Archive for the ‘the deeper life’ Category
Posted by appolus on October 29, 2020
For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. (Isa 54:6-8)
The times in which we live are like no other times in history. We are approaching the end of ages and the birth pangs have begun and everything that can be shaken is being shaken. This is true not only of our denominations and institutions, but also our secular institutions and governments. Now, what is true for institutions and churches is also true for individuals. God’s people are being tested in ways that they have never been tested before as individuals and in their personal walk with the Lord. Are you feeling forsaken today? Your faith in God maybe steadfast but you feel forsaken. Not only do you live in a barren land but that barrenness has also touched your own soul. Not only do you feel barren but trials have mounted one on top of the other and it seems that you are under judgement. I want to encourage you today saint, the afflictions of the land is touching your soul.
You do indeed live in a barren land and your righteous soul is vexed, could it be any other way? If judgement indeed begins at the house of the Lord, that judgment will affect you. Perhaps you have had to leave your church? Or, perhaps you are still there and are totally dismayed by the worldliness that surrounds you? Either way, you seem to be in a place that is hopeless? I want you to read the promise of God quoted above.
But with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. (1Sa 1:6-7)
Can you see the agony of Hannah? She herself was surrounded by fertile women but her womb was closed and this caused her to be ridiculed by her adversary. Perhaps there is little or nothing to show for your own walk with the Lord? Perhaps you hear the enemy whisper in your own ear that all you strivings and longings have produced nothing? If we look at the state of Israel in the midst of Hannah’s troubles we see something very disturbing.
1Sa 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
Can you see what was happening in the days of Eli? The word of the Lord was precious or rare and there was no open vision. People could not hear from God, the heavens were closed and when that happens then the flesh rises up and consumes. It is a bitter circle. It starts with disobedience and that creates distance from God until the voice of God grows silent and the flesh begins to dominates everything. Principally it begins with leadership, the priesthood, and the people follow suit. We see that the priesthood of Eli’s time was exceedingly wicked, demonstrated by his own two sons. This led to a famine in the land of the hearing of God’s revelation.
Can I suggest that we live in such a land. The vast majority of the shepherds have gone the way of the world and this has resulted in a famine of the revealed word of God in the land. The people starve through lack of true vision and word. In the end of Eli’s time, they even sought to use ark of the covenant in order to gain a victory over their enemies and the result was they lost the ark itself. All of their identity is taken away by a worldly enemy of theirs that they proved by their actions to be no different than.
Hannah’s distress leads to the birth of Samuel, one who hears from God. The distress of the family of Eli which represents the priesthood leads to the birth of Ichabod, displaying for all to see that the presence of God has departed. We can see this today. Ichabod and the priesthood of Eli is represented by what passes for Christendom and Samuel represents God’s remnant people here on earth. Now, I want you to see in a another place where there is a separation of the ark of God from the people of God and what I believe God is showing me what that means.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to-morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. (Jos 3:4-5)
In this passage Joshua and the children of Israel are about to cross the Jordan into the promised land. As you know, they have wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Their fearfulness and lack of faith has condemned them to wander in circles until every one of fighting age in that generation had passed away, they would not enter the promised land. Now at last it was time. Can I suggest brothers and sisters that our generation has come to the very edge of the ages. It is not the Jordan that lies before us but it is the end of the ages that lie before us and we are about to see that place that the Lord Himself has prepared for us. This is our tumultuous time.
Now the ark of the Covenant and where it was positioned has always been highly significant in the Old Testament. David of course found this out the hard way, Eli heard of its capture and dies, Solomon places it in the temple and the shekinah glory falls. The Ark of the Covenant dominated the holy of Holies and represented the beating heart of God. When the Israelites moved from place to place they would set up their tabernacle in the midst of the people with the Ark of the Covenant at the very center. When they moved the Ark it was moved in the midst of the people. So we can see when it is removed from its regular place it becomes highly significant. Always remember , the Ark of the Covenant represents the presence of God. So, in the above passage we see that just prior to the children passing over into the promised land that the Ark is moved ahead of the people by two thousand cubits and they were told not to come near it. Now, two thousand cubits is just a little shy of a mile.
