Archive for the ‘prophecy’ Category
Posted by appolus on January 19, 2016
We have so degraded our religious tastes that our Christian service is largely exhibitionism. We desperately need a divine visitation-for our situation will never be cured by sermons. It will never be cured until the Church of Christ has suddenly been confronted with what one man called ” mysterium tremendium,”- the fearful mystery that is God, the fearful majesty that is God. That is what the Holy Spirit does. He brings the wonderful mystery that is God to us and presents Him to the human spirit. ( Tozer)
It is very sad to see the present state of politics in America. It started out with such high ideals and yet here we are, thoroughly corrupted from start to finish. Greed and corruption and vanity has ruined the whole system. And now the people, in general, who know it is so, are so desperate that they would even consider a man like Donald Trump to be their leader or a man like Bernie Sanders. Desperate people who long for something better make desperate decisions.
Christendom on the other hand faces its own crossroads. If the honest man can say to politicians ” where are the statesmen?” then Christendom might well ask ” where are all the Godly men?” Or a better question may be ” where is God in all of this?” Christendom in general has lost sight of God. They have lost sight as Tozer would put it of the ” fearful majesty that is God.” They have lost sight of the mystery that is God.
In our high-tech gadget driven slick churches where professional musicians entertain the masses and offer something far far lower than God Himself, the people are starving to death. It is a dreadful thing to see a person who suffers from anorexia just waste away to nothing in front of you. And the horror of it all is that they look in the mirror and see an overweight person looking back. Spiritual starvation mimics anorexia to a certain extent. While the vast majority of Christendom is suffering from spiritual starvation, they look in the mirror and see something healthy looking back.
The major difference between someone with anorexia and a spiritually starving person is what people say to them. When we see a person with anorexia we are horrified. We try to convince them that they are wasting away. We seek help for them. We have interventions with them. The people who are spiritually starving have quite the opposite experience. Week after week they are told they are fine. They are told that tomorrow will be their best day, the next year will be their best year. There will be no intervention for them.
How horrifying would it be if there were whole churches full of anorexic people? The congregants were anorexic, the pastor was anorexic, the worship leaders were anorexic, the ushers and the elders, all anorexic, all thinking that not only were they not wasting away, but in actual fact believing they were overweight. And yet we live in a time and a country where church after church is full of spiritually anorexic people. A people wasting away and having no idea at all what is happening to them. They have conditioned their leaders to tell them only good things.
There are two great things God can do for a people. He can reveal Himself to them and He can show a man his true state. We desperately need both in our age in either order. Only God Himself can reveal the true state of Christendom. I believe that God will not stop reaching out to those who call themselves by His name until He returns. He is shaking everything that can be shaken in order to show us what kind of ground that we are standing upon. He is compelling all of us to consider what, if any, foundations that we truly have. He is raising up men and women who can see and compelling them by a fire in their bones to speak and not remain silent.
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
(Isa 62:1-4)
True prophets of God will not hold their peace, they shall not remain silent until God’s people rise up in righteousness and that righteousness shines forth with brilliant brightness for all the world to see. The gentiles will see this brightness, they may not like it, they may despise it, they may run from it or try to destroy it, but they will see it. His Church will be the crown of His glory and be like a royal diadem in His hand. No matter how desolate or forsaken God’s people seem to be, they are not forsaken and out of their desolation, out of the great darkness that will try to swallow them whole there shall come a great light that will pierce the very darkness.
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, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on January 7, 2016
I sense the darkness.Even now I can see that it is slowly surrounding the saints. It has its eye on every saint I believe. I can hear the world cry out in victory, in a brotherhood of man moment, a revisiting of the tower of Babel if you like. Just beyond the horizon I see men and women and children around the world holding hands and exchanging gifts in celebration of the coming together of man. Can you hear them crying out ” peace at last, peace at last.” Yet, a relatively small number of saints will know that there is no peace, this great delusion which is and will swallow up the great religions of the world will also swallow up the world and so much of Christendom.
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 »
Posted by appolus on December 23, 2015
For those of you who have followed my writings over the years, you will know that I have spoken a lot about the coming of the Lord, the great falling away and the separation of the sheep from the goats. In one shape or fashion I have covered those subjects a lot and of course spoke about the Remnant of God, God’s witness here on the earth being separated by times and circumstances from everything religious.
