Modern day Christianity has lost its way, has lost its focus. The central truths upon which we have stood for two thousand years has been lost in a fog of noise and distraction and in the rise of humanism and the flesh. Never before, in the history of the Western world have we seen such an indulgent , entitlement-minded people. And since a great majority of the Christendom is just like the world, then we see an indulgent, entitlement-minded church.These people have produced preachers and teachers that will tell them what they want to hear. It is often hard to tell the difference between a motivational speaker and a preacher. Instead of teaching and preaching based upon the central truths of Christianity, there is preaching and teaching on how to get the most out of life. They teach that God would never call you to something that you do not like. Can you imagine your kids telling you that they are not going to do their chores that you have set for them because it does not bring them pleasure? Would you indulge your kids in this behavior? Or would you take the time to explain to them about building character, about sacrifice and about servant-hood? Are these three elements some of the things that are missing from the church? It’s strange that Christendom would condemn the “If it feels good, do it,” generation yet at the same time teach this from their own pulpits.
Archive for the ‘pentecostal’ Category
Christendom has lost its way
Posted by appolus on June 16, 2014
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 5 Comments »
What is absolute surrender?
Posted by appolus on June 13, 2014
The short post below is my reply to a sister in Christ who asked ” What does absolute surrender look like?” I thought it worthy of a post since it is such a great question……bro Frank
I believe absolute surrender comes at genuine salvation. It is a hearts attitude that says to God ” I give you my life, my whole life, holding nothing back.” I then believe that sanctification is a process whereby God takes what has been freely given to Him. We are not now our own, we have been bought by a price, the blood of Jesus. The more we give to God, the more we live out that surrender actually. The more we empty ourselves of the things of this world and the flesh, the more the world will see Jesus. We must decrease and He must increase. Yet, the work is all the Lord’s and He gets all the glory. He does this work for his will and good pleasure. He heals, He restores He replaces the things that the locusts have devoured, He refines. He, through the Holy Spirit sanctifies, we surrender. So, ultimately surrender is a response to God. How we respond determines how we live and how we glorify God, which is our chief end in this life.
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 | Tagged: absolute surrender | 1 Comment »
The fear of God-The Glory of God
Posted by appolus on June 8, 2014
God is never to be trifled with. We must indeed fear God in this context. He is not my buddy nor my pal although He has called me friend. This should only make us reverence Him all the more. He is high and lifted up. He is majestic and glorious and all of heaven bows down to Him and cries ” Holy.” Indeed we have been allowed to boldly approach the throne, but not glibly. We do not skip into His presence although we can run into our high tower. We must bring to Him the sacrifice of praise. He is my savior and He is high and lifted up. He is my personal Lord and still the train of His robe fills the Temple. He comes to me in sweet and glorious fellowship and yet He holds the whole universe in the palm of His hand, the same hand that holds mine. It is a glorious mystery how one so vast as He, knows and cares for one so small as me.
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 »
The release of the American soldier.
Posted by appolus on June 6, 2014
Hi guys, as anyone who has read the material on this site, you will know that I typically avoid politics or the issues of the day, because typically they are a symptom of a larger disease. In order to become whole, one must treat the disease, not the symptoms. When we arrive at the heart of the matter, this is where Jesus does His work, everything else is usually nothing more than getting ” caught up in the weeds.” It is important that we have eyes to truly see. The general reaction to the release of the young American soldier is a good example of a symptom of a disease. It is a deep malady and has a central cause which exhibits itself in anger and hatred and mistrust, bitterness and fear and loathing. I want to suggest that none of these things are the fruit of the Spirit of God working in our lives, they are the fruit of another spirit that wars against our souls in an effort to pull us away from God and render us powerless and without light in an ever darkening society. We Christians are the salt and the light of the world. If our light is covered and we have lost our saltiness, what good are we for the cause of the Kingdom and to a desperate and dying world?