Now why do you suppose that the Ark is moved a mile in front of the people when its typical place was in the midst of the people? Does there seem to be distance between you and God right now? Your faith has not left you and you have been so used to have the presence of God in your midst but now there seems to be a distance between you and God. Can I suggest that the Ark was moved to the front of the people, a mile in front of the people so that they could follow God Himself to the very point of crossing over. A great miracle was just about to happen, the Jordan would be stopped so that the way could be made for them to enter into the promised land. All of God’s children would know that it was not by might nor by any power of their own but that it was by His Spirit and His Spirit alone that they would be taken from their wilderness wanderings into the promised land.
Can I tell you brothers and sisters that the Lord’s coming is at hand. We will pass from this world soon into that place that God has prepared for us. You have not been forsaken and with great mercies He shall gather you. In a little wrath God has hidden His face but with great mercies and everlasting kindness God will finish that which He has begun. Yes He has taken His place out in front of us but only so all can see and follow Him and trust Him. The time is at hand brothers and sisters, the whole earth is being shaken because the Bride-groom is returning for His Bride. Stand fast and follow the Lord brothers and sisters, put on the full armor of God for the times are drawing to their close and with great turbulence this world is coming to its end. And the Lord will lead and guide His people and He will be with us as we pass through the waters.
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Posted by appolus on October 28, 2020
Neh 8:10 for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
The seasons of God are good and there is a time for weeping and mourning. Yet if that is all that we have, if we live forever in a perpetual winter of weeping and mourning, whether that is in our personal walk or in our ministries, then nothing will ever grow. We will not grow or flourish in the knowledge of God. Yes there is conviction in the presence of God. There is a time to rent our clothes and throw dust on our heads, yet if this one season becomes the whole then we render ourselves weak and ineffectual. Our real strength comes in the Joy of the Lord. If we cannot put on a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness then we will not stand in the evil day. We will be overcome by trial and tribulation and persecution.
When the Israelites were captured and taken away from Jerusalem, their captors sat them down by the river of Babylon and taunted them. They said to them, “let’s hear your songs of Zion now.” And the Israelites, once famous for their songs of praise to God, hung their harps on the willow trees, unable to sing, overcome in their spirits. The enemy had not only robbed them of their earthly freedom, they had been robbed of their joy. They no longer had a song in the night. The willow tree represents sadness and weeping. Can you imagine how powerful it would have been if the Israelites, trusted in a mighty God to eventually redeem them. This would have been an exercise in faith, the same faith that Abraham exercised when he knew in his heart and trusted that God would provide a sacrifice for Issac.
The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. In His presence there is fullness of joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength. You see how that works brothers and sisters? You see where it starts? Trusting in Him, praising Him even in the darkness and out of that praise comes joy and out of that joy comes strength. Not just spiritual strength in my opinion, but also physical strength. One effects the other. Praise God today, trust in Him and wait upon Him and He will raise you up. You will run and not grow weary, you will walk and not faint and you will rise up with eagles wings in the presence of God.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 27, 2020
Religion is just one more form of enslavement. It wraps its tentacles around every part of who we are and crushes the life out of us. It portrays itself as the saver but is in fact the slayer. It is an imposter, a chameleon that pretends to be all things to all people. It pretends to give while all the time taking. It feeds its monstrous appetites while it’s victims starve to death. What a grand deception.
Starving to death and not even realizing your hunger and all the time you are wasting away. An emaciated people starved by a grotesque monster that presents itself as an angel of light. Look again, stare deeply into the eyes of this “angel.” They are blood red and cold. Merciless and without natural affection. This entity, even in the midst if its delusion, can barely conceal its maniacal hatred for the ones who follow it.
If religion is all about deception and taking then Jesus is the antidote to it all. While religion takes and enslaves, He sacrificed and freed the captives. While religion crushes the heart, Jesus restores that which was crushed. While religion starves its followers, Jesus feeds the hungry. While religion is aloof and separate from its adherents, Jesus makes His home in His children’s heart. He feeds us, He dines with us, he laughs with us and He cries with us. In short, He enters into a relationship with us and we become one with Him.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on October 27, 2020
In the ancient world, oftentimes men would sell themselves into slavery just to eat and put a roof over their heads. In fact, it was not just the ancient world, but in our own western world men and women would join the clergy or some order of nuns and monks to put food on the table. For hundreds of years men would join the army or the navy for the same reasons. They were selling themselves into slavery in order to survive. When men and women are hungry, it tends to captivate the mind. Not a lot of room for the luxury of contemplation or philosophy when you are open to the elements and have not eaten in days.
