appolus on September 5, 2022
I would like to discuss a word that is not used very often. It is the word Godliness. It is rather a mysterious word really. What is Godliness? Are you Godly? Who decides? Can it be measured or quantified? In 2 Pet 1:3 we see that the Divine power of Jesus has given us all things that “pertain” to life and Godliness through the knowledge of Him. Now, that word pertain means to bring us close to, or nearness to. And so we could say that the power of God, through knowing Him in an intimate way, directs us to life and this thing called Godliness. It is the tightest and most succinct three words in all of Scripture that alludes to our calling, “life and Godliness.” No life, no Godliness, one must be born again in order to have the life that will enable Godliness.
I would argue that Godliness is an awareness of God in our everyday life. A constant awareness of God. Now this is not to be confused with the manifest presence of God. The manifest presence of God is the awareness of Gods actual presence. It is always dramatic, no matter how it comes. The manifest presence of God cannot be conjured up. No one controls God. It is not normative in the Christian life but it is vital that we have “encountered God,” at some point or many points along the way. Yet Godliness can be pursued. We are told in 1 Tim 4:7 that we have to train ourselves in the way of Godliness. It is up to us to constantly bring to mind the things of God in our daily lives. The Godly man has an attitude towards God that forms the core of who he is and it can be visibly seen in every aspect of his life.
We see in 2 Pet 1:5-9 that in the pursuit of a Godly life we must be diligent to add to our trust in God, excellence in everything we do for His name sake. We must be just men and women. And to that we must exercise the knowledge that we have been given and have experienced through God. We must exercise patience in everything that we do and continue on no matter what comes our way. We are those who persevere through trial and flood. Out of that comes our Godliness. We are exercised in the ways of God. His honor and His glory will be the most important thing in our lives and when we walk in this fashion then we shall be known for our love for one another. If we walk in the awareness of God then we shall never be barren, indeed we shall be fruitful all the days of our lives no matter the circumstances. In fact the circumstances will only prove the genuineness of our Godliness.
Those who walk in the awareness of God do so out of devotion to Him. What do we mean by that? We all know someone or maybe many people who are devoted to their wives or husbands. We hear the phrase “he is so devoted to his wife.” It carries all the more weight when the wife is bedridden or dying. The husband in this case spends every waking hour attending to her needs. Even although he himself maybe very tired, no matter, he is bound and determined to serve his wife to the best of his abilities with everything he has. Brothers and sisters, this is Godliness. Are you bound and determined to serve God with a love and devotion greater than we could ever have for another human being? Is He at the center of all of your thoughts? Are you constantly aware of His presence in your life day by day, hour by hour? This is Godliness and out of of this Godliness, this devotion, flows rivers of life. You must train yourself in these matters brothers and sisters. It takes diligence and a dogged desire to walk with God.
Walking with God is our daily life. Its our interactions with everyone we come into contact with. Its our first thoughts in the morning. Its our drive to work, its our grocery shopping. It is our lunch with a friend. It is everything and when He is everything to us, and in everything that we do, then we know that we are truly “walking with Jesus.” There is a great power that comes from this walk called Godliness. The power to love, the power to forgive, the power to never take up the offense. This is no mere fantasy brothers and sisters, this is our calling. When we desire to live in Godliness then everything that is in our lives that is not Godly has to go. I think this is why so few of us walk in Godliness. Godliness is to continually pray if you like. A constant awareness of His nearness that will transform your life. It is not for the lazy Christian. You wont get it by going forward in a service. No charlatan will lay his hands on you and suddenly you are Godly. No, it belongs to the diligent, the genuine devotee of God, and it will show. You cannot measure it yourself, it is something that is seen in you by others. Yet brothers and sisters, when you walk in Godliness you will realize the goal of “being anxious for nothing.” The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will rest upon your life.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, God's voice, manifest presence, revival, spiritual growth, 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, theology | 9 Comments »
Surely He has borne our griefs?