I recently wrote about this very spirit, based on Luke 9:51 where the disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy, and presumably kill everyone in a Samaritan village because they had insulted and rejected Jesus. Jesus rebukes His disciples , much like He rebuked Peter when Peter told Jesus he would not be crucified. Jesus says to the Disciples that this anger in them, this reaction was not of the Holy Spirit in fact they did not realize ” what spirit you are of.” I would like to share a word of caution to my brothers and sisters. Do not get caught up in these situations and throw your lot in with those who are given over to a spirit that is not of God. In this particular case there is more than likely major negotiations going on with the Karzai government , the Taliban and America about America leaving. This young man is undoubtedly just a bit player, a smoke screen to cover the release of those high-ranking Taliban members.
The war in Afghanistan is coming to an end and I say praise the Lord. The day that the last young American leaves that terrible debacle will be a fine day. And if the Taliban turn on the government there, then that is their own problem, it is not worth the life or limbs of any young American. When America went to war with Afghanistan , I do not know anyone who believed anything other than that the sole purpose of going there was to punish and dethrone the Taliban for aiding Bin Laden and of course trying to capture him. No one I knew believed that America was going there to ” re-build,” that country over a period of decades, or that trillions of $$$ and countless lives, blood and treasure, would be spent on trying to create a democracy. If the American public would have been told that up front, I believe there would have been little to no support for going there.
Most of us and I would include myself in this, first instinct is to draw the sword, and when it is a seemingly ” virtuous,” thing to do, the sword comes out all the quicker. This is of the world, it flows not from the Spirit of God, but from the spirit of man. What spirit shall we be of? Shall we mind the things of God or shall we be found to mind the things of men? Jesus identifies this spirit with Satan himself. Let us walk in the Holy Spirit. This gives us the freedom not to render evil for evil. In this Spirit we can love our enemies and do good to them that would spitefully use us. The spirit of the flesh says ” strike back, lash out, get justice for yourself, destroy your enemies.” The Spirit of God say ” Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” What spirit shall you walk in? We get the choice. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.
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 | 1 Comment »
Tis a foolish thing
Posted by appolus on June 3, 2014
Tis a foolish task to urge the blind to see, let first his eyes be open by a greater one than he.
We can operate in our own strength and talents and the world can mistake it for anointing and blessing. At the very same time we can be moving ever further away from the Lord by the arm of our own strength yet still appearing spiritual to men. Those who do this have to glean what is going on in the realm of the Kingdom by listening to other men who are simply following the Spirit. So, we can be followers of men or followers of God but we cannot be both.
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 | 5 Comments »
What spirit are you of?
Posted by appolus on May 28, 2014
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luk 9:51-56)
What spirit were the disciples displaying in their zeal for the Lord? Is it not true that zealous men are often proud men? You see here we see what many today would have regarded as a virtue but in fact was a sensual earthly wisdom that led directly against the Spirit of God. Do you wish to call fire down upon your modern-day enemies? Homosexuals? Abortionists? Muslims? Do you incite others to do the same? What spirit are you of? Are you a son of God and a peace-maker? I have heard men who will endlessly recount gory details of martyrs. Now, what spirit is that of? Does it stir up within the hearer a Godliness and a love for their enemies? Perhaps the teller of such stories would say that he was only trying to wake people up from their slumbers? This is why I love the story of Algerius , the martyr from 1557. I have told that story countless times and never once gave the actual gory details of his three years of torture, enough to know that he was burned to death in the end. What spirit would I raise up in men and women by recounting the horrors of his years of torture?