In this piece I want to speak about the differences within genuine Christianity and the basic theme of this message is to all genuine saints ” seek the Lord while He may be found with your whole heart.” And so, I would like to suggest that there are two broad categories of saints. Now, remember, these are broad categories and within these categories are degrees and measures and overlaps. But for the sake of clarity I want to speak about the two broad categories to bring understanding to who we are as a Body right now and what that means moving forward as the darkness continues to descend and the evil one is mustering all of his forces for his last stand before the Lord comes back.
Andrew Murray writes in “The Two Covenants,”……………..
Not only among the Galatians but throughout the Church there are to be found two classes of Christians. Some are content with the mingled life, half flesh and half spirit, half self-effort and half grace. Others are not content with this but are seeking with their whole heart to know full deliverance from sin and the abiding power for a walk in God’s presence that the New Covenant has brought and can give. May God help us all to be satisfied with nothing less.
Can you see what brother Andrew is saying? He mentions the Galatians who of course had begun in the Spirit but were now attempting to walk out their salvation in the flesh, good works, ordinances , special days and weeks and sabbaths and so on. These were Christians all right, but Christians who had not continued in the Spirit but now walked in the flesh. I want to suggest that a great deal of Christendom is walking in the flesh, trying to figure things out in their own wisdom, falling back upon what they know. If we go back to the father of faith, Abraham, we see an insight into what it means to try to figure things out for yourself. We have Issac and we have Ishmael. One is the child of the flesh the other is the child of the Spirit. One is an attempted answer to the promise figured out by natural means, the other is the answer to the promise delivered by supernatural means. One gives life and birth to a blessing for all the nations, the other is separated and cast out and becomes an enemy to the child of promise. Read the rest of this entry »
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 | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on December 21, 2015
Our paradigm is shifting and all the wise men in their own wisdom or the wisdom of old wine still desperately cling to the past. What made sense in the old paradigm makes no sense in the new.
God is doing a work, walls are falling, structures are crumbling and the Kingdoms of men are shaking. This rolling stone of the gospel has gathered much moss and muck over the millennia and has been rolled into the mire of the world and its ways and its systems until it has become unrecognizable.
Now, God is shaking all that can be shaken. All the moss and the muck is being shaken off and only that which is pure shall be left before the shaking has ended. The world and all of its ways are like muck and it gets everywhere. You can’t get near it without eventually being covered by it. Yet, the rivers of life shall wash away the muck or sweep away that which does not stand upon the foundation.
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 | 14 Comments »
Posted by appolus on December 9, 2015
A great Falling away-David Wilkerson
Today there is a great falling away from faith and trust in God. Paul warned about this: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [Christ’s return] shall not come, except there come a falling away first” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
In the Old Testament, the Lord gives us an example of what happens to those who fall away from faith in God’s power on their behalf. In 2 Chronicles 14, King Asa faced a million-man army of Ethiopians. But the king had great faith: “Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God” (2 Chronicles 14:11).
What happened then? “The Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa” (14:12). What great faith Asa had! For years afterward, “There was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa” (15:19). For years, Asa walked in faith before the Lord, and that brought God’s favor to Judah. A great peace fell over the land, and that peace became a witness to the world. Soon hungry people from surrounding nations flooded Judah, because they knew Asa walked with God.
Then, in the thirty-sixth year of his reign, Asa faced another crisis. Israel’s king rose up against Judah, capturing Ramah in an effort to cut off all trade to and from Jerusalem. The plan was to starve Judah into submission. Asa was left completely vulnerable, but this time he didn’t rely on the Lord in his crisis. Instead of praying for God’s direction and counsel, he turned to the king of Syria. In exchange for Syria’s help, Asa opened up Israel’s treasury, emptying it of all the nation’s gold and silver.
And so Judah was delivered from their enemy, but not by the Lord. That glory went to an alien army from Syria—and Judah’s witness to the world of God’s power was gone. A righteous prophet in the land came to Asa with this scathing word: “Thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God . . . For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars” (16:7, 9).
I am convinced many Christians today are troubled for the same reason Asa was. They have war in their souls because they have traded faith for self-reliance. But the fact is, there is no way a follower of Jesus can have faith in any other source and not be troubled. (David Wilkerson)
David Wilkerson goes to the very heart of what Christians in this land struggle with. I have witnessed good people going back and forth on this issue, knowing they should not put their trust in anything else but God, but then something happens, a terrorist attack, a collapse on Wall St and so on and suddenly it is back to trusting in men. We have not been called to be puppets on strings, strings of fear that the enemy can pull anytime he wants to move us or disturb us or motivate us to do his work for him. So often it seems for so many that their lives are like a roller-coaster, each new turn and bend and hill creating another round of screaming and panic.