Likewise, people put themselves under the authority of lords and warlords for centuries. The grand bargain being that they would be protected and in return they would serve their “masters.” People were also enslaved to religion because not only were they afraid of death, but they were also terrified of the what would happen to them in the world beyond this one. So, religion thrived along with witch-doctors and so on. Mankind has always had these great fears. Poverty, sickness and death.
Now in our modern world we may think that we have moved beyond all of that. We have not, quite the opposite. We are moving into an age where scientists are the new overlords. And what empowers them? Fear of death. Fear of disease that leads to death. And in our age of communication, we can spread that fear and reinforce that fear every single day right where the people are. Now, imagine an unholy alliance between science and government and leaders of industry. This is the age where total control over all the populations of the world is a possibility. And, it would be voluntary. Just as voluntary as the men and woman who sold themselves into slavery in the ancient world.
I believe that by government and industry and scientists making themselves indispensable to the general population, then we are on the precipice of complete control. It will be presented as a virtuous service to humanity and the planet itself. We must do what we are told not only for our own good but for the general good of society and if we do not capitulate then we are a danger to the general good. Now, all of this rests upon fear and especially the fear of death. There are other fears, such as the fear of being shamed or being labelled, they all play their part in control but in the end death is the greatest fear.
By and large men and women will gladly enslave themselves in exchange for security. Security of life and limb. Security of food and shelter. Threaten these in any way and it sends people into a tailspin. Their thin veneer of civilization is soon enough stripped away and we see the raw brutality of humanity. Yet the one force they most often will refuse to bow down to, even under the most dire of situations, is Jesus. Men will gladly bow down to other men if the situation warrants it, but they refuse to bow down to a Holy God. And of course the great irony is this, men and woman who genuinely bow down to Jesus are set at liberty. Liberty from what? From the forces that have shaped mankind. The fear of death and all other fears.
Oh death where is your sting, oh grave where is your victory? (1 Cor 15:55) It is swallowed up in Christ. He conquered the grave not only physically but spiritually. The chains that had bound humanity for all of its history were broken. It is a true freedom. For the saint is no longer bound by the restraints of this world and the fears thereof. It is the Lord Himself who told us that He knows the things that we need. He told us to consider the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin. Consider the birds of the air. Consider even the sparrows, for the eye of our Father is on them. And if it is on them, how much more His own children?
And so, in the near coming age, the enslaved and the en-slavers will look with great hostility upon the freed men and women of Christ. Free people cannot be allowed in an age of control and chains. Hitler and his cohorts came up with the final solution to their “problem.” Scientists and politician, government forces and religions will likewise have to come up with a final solution to those who reject their authority. Lest the “virus,’ of rebellion spread among the population at large. It will be a “virtuous,” act by those in control for the general good. And the people in general will celebrate the ridding of a troublesome people.
I write to true saints. The Lord’s remnant people here on earth. And in doing so I do not have to explain that “they loved not their lives unto death.” This is how we overcome, this and by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony. Even in the midst of death we who have died to this world will be living an abundant life. The truth that burns so gloriously in our veins will overshadow any beggarly fears of this world. We already know that there is something worth dying for. Something that is more important than our lives. The Truth. Our history is replete with examples of this, down through every age. And now they cry our from beneath the altar.
So saints. It is almost upon us. The end of the ages and everything that comes with it. We stand on the shoulders of our brothers and sisters who went before us and who stood strong in the midst of terrible darkness. Who loved not their lives unto death because our Christ has overcome death. They were able to slip the surly bonds of this earth long before they ever faced physical death.
They would run and not grow weary, they would walk and not faint. They would mount up with wings as eagles and fly in the heavenly realms. The Kingdom of God. Seek it first today and His righteousness and you too shall run and not grow weary, you too shall walk and not faint. We as the Body will mount up with wings as eagles and soar into the lofty heights of His presence. Perfect love casts out all fear.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 26, 2020
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job
Can you even begin to imagine brothers and sisters, the Lord saying “Have you considered my servant…..” fill in the blank with your own name. What glory and honor that the Lord of all creation would testify of His servant before the throne-room of heaven, before the heavenly hosts. God is well confident in his servant. The accuser on the other hand has nothing at all to accuse Job of therefore he turns to the motivations of the heart of Job. And so unfolds the story of humanity.