No, just like the story of Stephen, the focus of the story is not the individual blows and what was happening to the flesh, the focus of the story is the visions each men were having, the encounter they were having with the living God thus proving the word that He would never leave us nor forsake us and that when the enemy comes in like a flood that He would raise up a standard within us. This is glorifying to God. Religious men always focus on the flesh, it is entirely their focus when recounting stories. And why? Because they are of the flesh, this is what spirit they are of. Flesh cannot discern spirit and indeed wars against it. Some men raise the spirits of others to look up to the glories of God, other men feed the fears and the paranoia and disgusts of the flesh and this in turn breeds mistrust and hatred. Religious men abound today and have found fertile ground in cultures that are in steep decline. Beware brothers and sisters, do not get caught up in this spirit. The Spirit of God encourages us to love more, especially those who are most un-loveable and yet in their sin. The spirit of man encourages fear and hatred and mistrust and all the while disguises it as a virtue and a service to God. What spirit are you of ?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
As the Deer
Posted by appolus on May 27, 2014
As I walk each morning I am always on the lookout for deer. It is a heavily forested area I walk through and so it can be difficult to see anything. Of course you could walk at dusk or dawn and increase your chance of seeing them, but you just never know. I was walking the other day and looking into the foliage and suddenly realized that I was looking right at the deer and she was looking right back at me. It was as if just one second before she was invisible but then she just appeared before my very eyes and I wondered how I did not see her before. The whole time my grandson was visiting me a few weeks ago, I was desperate for him to see a deer. I took him at the right time and the right places but we never saw one.
I thought about the manifest presence of God. I thought about seeking God. I thought about the wind and how we never know where it will blow next. It seems to me this is the way with God. If I only walked every now and again, or gave up walking because I never saw deer, it is likely that I would never see the deer. Yet, because I walk every day and seek every day, all of a sudden, there is the deer right there, looking at me. As it is with the deer, so it is with God. He is looking for those who will search diligently for Him, in fact the word says He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And the reward? To come into His presence. To ” know,” that He knows you, that He sees you, that He is watching over you. May our souls long after Him today and every day and if they do, all of a sudden, there He is.
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 | 2 Comments »
We would see Jesus!
Posted by appolus on May 21, 2014
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 | Leave a Comment »
The Black Dot or the White Canvas?
Posted by appolus on May 16, 2014
When I was a younger man I went to an art museum and wandered around. I loved the paintings of portraits and landscapes and anything that captured a scene. In a very real sense these paintings were snapshots, photographs if you like, capturing a moment in time and space. I have never cared much for modern art though, although I like splashes of color with oils. I came to a painting that has stayed with me. It made me mad. It was a painting of a black dot in the middle of a large white canvas. Just a very tiny black dot. Yet oh how it grabbed the attention of bespectacled rich looking people. I thought how nice it must be, thinking satirically of course, to have the time to stand about , index finger and thumb on chin, and mull over the meaning of the black dot. I imagined the painter(probably dead) of the black dot laughing somewhere about how easy it was to pull the wool over the eyes of people with more money than sense. It was hanging in a well know gallery so I assumed it was worth a lot of money. A lot of money for a black dot. The height of pretension I thought.
It is only as I have gotten older that the painting has begun to make more sense to me. Here is this large beautiful white canvas with one single tiny black dot in the middle but all of the focus is on the black dot. I have known so many people over the years, that despite all the good things in their lives, they have all of their attention on the black dot. Despite the fact that it is so tiny, it dominates the canvas. For the Christian the white canvas is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It is eternal salvation, it is our husbands and wives, our children, the food on the table, the clothes on our backs, a roof over our heads and a warm bed to sleep in. We have all these things but if we are not careful, this one percent, this tiny dot can draw all of our attention away from the huge white canvas of our lives.
Can I ask you a question. Do you focus on the black dot? Is there a disproportionate focus on the things that you do not have rather than a thankful focus on what you do have? Admittedly some people’s dots are bigger than others,but when you lay down your head and get ready to take your final breath, will you be able to look back on your life and know that you focused on the white canvas of your life? What you see with the eye affects every part of who you are. What do you see? Out of the heart of the thankful man flows rivers of love and joy and peace. He can see the beauty in life even in the rain. He can love because he sees the best in others. He can forgive because he can see the potential for reconciliation. He has peace in the midst of storms because His eye is fixed on something bigger than the storm. He has joy because no matter the circumstances of his life he has access to the throne-room, he can see God high and lifted up, his eyes have seen the glory of God. When you look at this world do you see what motivated God to send His only Son for the who-so-ever? Only with these eyes can one love as God loves. What do you see?