Posted by appolus on August 25, 2022
Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
This is a rhetorical question by the prophet. It is an astonishment that when the Savior comes He shall be rejected. He shall be treated worse than any man. In fact, He shall be so marred as to be almost unrecognizable as a man. He was a tender plant that sprung up, but He sprung up as a root out of the dry ground. He was despised and rejected by His own. His walk would tread the path of sorrows and He would become very familiar with grief. Indeed, He would bear our griefs and carry all our sorrows. Can you imagine the weight of all the sorrows of the world? They would lay stripes upon Him, our stripes. They would wound Him, our wounds. He would be humiliated, our humiliation. They would put nails in His hands and feet and a crown of thorns upon His head, they all belonged to us. And in a cry that echoed throughout all of eternity He would cry out “My God, My God, why has thous forsaken me.” That is our cry, that should have been our absolute despair, yet, He bore it all for us.
The greater astonishment is that after two thousand years He is still rejected today. He was led like a Lamb to the slaughter and this world today would slaughter Him still. And yet even now He loves the world. He calls out to them. To those who would slap Him and mock Him and pull out His hair and spit in His face, He still says “come unto Me.” What love is this? If there is no greater love in the world that a man would lay down his life for his friend, and there is not, then what does laying down your life for an enemy mean? Are you not astonished? Should not the mouths of Kings be stopped as they stagger at this revelation? God the Father sacrificed His only Son so that we might live. Has it even entered into the hearts of man what awaits those who have rejected this sacrifice? If the Son of God Himself cried out from the cross in despair, what shall mere man do in that day as he stands before the magnificence of God? Who will believe this report while there is yet light?
Posted in Babylon, bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, Jesus, manifest presence, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
A word in season to the weary.
Posted by appolus on August 18, 2022
Isa 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.
In Daniel 7:25 it says “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.” We are living in a time when the laws are being changed. The natural laws handed down to us by God Himself are being changed by folks who speak great swelling words. Their rebellion is almost complete. The foundations are being destroyed, what shall the righteous do? The battle lines are being drawn by the prince of the power of the air, of this I have no doubt. The saints are wearied and are being worn out by an deluge of wickedness, and still the flood comes. Daniel says that we shall be given into his hand “until a time and times and the dividing of times.” Rev 13:7 says “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
And so, a word to the weary and the worn out saints. Yes a mighty flood of evil has engulfed the world, but our Lord says in His Word that when the enemy comes in like a flood, He shall raise up a standard. He has prepared a highway of Holiness that leads through fire and flood. He has given us a tongue. A word of knowledge, a word of wisdom, a heavenly word that only the Spirit can discern. A word of encouragement. God Himself has given a learned tongue, touched by the Blood of the Lamb and coals of refining fire. Those who oppose you will increase as you continue to stand unmoved by the cultural winds that are beginning to blow with hurricane force. But you will not fall because trial and tribulation and temptations have been your lot for many years now, and your roots have went down deep into the waters of life. You have seen how God has been faithful to you through every situation and because of that your own faith has increased; to God be the glory.
Truth has consumed you and transformed you and you are a lover of it and no power that exists will wrestle it away from you. And of course the Word of God is your delight. It is the foundation upon which you stand. It allows you to stand, unmovable. It is a lamp unto your feet in the ever-increasing darkness of this world and it lights up the narrow path ahead. Stand fast brothers and sisters, the gates of hell shall not prevail against those who stand. He shall awaken you morning by morning. He is the stillness of your soul and He touches every part of your longing heart. He is in every tear that falls and in the billowing waves He hears you call. He shall be your quiet peace as the sun rises in the morning and your calm assurance in the night. He will be your laughter in the rain and your endurance through the pain. In the silence and in the noise you shall hear His still small voice and in this my brothers and sisters you shall rejoice. He rises up like the sun above the mountains, and He will refresh you from His inexhaustible fountains.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Church history, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Eschatology - Study of the 'End Times', gifts of the spirit, God's love, Jesus, manifest presence, poetry, 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, the state of the church, theology | 9 Comments »
A continuing conversation about the church-and the great rebellion.
Posted by appolus on June 9, 2022
Posted in Babylon, bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, church mafia, consequences of sin, Counterfeit Jesus, Daily devotional, Devotions, discernment, False Doctrine, false teachers, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, praise, praise and worship, pulpit pimps, 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, theology | Leave a Comment »
Does the fire yet burn?