The Lord knows you, He knows you through and through. The same enemy of Job is the enemy of your soul. And the same accusation that he made against Job he makes against you. In the eternal spiritual courtroom, God stands accused by Satan that no one actually loves Him, they only follow Him for what they can get from Him. This is Satan acting according to his character, nasty and vindictive, the father of lies distorted with hatred for God and for His children.
You, dear saint, are a witness in this case. You are called to testify. Your testimony is your life in God and the motivations of your heart. Every moment that you praise Him, give thanks to Him, rejoice in Him, glory in His majesty, you continue to make the case against Satan. You are part of the truth and he is all of the lie. Truth is victorious over lies. Your life is a testimony to love. God’s love for you and your love in return. This glorifies God, this is your primary purpose here on earth. And the darker your circumstances, the greater more powerful the witness. To glory in God and to give thanks to Him in the midst of trials and tribulations is your greatest contribution to the reality of your relationship with God.
So brothers and sisters, never stop thanking God, no matter your circumstances. You may not think that no one knows about your situation. God knows, the heavenly hosts knows and the fallen angels know. They know and they watch. This is why the promises are made to those who overcome and endure till the end. For love endures. It overcomes all obstacles and it even willingly dies for the object of its love. This is the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have been called to follow Him.
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Posted by appolus on October 21, 2020
I have no hesitation in saying that it is my honest and charitable conviction that the Christ of the average religion today is not the Christ of the Bible at all. He is a manufactured Christ, the Christ painted on canvas, the Christ drawn from cheap poetry, a Christ of the liberal and the soft and timid person. He is an imitation Christ that has not in Him the iron and the fury and the anger, as well as the love and grace and mercy (A.W.Tozer-Living a Christian life. pg 218)
Tozer was right in his day, and, I put it to you, we find ourselves in very much more degraded days than his. The Christ, for the most part, that is propagated today is a mere Santa Claus figure, gentle and timid and somewhat fearful of man. This man made Christ watches over men and smiles approvingly at all of their sins. Like a father who cannot discipline his children and they run wild, Jesus has been reduced to this in the minds of most men who would call themselves by His name. They have created this Jesus in their own image. They would gladly say “behold the goodness of God,” while not finishing the sentence “and the severity of God.”
They would gladly tell you that “the gift of God is eternal life,” while refusing ever to say that the “wages of sin is death.” They will gladly tell you that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but they will never mention the very next sentence which says he who refuses to believe is condemned already. There is no iron and fury and anger, as Tozer puts it, in the God that they have created and worshiped. There is only grace and mercy and woe betide anyone who suggests otherwise. In the end, this will separate the wheat from the tares. Those who refuse to acknowledge a God who will judge the living and the dead will throw their lot in with a world who will be taken up with the god of this world.
The only iron and fury and anger we will see will be that of the apostate and the fallen world who will come together to judge the saint who worships the true and the Biblical and the living God. Their fury will be great and their anger without measure. They will have murderous hearts and will gnash their teeth and fall with great fury upon those who refuse to compromise, those who love the Word of God and who long for His appearance.
Yet, like Stephen, the saints of God will see the heavens open in that day and will see the glory of God in ways and depths that they have never seen nor experienced Him before. It will be their honor to stand upon the truth and to suffer and die for it and the Holy Spirit will rise up in them in ways the world has never seen. God will be glorified in His children and that glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 21, 2020
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on October 21, 2020
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Oftentimes we find ourselves troubled on every side. Many times we are perplexed. Many of us have been persecuted, perhaps not in the sense of living in a hostile country, but maybe within the confines of our own families. We have been thrown down and trampled on . Often dying it seems by our many troubles. All of these things and more are the things that would destroy most, but in you they have caused the life of Christ to spring up from the darkness of your situations. An abundance of grace has been poured out upon your life that speaks to the glory of God and the love of the Father for His children. He established you and gave you grace and purpose before time began.