The days that are coming require the saints to put all of their trust in God. We will not have the luxury of circumstances to get away with having our trust in anything else. Time to get of the roller-coaster of reacting wildly and with fear to every report and every event. We saints have been called to be a light unto the world. Let others lose their heads in fear but let us keep ours in trust and peace. Hold fast brothers and sisters. Rudyard Kipling wrote this poem centuries ago but it highlights many truths that we as saints should live by………….bro Frank
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, signs and wonders, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on December 6, 2015
This emerging true Church will finally grow sick of the hype and the banal predictability of a merely phraseological Christianity. It will seek the deeper reality of faith and relationship, counting the cost and increasingly taking on the visage of pilgrim, stranger and sojourner in the earth. Those that remain in conventional church situations, either impervious to the need or unwilling to pay the price, will settle under a deception of religious unreality, condemning as heretics and agitators those who cannot abide the same. Centrifugal forces will polarize Christendom ultimately toward two camps – persecuted or persecutors – reminiscent of the opposition of the Reformation churches to the Anabaptists of the 16th century! Finally, impending unity will drive the religio-political kind to fury against that minority of the Spirit which will not subscribe to their ecumenical designs.
So once again, and finally, a man will find his enemies to be those of his own household; yet, one’s love for his enemies in response to opposition and persecution will be the distinguishing mark of this consummating, remnant-martyr Church. Such a response will be the possibility of those whose conscious, determined preparation and sanctification begins now.
The light of His countenance in such a separated people will be the very factor that brings upon them, as it did Stephen, the retribution and assault of those who hate the light and prefer darkness – from without but more so from within the church. Radical apostolicity or apostasy will prove the only options during this polarization in the end-times. Neutrality or middle-of-the-road alternatives will be waste and void. We will be, finally and at last, compelled to be saints, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, in an age when the only other option is to wear the mark of the Beast.”
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, False Prophets, Jesus, new wineskins, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, Spiritual warfare, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 19, 2015
We have all heard the phrase ” a perfect storm.” Perhaps many of us have seen the movie or read the book “The perfect Storm” where different meteorological events collided causing one huge and rare storm of unusual violence and strength and had catostrophic consequences for those unlucky enough to be caught at sea or live by the coast.
Here are some definitions of the phrase ” perfect storm,” ………..
A.a detrimental or calamitous situation or event arising from the powerful combined effect of a unique set of circumstances:
B.a critical or disastrous situation created by a powerful concurrence of factors.
C.a “perfect storm” is an expression that describes an event where a rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically. The term is also used to describe an actual phenomenon that happens to occur in such a confluence, resulting in an event of unusual magnitude.
Lets look at some of the words that re-appear in these definitions of a perfect storm. There is combined, combination, concurrence and confluence. So, under normal circumstances any single event, while bad, does not lead to the other set of words used in the definition of a perfect storm which are calamitous, critical, disastrous and unusual magnitude.
Can I suggest to you that the world is facing a perfect storm? Now one could state rightly that there have always been wars and famines and natural disasters. Yet when there is a confluence of events such as we are seeing today, can I suggest that we as Christians get ready for the greatest storm to ever hit mankind in the history of this planet. What are these events that I am speaking of? In the last one hundred years there have been more men,woman and children killed in wars than in all the wars combined since history has been recorded. We saw the unspeakable horrors of Nazi Germany where human being were gassed and shoveled into fires by the millions. We saw even more killed by the horrors of Communism and its phycopathic leader Stalin. Both these regimes were unshamedly Godless. We now see a moral breakdown in society which we have never witnessed in the world before,even all pretense is being thrown of. We have saw starvation on a grand scale with horrific famines. We have witnessed a tsunami which killed 250,000 people, an event never before witnessed in recorded history. We have witnessed massive earthquakes one of which actually moved the whole earth slightly of it axis. In the last hundred years we have seen the birth of the nuclear age with the destruction of two cities in the blink of an eye with just two bombs. Now even that technology is positively primitive in comparison to what we have today.
Now lets combine all of that, and that was only a fraction of events in the last hundred years, with a total vaccuum in leadership around the world today. The statesman cannot be found. All seek after their own. The middle East is in flames and millions upon millions of people are being displaced by crazed bloodthirsty madmen intent on barbarism. We read in the book of Daniel 12:4
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. We are told that the end of times shall be marked with greatly increased travel and knowledge. Can I suggest that we are living in that age where people now travel freely all over the world and that knowledge has absolutely exploded in the last few decades.