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. (Luke 11:34)
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 7 Comments »
Buckets of Living waters
Posted by appolus on May 15, 2014
I have met two groups of people in my life. The first group is small. They have wisdom and understanding. They draw from a deep well placed within their hearts by God Himself. From there they bring their buckets of water and if you desire more they simply draw again from the limitless source placed within them. The second larger group have buckets of water too. Within these buckets are knowledge. The contents of their buckets they have gleaned over the years from other men and from their own wisdom. Some may even have more than one bucket. But when these buckets are spilled out and shared, there is nothing left. These men have no eternal resources within themselves. They have to begin again and collect from those who do. These men are shallow and two dimensional. They do not have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. They only have ears to hear what other men are saying. Second hand information is a cheap commodity in a day and age where one more quote is merely a touch of the finger away. To know God and to hear His voice is to swim in a perpetual sea that has no end. That which flows from the throne through the saints to the hearers is recognized by the hearers as touching God.
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, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Swing the Sword
Posted by appolus on May 15, 2014
Sometimes it seems like I am permanently out of my depth
And situations often seem to be completely over my head
How good it is to fall back upon the Lord
Shut my eyes, take His hand and simply be led
Walking into the wind and the rain
Every step it seems is marred with pain
Swimming up the river in a perpetual spring time flow
Seems to be the way that I must go
Stand and fight or fall onto your knees
Swim with all your might or drown in stormy seas
Get up from bloody battle-fields
With your face into the rain
Swing your sword with all your might
Then swing your sword again
Time and again and wave after wave
The enemy rushes in
And all around the battle-field
You are surrounded by deadly sin
Did you think you’d walk in meadows
Ye soldiers of the cross?
You may not have reckoned for the fight
And that you would suffer loss
The suffering of these present times
Of those the Spirit’s sealed
Cannot compare to what’s ahead
And the glories there revealed
Stand up, stand up stand up my child
Stand up in Christ alone
Lift up your eyes ye Royal priest
And see God’s awesome throne
You are more than a conqueror In Christ your King
Nothing can separate you, not anything
From the glories of heaven and from the reward
For those who stand and swing the sword
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Emnity between the Spirit and the flesh
Posted by appolus on May 14, 2014
I have discovered that men who are zealous for other men tend not to be partakers in the freedom that was wrought for us by Jesus. The irony I have found is that those most zealous for the law and the lifting up of men, are typically lawless. The fulfiller of the law must be relegated by those who would be under the law and so they are lawless, for the Lord is Lord of all. Lawless men in bondage are destined to always be the sworn enemies of those who walk in the freedom of Christ. Jealousy always lies at the heart of the matter, whether Cain with Abel or Saul with David or the Pharisees with Jesus. Those who have the legitimacy of the world and it’s systems , detest those who have the anointing of God. It has always been that way and there can be no other way for there is enmity between the things of the world and God.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
The Story of The Church- Arthur Wallis
Posted by appolus on May 11, 2014
This article was originally written as a ‘Special Introduction’ to a reprint of Frank Bartleman’s ‘What Really Happened At Azusa Street?’ renamed ‘Another Wave Rolls In’ published by Voice Publications (USA) in 1962. It is included here as one of the earliest documents we have found that shows the seminal vision of a ‘restored church’ enjoying both recovered truth and the power of the Holy Spirit before Jesus returns.
Arthur Wallis, of Exeter, England, is a son of the late Captain Reginald Wallis and author of the well-known books, In the Day of Thy Power and God’s Chosen Fast. This article is taken from a booklet entitled, “Revival and Reformation of the Church” which in cooperation with the author we have adapted and expanded.
I deem the principles set forth in this article and Kokichi Kurosaki’s book, One Body in Christ, the most important and strategic message we have published. It is one thing to be right with God and enjoy a real measure of personal communion with Him. It is quite another to understand His greater purposes and let our personal experience be properly related to that all-inclusive end.