Posted by appolus on March 27, 2022
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Power brothers and sisters. Power, primarily, to be a witness! So much has been written about the Holy Spirit. So much has been spoken of about the sign gifts. So much has been counterfeited by sheer emotion and even the enemy himself. What are the signs that a man or a woman are Baptized in the Holy Spirit? Is it tongues? Is it being an apostle, a prophet, a worker of miracles? …Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.(1Co 12:29-31)
All of these gifts are from the Holy Spirit indeed, yet the primary identification of one baptized in the Holy Spirit is your witness. It is the life that you lead. A life that clearly identifies with Jesus. It is the words that you speak, the Word of God that does not return void. It is your un-ashamedness. Are you ashamed of God before men? Are we too afraid to share the gospel with others? This is a sure sign that we are either not baptized in the Holy Spirit or that we thought, somehow, that is was a onetime thing and that there was no requirements to be “full,” of the Holy Spirit. We must abide in Christ and in His word. We must walk closely with the Lord, seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness that we may be partakers of His righteousness and His holiness. And we also are called to be disciples.
On the road to Emmaus Jesus walked with two disciples. And when that walk was over, they later marveled “did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” The fellowship of the burning heart. Brothers and sisters, those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit will have such a fellowship. Their hearts will burn within them as the Holy Spirit opens up to them the Scriptures just as Jesus did with these two men. The Greek word for heart is Kardia, it means “the effective center of our being.” If Jesus is the effective center of our being then there shall be a fire at the very heart of who we are. Does the fire burn brothers and sisters? Without the wind of the Spirit there is but a smoldering ember. With the Spirit there is a raging fire that burns. It is this passion of all things Christ, that creates in us the light of the Gospel of the Kingdom and this light shines into the darkness.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, gifts of the spirit, Jesus, manifest presence, revival, signs and wonders, spiritual gifts, 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, theology | 1 Comment »
Why so downcast?
Posted by appolus on February 20, 2022
Psa 42:5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Many know the depths of despair. Many have been touched by a creeping darkness that threatens to overwhelm your soul and pull you downward. On such an occasion in my life the Lord spoke directly into the darkness and pierced it with this Scripture. He asked me a rhetorical question “why so downcast Frank, put your hope in me for you will yet praise me.” It struck me to my core. My tears had been my food day and night and my soul longed to be away from that place. And there, in a moment of time, My Lord came to me in the depths of my soul and lifted up the head that hung low. He dried my tears and I was like the deer that had panted for the water brooks and found it and found therein the waters of life that revived my soul.
If the waves and the billows of the deep are washing over you, know this brothers and sisters, they shall not drown you. You shall cry out to the Lord your God in the days of your distress and He will command His lovingkindness to envelope you through the day and in the night His song will keep you as you sleep. Many will say in the depths of your distress “where is her God now, where is his God when he needs Him.”And the answer that they will not be able to see is that He is in the very depths of your heart, keeping you and holding your head above the waters as you go through them. When they take their eyes off your situation and look upon your face, they will see the peace of our Lord. For out of the heart that belongs to God, shines the beauty of holiness that overcomes the darkness.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, manifest presence, revival, 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, theology | 1 Comment »
Come before His throne.
Posted by appolus on February 1, 2022
Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
The reason that we do not have more repentance is that we repent for what we do instead of what we are. Remember, repentance for what you do goes down deep, but repentance for what you are goes deeper ( Tozer) The presence of God, the manifest presence of God is a two-edged sword. In the incalculable light of God our Father, that reflects from the face of Christ our Lord, we see first ourselves and then we see God. We understand just how far removed from the perfection of our creator we are in the light of His glory and grace. We understand all the more the nature of our humanity and it stays with us. David’s eyes were opened by the prophet of God and he is horrified. He understands the depths and the nature of his crimes, yet his heart cry before God is the realization of where those crimes originated from. He knows well, in the light of God, that God requires truth in the inward parts, where the sin originates.
This is why Tozer is saying that repentance for what you are goes deeper than repentance for what you did. Both are required, one is seldom sought. The Catholic goes to confession ever week and confesses the same sin over and over again yet the heart remains the same. Many evangelicals do the same, just in a different format and typically alone. The real work in the heart of a man and a woman lies in the depths of their hearts. Only by coming into the presence of God, before the throne, a way made for us by Jesus Himself, can we ever truly be changed to the depths of our hearts. David acknowledges his transgressions and then says that his sin (singular, meaning the sin nature) is ever before him. If we would diminish the power of the sin nature, we would use the gift of reconciliation, given to us by Jesus and come before the throne in true and deep repentance. We can never leave that place unchanged. He waits for you.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, church, Church history, churches, consequences of sin, Daily devotional, Devotions, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, 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, theology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Blow the Trumpet.