The perfect storm has begun brothers and sisters. The bands of rain are already lashing the world and the cultural winds are beginning to blow with hurricane force. Today, with technology, we are able to see monster hurricanes many many days before they hit land. We can see it coming and those in its path head for safe harbor or if you are on land and in the path of the storm, you begin to stock up provisions and board up your house; you may even evacuate to higher ground if the surge is forecast to be of a certain height that would overwhelm you where you dwell.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Mat 25:1-4)
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.(Mat 7:24-27)
The preparation that Jesus is talking about, and He is talking about the last days ,is not about storing food and weapons and so on. Its about your vessel being filled with oil so that when the darkness comes just before the coming of Jesus, you will be able to light up the night as a light to the world. The preparation is about obedience to God and walking in His revelation and commands so that your house, your life, your walk is built upon a solid foundation so that when this perfect storm comes and the rain descends and the cultural winds blow with ferocity and evil floods the world, you shall still stand while those without such a foundation are swept away. Lash yourself to Christ and live, stand fast brothers and sisters, come up to higher ground and live.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 16, 2015
We are in the midst of a famine. It has been a creeping spiritual famine. The kind of famine where people really don’t realize that they are slowly starving to death. I absolutely believe it is the great falling away. Most people would not be able to stand sound teaching now, they are so far removed from it that it would be foreign to their ears. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. (2 Tim 4:3)
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 | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 12, 2015
This is an excellent teaching on the state of the church in Britain. I would say that although it looks very different on the outside, the American church is in the exact same state. In fact, many of the points this man raises points to the general state of the church in the West.
https://youtu.be/zUaByWt59-g
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 | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 7, 2015
The Apostle Paul, referring to the coming evil day, said, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).”
This is what the Lord has burned into my spirit and bones. The phrase ” stand fast,” is what I have been using to end many of the words the Lord has given me lately. I believe our calling in the last days is to simply stand fast and there will be nothing simple about it. When persecution comes everything will be stripped away, and the process has already begun. It wont be about ministries and reputations and theologies, it will be about loving God and loving His Word and being willing to stand upon it, willing to live it and willing to die for it. When the winds of religious and secular persecution come together, it creates a perfect storm for genuine saints. Who will stand when the only hiding place is Christ and Him alone? I believe many will.
The same Spirit that burned in the heart of Stephen, the apostles and the martyrs down through the ages burns in the heart of every genuine saint. What separates us from the saints of the last two thousand years? Nothing! We are one Body. The only thing that differentiates us from them is circumstances and opportunity. It is not because they were special or we are special it’s because of the Spirit of God and the overcoming Christ. The winds of persecution that are now beginning to blow will fan the flames of the refining fires.
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. (Mal 3:2-3)
The same Spirit that burned in the hearts of the three Hebrew children burns in the hearts of genuine saints. That Spirit gave those children the courage to say that even if they die in the fire prepared for them they would never bow down to the gods of this world. And who did they meet in the very midst of the fire? Jesus. And what did the world, represented by the king acknowledge when they emerged from the fire? “There is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”
The wheat indeed shall be separated from the tares and that by fire. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Mat 24:10-14)
God is preparing his witnesses/martyrs so that the world will see and know, and then the end shall come.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Eschatology - Study of the 'End Times', Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 6, 2015
Posted in Christian, Christian poetry, Christianity, Church history, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, hope, Jesus, new wineskins, poetry, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 26, 2015
Madam Guyon writes…………….I am deeply grieved that so many in this day(she lived 300 years ago, people never change)even some good people, allow themselves to be led astray by the enemy. Has not God warned us against false prophets and lying wonders of the last days? All true prophets have spoken in the name of the Lord-“Thus says the Lord.” The enemy gains great advantage because people love extraordinary manifestations, signs and wonders. I believe the inordinate love of external signs is used of the enemy to draw people away from the Word of God and from the inward way of faith.The signs that come from God encourage you to die to yourself. Manifestations that come from God will humble, quiet, and edify you. Elijah appeared alone among four hundred prophets of Baal. These prophets were all stirred up and were attracting much attention by their loud prophesyings.But when Elijah was told by the angel that he would see the Lord in Mount Horeb, he went out and hid in a cave, and he saw the earth tremble. God was not there. Then came the whirlwind, God was not there. Then there came a gentle, little breeze. God was in the still, small voice. The only true and safe revelation is an inward revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the quiet of your spirit. ” My sheep hear My voice.”