John Myers, President
Voice Publications
The story of the Church by Arthur Wallis………….
“Remember not the former things nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18,19 RSV
In relation to this theme of revival and spiritual recovery, let us first survey the past, then view some of the significant trends of the present, and finally say a word about the prospects of the future.
THE PAST
If we are to understand what God is doing in these days—if we are to perceive His “new thing” for our day—we need to study the past. Not merely from history books, with their limited human viewpoint, but we must study history as we have light cast upon it by the Spirit through God’s Holy Word.
Let us take a brief panoramic survey of the work of God’s Spirit in the years that are past. As we scan the centuries let us try to discover the principles on which God has been operating. What has He really been after during the years of the Church’s history? This is important, for what God is doing today can only be rightly understood as we grasp the pattern of what He has been doing down through the centuries.
Obviously this is a large subject which could occupy volumes, but here we wish simply to point out what has been the master-strategy behind the successive quickenings of the Spirit that have blessed the Church in the past. In a word, we want to show that every wave of spiritual blessing has not only had in view the immediate renewal of spiritual life in that generation, but also the recovery of spiritual truth. That is, that in all the great spiritual movements through the years, the Lord has been seeking to recover lost truth and bring His people back to original Apostolic Christianity.
This reformation, or “recovery,” aspect of God’s moving through the centuries is unmistakable—and usually has been a balancing thrust in one or the other of two directions. Since truth and experience are inseparable and must be in balance if either is to reach its divine objective, we see the Lord moving either to emphasize doctrine and principle, or and fullness of life and power.
But whatever may be the emphasis or particular truth or phase of experience involved, in the mind and purpose of God there has always been but one final objective in view. That objective is a Church—washed by the water of the Word of God—which shall fully experience and fully express Christ, not only in the earth but in the whole universe.
But let us go back and trace through history this principle in action.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: Apostolic Christianity, John Wycliffe, New Testament Christianity, Reformation of the Church | Leave a Comment »
The American Saints
Posted by appolus on May 5, 2014
Here is my firm belief. There is perhaps 20-30 million genuine saints in America. This may only represent 10 percent of professing Christians but it is still a huge number. I believe that is why every time I come back from a trip over-seas I know there is something different about this land. Now, it’s not the land nor the myth nor the dream, it is the saints. I thank God in heaven above for the saints of America who have not bowed the knee to Baal. God bless my brothers and sisters who have refused to bow down to the gods of this world. What an amazing thing it is to dwell for so many generations in Babylon and still belong, heart and soul, to our King Jesus. Now the darkness may be increasing in the land, but only because the shades of grey and dimness have given themselves over fully to the darkness that has always been alluring to them. Now the true light, like stars in the heaven, begin to shine out brilliantly as the competing human lights are blacked out. Even one small candle on a dark night, with unobstructed view, can be seen for almost seven mile’s , one small candle!!! Now imagine the greatest darkness there has ever been and think how 20-30 million candles will shine to the glory of God!!!!
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Counterfeit Kingdom
Posted by appolus on May 2, 2014
Many know that after the sin of Solomon, the Kingdom was divided into two parts, there was the ten tribes to the north, Israel, and the two tribes to the south, Judah. Now in the broadest terms, we can see two kingdoms today. There is Christendom, which for our example is representative of Israel to the north, and there is God’s remnant Church, Judah to the south.
Now Israel had a king and his name was Jeroboam. Jeroboam had a big problem. Jerusalem, the city that houses the Temple of God and His presence was in the south in the land of Judah. Jeroboam’s solution? He creates two golden calves and houses them in two cities, one called Bethel and the other was called Dan. There the people came to bow down and worship the ” god,’ that took them out of Egypt. This form of worship had their own priests and prophets and system of worship which mixed the elements of the truth with idolatrous practices. It was indeed an abomination to God.