Posted by appolus on August 11, 2021
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm. God’s judgment is unfolding. The sense of sacredness, the manifest presence of God is so elusive today. In part it is because the locusts of Joel have eaten everything, so to speak. And in their wake there is a devastating famine. I would argue that the locusts have done their work. And here we stand starving to death. Add a drought to the famine and its a double calamity. Most of Christendom cannot repent because they are still blind to what ails them, this also is part of the judgment. For water one must now dig down very deep. And for food one must wander far from the reservation so to speak. Famine scatters people much like persecution.
The darkness Joel is talking about is spiritual and it is literal. There was actually locusts devouring everything. How terrifying to stand and watch everything you have, everything that you need to survive, being devoured before your very eyes. The clouds of locusts blackened out the sun in the midday. In our own day, the days are darkened by the smoke from wildfires. Year after year the fires continue, they grow larger and they darken the land and pollute the air. The sun is turned to darkness and the moon to blood as we watch on helplessly.
Go into your average church this coming Sunday. Where is the sacredness in their midst? Where is their sense of His holiness that causes the people to only speak in whispers, even if they dare to do that? Are holy trembling hands raised to heaven in the glory? Are our heads bowed low by the weight of His presence? Has the locusts devoured everything and left us with nothing? I am afraid that is the truth. We cannot hold a solemn assembly to ward of the disaster, the disaster has already befallen us. All that is left for us to do now is to rend our hearts and not our garments. We must return to the Lord our God with weeping and with fasting and mourning.
This word, of course is to His remnant. The great falling away has completed its task. This thing called Christendom, with all of its garments, its buildings and its programs and its careers now stand barren in the strange noonday darkness. They stand emaciated under a blood red moon. The darkness only grows darker and the hearts are destined to grow more faint until the people will writhe in pain and all the color drains away from their faces. Yet for those who will rend their hearts and seek the Lord their God with all of their hearts, they will find Him, for His own namesake.
The locusts may have devoured the spiritual land but like a refiners fire it has done its work and will do its work. It identifies and marks out those who seek Him with their whole hearts. Whether from the early morning or from late in the day, no matter, the Lord’s hand is open and He is well able to heal that which He has wounded. He will rain down the latter rains of His Spirit upon them. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord with their whole hearts He will hear from heaven. He will pour out His Spirit upon them in a dry and thirsty land. “There shall be a deliverance as the Lord has said among the remnant whom the Lord calls.”
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Let us sow Righteousness.
Posted by appolus on August 4, 2021
Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
There is a time and a season for breaking up the fallow ground. There is a time to sow seeds into that ground and there is a time to look to the skies in anticipation of the rain. I would argue that for the saint that time is every day, this is our lives and the life that we have committed to. Yet, there are also particular seasons. And there is the end of ages. It is time, while there is still time left, to seek the Lord with our whole hearts. Christendom, the Lord is calling to you, He is whispering to your heart that the time is short. Just as the planting season can be short, the sands of time are running out and so the window of opportunity is closing. Seek the Lord while He may be found. While it is yet day.
In order for us to sow righteousness we must first seek it, daily. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Live in the paradox of having found yet continuing to seek. And in doing so the seed comes forth and is planted into the broken up ground, the ground that the Lord Himself has plowed. And in this we reap a harvest of mercy and grace upon our lives. Let it rain Lord God, let your rain pour down upon those who panteth for your presence. Who seek not the blessing but the Blesser, who seek not the sanctification but the Sanctifier. Let the rain of your righteousness soak us to our very core and water the seed that comes forth only from you. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, church, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, God's love, Jesus, manifest presence, 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, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Slowly starving in the silence
Posted by appolus on April 29, 2021
As Jesus faced down Satan in the desert he told that old liar that “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Every word brothers and sisters that proceeds forth from the mouth of God. Man needs bread to live, he has to eat otherwise he will slowly starve to death. What a ghastly sight it is to see someone in the latter stages of starvation. They lose all of their characteristics and begin to resemble one another as they waste away and gauntness takes over. As we sit in our pews week after week, no one dares disturb the sound of silence.