We are living in the days of Baal and he has many prophets. The closer we get to the Lord’s return and the closer we get to the approaching storm with all of its darkness, the louder the noise becomes. It is vital saint, that you can drown out the noise of the world and its many prophets and seers. The world has them, Christendom has them and they make much noise but the Lord is in the quiet breeze. He is in the depths of your spirit. He is in His Word which has saturated your soul. Take no heed of the world but listen for the still, small voice that resides in the depths of your heart. The world has its prognosticators, turn on CNN and Fox News and listen to their “pundits/seers,” tell you what is happening and what will happen if you do not do this that or the other. On these shows you will also see politicians who also act as seers and who have their followers. All men merely chasing after the wind.
Christendom also has its prophets of Baal. They love the applause of men. They love to be admired. Their talk is almost always about miracles and money, miracles and money. They will talk to you about riches and faith as if faith itself were a thing to be worshiped and adored and sought after. They will tell you how to live your best life now and they will lead by example. While the Son of man had no where to lay His head, these prophets who worship money live in mansions bought and paid for by peddling the Word of God. They sell wisdom and faith and miracles and yet if they were truly wise they would know what their end will be for all those who make merchandise of God’s little one’s. ” Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I never knew you.”
It is vital saints that we take refuge in the still small voice. God will speak in the stillness, He will lead and guide you in the depths of your spirit and through His Word. Saturate yourself with His Word and carve out for yourself quietness. You must get alone with God and away from the maddening crowd. Do not follow after signs and wonders let signs and wonders follow after you. The Lord Himself would attract crowds yet He almost always withdrew from them to get alone with His Father. Prophets of Baal promote themselves and chase after crowds to put on ” miracle shows,” in the crassness of their folly. The Lord did the exact opposite. When the crowd would crown Him, He would not commit Himself to them for He knew what was in the heart of such a crowd. This crown that the Lord rejected is sought after by the prophets of Baal. With this crown comes the applause of man, with the crown of thorns comes the ridicule of man. The crown of men lifts up their prophets onto an exalted platform, the crown of thorns lifts you up onto a cross. The crown of men clothes you with the finest robes, the crown of thorns strips you naked. The crown of men causes the world to love you, the crown of thorns causes men everywhere to reject you. Which crown does your prophet wear? Which crown would you wear? Choose the crown of thorns and live eternally, choose the crown of Baal and die eternally. Listen, can you hear what the Lord says? It’s in the quiet breeze.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, false prophecy, False Prophets, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 20, 2015
I was out walking with the Lord and I saw this mighty fallen tree and the Lord spoke to my heart. There was a new tree growing out of the foundations, the roots, of the old tree. I could see God’s remnant saints growing in the shadow of an old tree that had toppled over. God is doing a new thing and a branch of the old is now taking root. I wrote the poem below under the inspiration of these thoughts.
UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE FALLEN TREE
Under the shadow of an aged fallen tree
Springs forth a root that will surely honor thee
Pour forth thy rain on a fasting remnant bride
Pierce the darkness till there’s nowhere left to hide
What was established will shortly pass away
As we wait upon on our Groom for the marriage day
Though the storm is approaching and hell is up and off its knees
You shall rend forth the heavens and water our thirsty pleas
For though we see the storm approach with all its thunderous noise
We see that Christ behind it comes and in this we shall rejoice
Our eyes forever fixed on Him as foundations begin to crumble
And structures fall and pass away and proud men faint and stumble
The saints around the world cry out from barren wasteland places
And down the Spirit falls on them and shines upon their faces
Yet darkness falls around the world but in the hearts of saints
Your light it shines, the Kingdom comes where no one ever faints
To soar with the eagles high above, to run to the darkness and that with love
Shall conquer every mountain high, till we see His glory split the sky
Let every fountain burst asunder, as you come down and speak with thunder
Then men around the world will say, tis Christ the King and judgement day!
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 4, 2015
If you talk a lot or write about things to come, especially about persecution for the Church, it tends to be a very unpopular word. After years of writing about such things, I know that many tend to shy away from it. First of all, it is not natural to expect that people would embrace such a message. It is often cast into the ” doom and gloom,” category or it is lumped in with the undoubtedly numerous quacks and fear mongers that are out there and have always been out there. I think this is inevitable and like a parable, then only those who truly have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church will hear, and only those with spiritual eyes will see what is coming.
Let me tell you how I see this dark subject of persecution soon to come. I see it in glorious terms. God has commanded that light would shine forth out of darkness. The greater the darkness the greater the light.2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. You see, God first illuminates the hearts of those who hear Him and then He commands that the illumination, the light, be shone forth into the darkness of this world.