What is the comparisons between Jeroboam’s Israel and modern-day Evangelicalism or Christendom? Well, the divided Israel was separated from the presence of God. By sin and error it had been separated from access to the presence of God. And its solution was to set up alternative, counterfeit places of worship where the central aspect of worship was the golden calves. Modern day Christendom by sin and error is separated from the presence of God. And what is the solution of modern-day Christendom? Rather than seek out the genuine presence of God, it merely bows down to idols of Gold and indulges in a counterfeit worship , a man-made, man centered from of worship.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Clear and present danger facing the American Church-bro Mark
Posted by appolus on April 28, 2014
The hot topic these days in the media but even in Christian circles is the coming crackdown on religious freedoms, even perhaps to the point of full scale persecution against believers in America. Yes this is a real threat but I seriously wonder if this is the biggest or most serious threat to Christianity in the west? I believe that Government persecution and removal of our rights are in fact “small fry” issues compared to the unseen enemy “giants” that are presently wreaking havoc in the Christian church – seemingly crushing everything in their path!
Over the last 25 years or so I have watched as this present darkness of spiritual forces have systematically slaughtered and brought untold ruin to Christian families, churches and entire movements! There has been a steady decline in the western church and like many of you I have wept as I have lost friends in the fight. Some of my friends who I grew up with have long since abandoned their faith and many of them are now divorced and others have turned to homosexuality. I have even had some tell me that they don’t believe that God really even exists anymore! It has been heart breaking to watch as so many believers (including close family) have slowly drifted away from the Lord to pursue other things.
But it’s not just “regular Christians” – I have also watched as friends who are Pastors and Christian leaders, have turned their backs on the Lord and completely abandoned their faith. Some are now “Success Coaches” chasing money and others have even become “ministers” in the new age movement, opening themselves up to the occult. And then there are the great company of men who were once mighty in God, who served the Lord with pure and un-defiled motives, but they too have become casualties, swept up in the rat race of success, money and fame, all under the guise of “ministry”.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 10 Comments »
The heights and Depths of His glory
Posted by appolus on April 26, 2014
We must pass out of the realm of the natural and into the realm of the spiritual. We must pass from a knowledge of the understandable to a knowledge of the inconceivable. We must rise from the visible to behold the invisible. We must hear the inaudible and grasp the intangible, explore the unsearchable and declare the unspeakable. (George Warnock)
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Eph 3:18-19)
To walk in the presence of God is to walk in the Spirit of God. His presence, His glory, His majesty, experienced, is what ruins men for the things of this life. There are bodies of men dedicated to disavowing His presence experienced. They know much of the length and breadth of Gods word but they know nothing of the heights and depths of His glory. God is raising up His remnant saints who know the fulness of God……….bro Frank
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: George Warnock | 6 Comments »
Leaving ” The church”
Posted by appolus on April 25, 2014
I believe with all my heart that Gods remnant children are being raised up all over the world. They are being separated, like the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares. Many of them are in a sort of desert, not of their own choosing, but by the calling of God. In that desert they are learning to depend upon Him entirely so that when the time comes, persecution and so on, that even if none go with them, still they shall follow. Yet that does not change the fact that they have a sincere and genuine desire to have genuine fellowship with those of like-mind, meaning those who burn with a passion for the Lord and are hungry and thirsty for His presence and simply just cannot do business as usual anymore.
This is the process of God calling His own. This is the process of counting the cost. Certainly, when the Lord was crucified, one would have to be found outside the walls in order to be identified with Him. To be outside the walls, to be detached from the system is not an easy or a simple thing, it comes with great cost and indeed if it did not it would not be the decision that it is. This calling is only going to get more intense as we move forward, as the day of the Lord approaches. Yet the Lord has called us to gather together, and all the more as we see that day approach and that is why I believe you will begin and are beginning to see a visible representation of these called out children.
This is the reply to this post from a dear sister who testifies to its reality in her life………… ” I know this is an old post, Frank, but it speaks so profoundly to me. How often has being called out of the system been commented on by others as simply a sort of laziness about attending church or perhaps a bitterness because of strife among members. How can I describe the heart wrenching decision it required, the loneliness and isolation that resulted, the abandoning of an entire culture my life revolved around, the shunning by those who were once friends? How often have I had the Hebrews 10:20 verse thrown at me? So often that I took this verse to the Lord for understanding. What a glorious meaning this verse actually has! How surprised I was the “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” was referring to the very assembling you are talking about in this writing.