Despite the richness of our gifts and our callings, despite our ability to give and receive words of knowledge, to hear heavenly songs sung in a heavenly language, to hear prophecy’s and exhortations that can speak directly into the heart of what we are going through in the moment, we dare not disturb this established silence.Have we made a neon god? Do we sit in pews and worship a god of our own making? A god that has to dim the lights and break out the ice making machine to create an “atmosphere,” that was long ago lost to slick professional worship teams and men with programs.Listen brothers and sisters, if entertainment brought them in, only entertainment will keep them. Yet how long before they grow weary of the entertainment? Where do they go after the dimmed lights and the religious concerts fail to move them and the smoke dissipates?
If we could see with spiritual eyes as we sat in our pews and looked around, would we see well fed people living on the fat of a land flowing with milk and honey, living abundantly in the life of Christ, edified and well fed? Or rather would we see a people gaunt with hunger, starving for the Spiritual edification that the Lord Himself provided for us. He promised us that He would not leave us as orphans but send the Holy Spirit to lead and to guide us. What happens when the Holy Spirit is silenced and men have decided that they know best?
Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Is this what we have done brothers and sisters? No longer can we have the Lord speak to us how He pleases in the midst of the congregation. We have rejected these gifts so that the traditions of men may be kept and we now must not disturb the sound of silence, that silence being the words and the wisdom of man. And in the midst of that darkness we sit, only ever wondering what the power of God truly looks like, and the smoke slowly drifts away.
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He who walks upon the sea of tears.
Posted by appolus on April 18, 2021
A poem for all the people who grew up in less than perfect households . He who walks upon the sea of tears. I am fragile I can be broken Broken by the words spoken Can't you see your words are clawing me apart? Can't you see how you're crushing my heart? How my heart longed to hear warm words spoken To be warm and whole and not to be broken Why didn't you just reach out and touch me? And cover me and hold me in love. The broken child in you Now breaks the child that you can see Two broken children collide Only wanting to be free I am fragile I can be broken Broken by the words left unspoken And this brokenness is now a void in me That is deeper and wider than the deepest sea What can fix a broken heart? And fill this vast expanse in me What can fill an endless void? That's deeper than the deepest sea So many tears, enough to fill an ocean Shed by all the children, broken A Saviour comes and walks upon this sea of tears He calms the stormy sea and quells the fears I have come to mend the broken heart To heal the wounds where you were torn apart I have come to set the captive free To dry up every tear that fills the deepest sea I hold the universe in the palm of my hand I cause the blind to see and the lame to stand And all the stars in the heavens, I know them all by name And I will touch you and you shall never be the same The words I speak they are life and they are love I know every sparrow that falls from above I created the sun and the moon and the pouring rain I still the stormy seas and I take away the pain Come and bring your emptiness to me And I will fill you with a love that's deeper than the sea Come all you that are broken and contrite And I will heal you and set you free this night And so I came and took my Saviour's hand Out of the pit on the solid Rock I stand A broken heart replaced and reconciled Standing whole and new, I am my Father's child And every word spoken, they are life to me Your love and Your kindness, they have set me free And by thy Spirit my eternity is sealed And by thy love my broken heart was healed.
Posted in Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church, church of scotland, Devotions, God's love, God's voice, healing ministry, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, new wineskins, pentecostal, poetry, religious, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, Spirituality, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
That Still, Small Voice.
Posted by appolus on April 18, 2021
There is a voice that penetrates the veil, that pierces the darkness of my flesh and my mind. It is amazing how something so still and so gentle, can be heard above all the noise. In a storm it is almost impossible to hear anything, as the mind is tossed by wave after wave of thoughts that comes crashing down. Then suddenly through it all, through the darkness of the storm, comes a piercing shaft of light that illuminates a treacherous sea. Life and light has penetrated darkness and death. The still small voice of God almighty says “peace be still,” and the wind ceases and suddenly there is great calm. Thank you Father for that still, small voice that rescues me.
Posted in Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, churches, God's love, God's voice, inspirational, intimacy, manifest presence, new wineskins, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, The Psalms, the remnant, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
The long narrow path home.
Posted by appolus on April 9, 2021
We hear a lot about the glory of God and encountering God. I have written much about it over the years and it has radically transformed me. His manifest presence is overwhelmingly glorious and jarring, and powerfully transformative. No one can encounter God in such a manner and not be fundamentally changed. If you are not changed, you did not encounter God. Every saint must encounter God and His manifest presence.