Those who ” know,” God, who are intimate with God see Jesus. To know God is to know Jesus for we see the glory of God illuminated in the face of His Son and with this light we light up the world. No where is this better illustrated than in the persecuted saint. The persecuted saint, though surrounded by troubles on every side is not distressed and this not being distressed is supernatural light. The saint who suffers persecution is often struck down but is not destroyed, he seems to be forgotten but not forsaken in his loneliness. He has a treasure inside of him that illuminates all the brighter when he is hard pressed, that treasure is the glory of God that resides in him. Tear down his flesh and you merely reveal the glory within.
When we are torn down and ridiculed and persecuted for His sake then our flesh is stripped away in death and the life of Christ is revealed in us, it becomes a witness to the world. Many times the world can come up with excuses for the Christians joy, just like Satan’s accusation in the opening pages of Job. Yes of course they love Jesus, look what He has done for them, look how He has blessed them. All of these accusations are stripped away in the backdrop of persecution. For the saint who is fully given to God, his tears will give way to joy. His despair will give way to hope. His degradation will give way to humility in Christ. And of course persecution comes in many shapes and degrees. You may be suffering many of these things in your present situation. Perhaps at work or in your own home or by your spouse.
We know this, that all who live Godly in Christ Jesus can expect to suffer for His sake whether on a personal level or community level or national level. We also know that there is a tremendous blessing reserved for those who are accused and abused for His name sake. There is a spirit of glory that rests upon us when we suffer for His sake. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.(1 Pet 4:14) Now imagine this saints. If the Spirit of glory rests upon you as an individual when you are persecuted individually for His sake, can you imagine what the Spirit of glory will look like when every saint in the land is persecuted? Now imagine saints what that glory will look like when every saint in the world is persecuted for His sake. Indeed as the Scriptures tell us, the glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14)
So, when you are tempted to be fearful about the future, remember that the glory of God is going to rest upon you as you have never experienced it before. Darkness will become light to you. Even if you are made to lie down in the valley of the shadow of death, Christ Himself will be your rod and your staff and you will fear no evil. In the midst of that dark valley of persecution He will lead you to pastures you have never experienced before. He will feed your soul in ways that you cannot even begin to imagine. While others will experience stormy and turbulent seas as circumstances grow darker by the day, you will experience still waters. A peace that surpasses all understanding will take possession of you as perfect love casts out all fear. You will stand on the unshakable ground of Christ. Do not let others speak to you of doom and gloom, for it shall only be doom and gloom to those who are perishing, but for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear then it shall be the ultimate glory, the ultimate witness for Christ just prior to Him coming, and then He comes. Stand fast saints. Days are coming upon us such as we have never seen before. Yes, tremendous darkness. Yet the greater is the light that is within us than the darkness that is in the world.
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 | 10 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 2, 2015
Yesterday we witnessed yet another massacre by a lone gunman. It seems that we here in the States have become desensitized to these kind of stories. It is strange that the most disturbing part of this story is being under-reported. Christians were identified yesterday and then got a bullet in their head. Can you imagine the outrage or the furor if gay people had been identified and shot in the head? Undoubtedly homophobia would be to blame and there would be calls to shut down all avenues of homophobia. What if Muslims had been singled out and shot in the head? A huge cry would have went up about Islamaphobia and there would have demands to shut down any voices that spoke against Islam. If black people had been identified and shot, the cry would have been, and rightly so, racism was at fault and it would have been decried from the highest offices in the land.
Yet what happens when Christians are identified and shot? The silence is deafening. This should be disturbing to you. Every day we are constantly bombarded with stories about how Christians are haters and bigots because of their Biblical views. They are decried as narrow minded idiots who belong in the uneducated past. When they are killed here or elsewhere in the world it largely goes uncritisised. I read yesterday of an Islamic convert to ISIS, a white woman from Britain, a former member of a punk rock band. She stated that every Christian should have their heads cut of slowly with a blunt knife.
In the world of the secret service, they have a saying called ” chatter.” It is information that they hear from various sources around the world. And from all these different sources of information often times a story begins to emerge. So, if there is a rise in chatter they know that very possibly an attack is coming. Can I suggest to you that Christians are being targeted all around the world. To me, this is chatter. A story is emerging. This is information on a spiritual level of something much bigger to come.