The very words used here are used in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 being translated there as “our gathering together unto Him” speaking of the Day of Christ even being echoed in the Hebrews scripture when it says, “as ye see the day approaching”. Following Christ has always been the call to come out, lay down our lives, pick up our crosses and follow only Him. As you have said so many places, in each generation there has been such an assembly. That is the general assembly and church of the Firstborn we draw near to – that is the assembly we dare not forsake. THAT is the assembling of ourselves together IN Him. And the dreadful warning given in Hebrews for those that forsake this assembling together – this being gathered unto Him – and draw back! You have but to read the rest of the chapter to have the unbidden prayer roll out from the heart smitten by the enormity of this glorious call, “Oh God, may I be accounted worthy to stand before the Son of Man in the general assembly of just men made perfect and Jesus Christ the mediator of a new covenant in that day!” “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and not tarry.” Heb 10:37″
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, leaving the church, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
The valley of Grapes
Posted by appolus on April 22, 2014
In Numbers chapter 13 we see the story of the spies sent in to spy out the land by Moses. In verse 23 we see that they come to the Valley of Eshcol , near Hebron. Now Eshcol means cluster. It was from that valley that they took a branch with one cluster of grapes. Now, the Bible says it took two men to carry one cluster of grapes, they had to put a pole through it and carry it on their shoulders. This was an extraordinary fruitful place. Can you imagine the contrast between the desert and this valley? It must have seemed like heaven itself.
Now brothers and sisters, we know that the majority of spies gave a bad report, not least because very close to that valley dwelt the Anakim, the giants. It was also in this region that the Patriarchs were buried. So we can see just how significant this particular area was. By their burial in this land, the patriarchs were keeping watch and giving claim to the land of promise.
And so what can we take from that? Where the truth and promises lies there is great riches, great abundance. Yet, barring the way to this abundance is the fear of giants. We know that there is an abundant life to be had in Jesus. We know that the Lord came to give us life and that more abundantly. But let’s be honest brothers and sisters, how many saints do you know who are living that abundant overcoming life in Christ? Is it not true that out of the twelve spies, only two had the audacity, the faith and the boldness to go and take the land right away? Perhaps that ratio holds up till this very day? So many, held back by their fears, their lack of boldness. There it is , tantalizingly close, an abundant rich valley with fruit so large it takes two men to carry a cluster of grapes, yet the decision is to turn back into the desert.
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Do you hate the Government?
Posted by appolus on April 19, 2014
Brothers and sisters. There continues to be an anti government movement within Christendom. At the center of this hatred for government seems to be taxes and the Federal government and Obama-care. Now, can we say we are standing on solid ground if we are caught up with land disputes and cattle grazing rights and other such worldly things?
Believers down through the centuries, have paid taxes to any manner of evil governments, starting with Rome. When the Romans extracted taxes from the vanquished nations and from property owners, do you imagine that the money was used for Godly enterprises? Nero himself used to dip Christians in oil and then set them ablaze to light up his parties at night. Should Christians and Jewish people have paid taxes to Nero’s government?
At the very heart of the conception of the American experience lies rebellion and taxes. Nothing has changed, it is still the same. The Word says that God is not mocked, what a man or a nation sows, it surely reaps.Yet in this vast nation there are millions of genuine saints and I thank the Lord that there is, for it is the light of the western world. Ravenhill suggested that a mere 5-7% of this nation was actually Christians. I think it may be more like 20%. Yet even if it is only 20%, that is almost 60 million genuine saints. God is calling His saints, His remnant saints to be readied for the final days of the ages. A great darkness draws near and the Satan himself is on the verge of unleashing evil on a scale never seen before or even imagined.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, politics, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: saints | 35 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 