Yet, in the span of this life and by the way we measure our lives, these encounters make up a very small part of our time on the narrow walk home. They are vital, but they are like landmarks along the way. The vast majority of our time as saints is spent in the wilderness, the deserts, the high mountain plains. We journey through trials and tribulations. We spend seasons in silence. We have many times when we cry out to God. We pass through doubts and fears and deep flooded valleys.
I watched a documentary once about the Pacific Crest trail. It runs for 2640 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington State. One of the hardest and most arduous parts of the trail is right at the beginning where hundreds of miles of desert have to be traversed. You will be hungry, thirsty and very cold at night and then suffer the heat of a blazing desert sun through the day.
When you eventually come out of that terrain, you will hit the mountains. The hikers stated that if they had not been conditioned by the harsh desert hike, they would never have had the stamina to make it up and over the mountain passes. Can you see how that works brothers and sisters? Without the great spiritual trials of our lives we would not be conditioned to make it up into the mountains and over them.
In a show called “Running with Bear Grylls,” the host takes celebrities on two day hikes through very difficult situations. On one of the shows they were in Norway, a very cold and rainy country, not unlike my home country of Scotland. He wanted to show his guest an exercise they do in special ops training. He made him create a burning ember on some bark from a tree. He then had to enter a freezing lake up to his neck and tread water for several minutes with this burning ember held aloft.
Now this is a test of endurance. The fight is against the body which is beginning to shut down. The burning embers will be his salvation when he gets out of the freezing water. When he gets out, he needs to have the wherewithal to take that burning ember and make a fire. After he makes the fire he has to get his compass out and set his bearings so that he knows which way to go when he is warmed back to life.
All of this is to test the ability to continue to think when all around you is in chaos, when your mind and body are in full rebellion against the circumstances that it finds itself in. Saints, we are regularly tested like this. I put it to you that the ember that is held aloft is the burning Holy Spirit and the Word of God. No matter what, it has to be held aloft. The compass is the same. No matter what the circumstances are we have to be able to set our compasses and know which way to go, the compass is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
And then, all of a sudden, we encounter the Living God again. It can be on the mountain top, but it is just as likely to be in the depths of the valley. The Mountain will manifest itself in the valley. Suddenly the Sun rises in the depths of the darkness and warms our cold hearts. Suddenly I know He is there. Suddenly I feel strength coming back into tired and worn out limbs. My waiting has not been in vain. Like a long lost lover, He returns. The one for whom my heart ached for is there.
And for some glorious moments I am revived in every part of who I am. The journey which I thought I could not complete suddenly becomes possible again, all things are possible when my Lord visits me. And from that place I take the lingering embers of His presence and they are life to me. The Word of God is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, the long narrow path home. And I keep going, knowing that there will come again this oasis of His glory. Again and again, until I am home. Keep going saints. I love my fellow sojourners.
Posted in Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, new wineskins, pentecostal, spiritual growth, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »
From the valley to the glory.
Posted by appolus on April 8, 2021
How many times can a heart be broken How many tears have to fall How many times do I have to forgive Or perhaps not forgive at all When my steps grow tired and weary And my sleep has vanished in the night How can I go on living day by day And not simply give up the fight Where can I find the strength to go on When it seems I have lost my way How can I lift my head from the pillow Even if it’s for just for one more day Then all of a sudden I know He is here My waiting has not been in vain He comes to me through the fire and the flood Through the heartache and through the pain And suddenly I have the strength to carry on I rise up on the wings of His love Who knew I would rise o'r this valley of death And find myself far far above. I soar on the glorious splendor of Love On the wings of the eagle I fly I feast on the banquet He prepares for me As I revel in the endless sky There is a place where the setting Son Merges sky and endless sea, A place where different worlds collide A place where you and I are free. In God alone we find this place, Where everything else is stripped away And there I look into your face Where endless sky meets ocean spray Will you sail beyond horizons In endless seas of blue Will you fly in boundless skies above You can as long as you are true.
Posted in Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, gifts of the spirit, God's voice, healing, healing ministry, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, new wineskins, pentecostal, poetry, praise and worship, spiritual poetry, Spirituality, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 