The sea level of spiritual activity against Christians is on the rise. And up with this tide first comes the crazies. In the early 30s in Germany there were isolated incidents against Jewish people. As the Nazis came into power and began to pass sweeping laws against Jews, then the general public began to be swept up with this. First it became impossible for Jewish people to hold jobs with any kind of authority. Jewish teachers were targeted in schools and Universities and police forces. They were ousted from their positions. Then Jewish doctors and small business owners were targeted. There was a slowly rising crecendo of hatred and discrimination until a catalyst moment, the burning of the Reichstag, when the flood gates were opened and open hostility towards the Jewish people was legitimized.
I would like to suggest to you that in the very near future, if you hold to traditional Biblical views, you will be routed out of the education system. It will no longer be acceptable for Christians who hold certain views to be allowed to teach our children. Positions of authority of any kind, sanctioned by local or national government, will no longer be open to Christians who hold to Biblical authority. Small business people and larger corporations will be targeted if they hold to certain views which are deemed to be unacceptable. This is our brave new world. A sociopathic world where the tolerant are accused of the crime of intolerance by the intolerant.
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 | 12 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 24, 2015
Let me go out on a limb a little bit and prophesy. I see the time coming when all the holy men whose eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit will desert worldly evangelicalism, one by one. The house will be left desolate and there will not be a man of God, a man in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, left among them ( A.W.Tozer, The Dangers of a Shallow Faith, pg 14)
I believe with all of my heart that Tozer was indeed prophesying as he claimed. One by one men are leaving the Evangelical world behind. The world has invaded the modern church and men whose eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit simply cannot stay. Now if you count yourself in that number, be prepared. You will be torn to shreds. You will be accused of division. You will be accused of pride and arrogance. You will be accused of being about the enemies work. Yet can I tell you, that men and women whose eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit can only see what He has shown them.
Yes it will be lonely and yes you will question yourself and yes you will try everything that you do and every thought that you have by Scripture and by the Spirit of God in you. The accusations of men will ultimately fail because they cannot say anything to you that you have not said to yourself. You have tried your conscience in the fires of affliction. You have suffered loss and found yourself to still be standing. Standing on something, something immovable in an ever-changing world. The Solid Rock of Christ underneath your feet allows you to stand even as everything around you is shaking. Stand fast brothers and sisters, we are living in strange times. We have not seen these times before. This is not the cyclical times of revival and lukewarmness. This is the days of His coming. This is the days of a darkness the like of which we have not seen before.
Men will lecture you from history, men whose eyes have not been opened by the Holy Spirit. While we can learn many things from the past and from the great men of God who have went before us, only God can speak to us of the times in which we live and the times which are shortly to come to pass. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, He speaks to His people in the here and the now. He leads them and He guides them and He prepares them. Only He can do that. So, it is vital that our eyes are opened to the world in which we find ourselves. This opened eyed revelation from the Spirit will cause conflict among men, has it ever not been so? So my brothers and sisters, stay the course and stand upon the ground delivered unto you. When men accuse you of things then you are blessed in heaven above and these blessings from heaven will sustain you. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
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, Uncategorized | Tagged: holy spirit | 16 Comments »
Posted by appolus on August 28, 2015
And the word of the Lord was rare in those days;there was no widespread revelation. (1 Sam 3:1)
In the days of Eli when the glory of God was in Shiloh the word of God was rare and indeed there was no widespread revelation throughout the land. A simple reading of the 1 Sam tells us that the priesthood was defiled and the overseer looked the other way. We see that the Israelites began to suffer defeats and finally in desperation they try and use the ark of the covenant like some kind of talisman. God will never allow Himself to be used. He did however allow the ark to be removed from Shiloh and fall into the hands of the Philistines. As this unfolded Israel was defeated, the priests, Eli’s wicked sons were killed and Eli himself fell over dead. Judgement had come to the house of the Lord and the glory of God had departed. Yet even in the midst of all of that God was already raising us Samuel.
Can I argue that the word of the Lord is rare in our days? Can I further argue that there is no widespread revelation today. The circumstances that we find ourselves in are similar to that of the days of Eli. The priesthood is in large part defiled and God has for the most part removed His glory from Christendom. Now what is ” the word of the Lord?” Is it merely the preaching of the Scriptures? If that were so, then the ” word of the Lord,” is not rare at all in America. What about ” revelation,” or as it says in another translation ” open vision.” Open vision would be something that would be heard in public, not secretly in the prayer closet or bedroom. The exhortation of the prophet whether to encourage or to rebuke, is a precious thing. Indeed the word ” rare,’ in the opening Scripture is also translated “precious.”
Go into almost any Church this coming Sunday morning and you will not hear an open vision, nor will you hear ” the word of the Lord,” in the context of 1 Sam. You will surely hear preaching and you will hear the Scriptures expounded but you are unlikely to hear a ” word of the Lord,” nor hear an exhortation, whether an encouragement or a rebuke. It is indeed rare today and for the same reasons as in the days of Samuel. Yet can I encourage you today brothers and sisters. Even in the midst of defilement and wickedness and silence from God, God was raising up Samuel. Now at the same time He was raising Samuel He was in the process of judging the Israelites. While the Ark was still in Shiloh, God was silent and in fact would soon remove the token of His presence altogether from that place.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, God's voice, Jesus, manifest presence, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, spiritual gifts, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: the word of the Lord, Word of God | 14 Comments »
Posted by appolus on July 28, 2015
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. (Mat 24:9-10)
Jesus has much to say in Matthew 24 about the end times. Much has been written on this chapter and 2000 years later the eternal word of God continues to give us insight into the unfolding truths of our world and what shall be its end. Many times Jesus spoke in parables and often the truths of which He spoke were hidden from those who did not have ears to hear. Yet, it could be argued that this chapter may be the least ambiguous of anything spoken about the end times which so many brothers and sisters believe we are now living in.
In verses 9-10 we see a good example of plain speaking. There is coming a time when the saints will be hated by all the nations for the sake of the name of Jesus. There will also be mass betrayal and hatred among people who call themselves after the name of Jesus. People who read my writings will know that I refer to everything that calls itself by the name of Jesus as Christendom. And so as the world turns on genuine saints, so will those who are merely Christians in name only but do not belong to the Kingdom of God.
It cannot be argued by anyone that there has ever been a worldwide persecution of Christians. It has been localized.It has certainly spanned nations and sometimes continents but never has the whole world hated Christians. Yet this is what Jesus says is coming. Kingdoms would rise against Kingdoms, meaning countries and we have certainly seen that in two world wars. In the last century more people were killed in two world wars that in every other war in the history of the world combined. Yet Jesus said this would happen, but not only Kingdoms against Kingdoms but nations would rise against nations. The word nation in the Greek is ethnos, it is where we get our English word ethnic or ethnicity from. People groups within Kingdoms would rise up against each other. Right now we have no declared wars between Kingdoms, but we do have people groups within kingdoms tearing themselves apart and threatening the peace of the whole world by perpetrating unspeakable evil on their fellow man.
Read the rest of this entry »
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, Uncategorized | Tagged: Kingdom of God, Kingdoms, the kingdom of God | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 27, 2015
The ruling of the Supreme Court will challenge every aspect of our faith and we will be the better for it, stronger refined and more confident in what we believe. For those whose faith is built upon anything less that Christ Himself, then they will be swept away by the flood and the cultural winds that are now blowing at hurricane strength.
Now why would I say that the cultural winds are blowing at hurricane strength? Has there not always been societal pressures in the West, cultural aspects of who we are that challenge our walk with God and our witness to our communities? In fact, the subject of marriage is one aspect of the culture in the west that has continually brought shame on what is known as Christendom. The truth is, the Christian community has remained silent to a great extent on the fact that in so many churches up and down the land, 40-50% of their congregation are divorced. That alone disqualifies us from speaking from a position of authority on the subject. We do not hold the moral high ground on this subject and ours sins have found us out. God is not mocked, that which a man sows or winks at, he reaps. We are reaping today.
Read the rest of this entry »
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, Uncategorized | Tagged: Christ Jesus, Christendom, persecution, visible church | 8 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 27, 2015
It is not a pleasant thing
To walk into the wind
To walk in shades of grey
To dwell where all have sinned
It is a pleasant thing
To walk with you each day
To fellowship , to honor
To worship and obey
Each day the wind grows stronger
And the proud are standing tall
Each day the tide is coming in
And the pillars begin to fall
Truth lies broken in the street
And the structures are on fire
The Vandals and the Visigoths
Draw men into the mire
Sinking, slowly, unaware
Into the miry clay
Rebellious men without a prayer
Sinking deeper every day
When did the day become the night?
And all around is falling
When did the darkness quench the light?
And drown out God’s own calling.
Godless men rejoicing
In the darkness they call light
They are singing and they’re dancing
And arming for the fight
Oh children of the Living God
Find refuge neath His wings
Run now into your Tower
For we can see what this night brings
The hordes of hell are massing
The wolves are circling round
And evil is surpassing
With a mighty rushing sound
Yet Christ in all His glory
Is coming for His own
The culmination of His story
Ends with Him upon His throne
Stand fast ye children of the light
For though the day has come the night
We shall prevail and overcome
For Christ the battle He has won!
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 