When we have been troubled on every side we can testify that we have been rescued from distress. When we have been weighed down with the perplexities of life, the Lord Himself pulls us up from the valleys of despair.In the midst of our persecutions and feelings of isolation we have discovered that we are not alone. When we have been thrown down and trampled on, the Lord Himself has saved us from being destroyed.
In all of these things we do not faint, we rise up by the power of the Holy Spirit. The outer man may be in the process of perishing but our inner man is renewed daily by the glory of God and the amazement of a dying world. The world sees that out of the darkness of our situations that God Himself has commanded light to shine forth. You may not be able to fully articulate the Roman road to salvation but the world does see that out of you, out of your many trials, your sorrows, your afflictions and your infirmities, there shines forth the light of Christ Himself. Be encouraged saints, you are a mighty witness for Christ.
Perhaps the world will never know your story, but the Lord knows and the mouths of the principalities and powers are closed by the testimony of God in you, your hope and your glory. God spoke into Gideon’s life and He called him a mighty man of valor, although at the point of which He spoke it to him nothing could be further from the truth. Yet the key was “God spoke.’ And even although Gideon would complain that he was the weakest man from the weakest clan in all the land, that meant nothing to God. You see, its never the man or the woman, its always God. If He is with you brothers and sister, then He can achieve whatever He desire through you , not because of you, but because of Him, the one who speaks and the one who calls. He equips the ones He calls. Your job is to keep on standing, keep on moving, one step at a time, one day at a time, getting up and then getting up again and again and again. And even in this, He empowers us to rise up when we decide to get up. Rise up today brothers and sisters and put one foot in front of the other.
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Posted by appolus on October 20, 2020
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,” they said, “the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up (Daniel 3:17-18).
Above is either side of the one coin of faith. You cannot have one without the other. If your faith relies on a positive outcome then what you have is positive thinking but it’s not faith. If on the other hand you have counted the cost and are willing to praise God no matter what comes your way, you have found true faith. Everything must be unconditional, including our faith. You see, many people have faith in faith. Lets just replace the word faith with trust. Would it make sense to have trust in trust? You just have to exercise your trust? Faith, we are told in Hebrews 11, is the evidence of things not seen. To believe in something that you cannot see is the essence of trust. Without this kind of trust it is impossible to please God.How do we please God? By trusting in Him.
It is easy to trust in the Lord when everything is going our way, when all is right with the world. Yet when we are suddenly caught up in darkness and we cannot see the way ahead, this is when flesh is put upon the bones of what we have confessed. The word becomes flesh as we raise our hand to God in the darkness and seek to grasp His. Our Father is a rewarder of those who diligently trust Him in the darkness. This is faith….Even if He slays me, yet shall I trust Him. Consider Jobs words and actions right after he learns that he has lost everything and that all his children are dead. Remember, the accuser of the brethren had said that he would curse God.
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.(Job 1:20-22)
In the coming days there will be great turmoil and tumult.Though the world may turn on us, we are still the light of this world and Jesus is still the Jesus that died for them. Stand fast saint, stand boldly and do not be afraid. Speak the truth in love and let the world know that even if they kill us, we shall never bow down to their gods. Make no mistake, they are demanding that we bow down to the gods of homosexuality, transgenderism and abortion, to name but a few. Yet the God that we serve still sits upon His throne. The God that is worthy to be praised is still worthy. Our Holy God and Father is Holy still. No matter what darkness the enemy musters up, our light shall still shine and all the brighter in the gross darkness.
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Posted by appolus on October 16, 2020
2 Tim 1:10 Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.
Brought to light? What does that mean? It is a phrase we use often in our everyday conversation and as with other such phrases, its common use often clouds or distorts what we are really saying by the very familiarity of our words. In Christ, we saints, each of us individually as well as corporately have purpose and grace. There is a very definite purpose for your life and it has been established and enabled before time began, not by any goodness or merit on your part, but by the very grace of God by which we are saved.
In 2 Tim Paul writes this, speaking of God and His power ” who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our own works but according to His purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”
Brothers and sisters, there is so much spoken in just those few sentences from the word. Read it again and ponder the majesty and the glory of what is being spoken, of what is being revealed itself. When you bring something to light, you are bringing something that already exists into view. It stands to reason that something that dwells in darkness, when brought to the light, comes into view. Paul clearly states that His purpose and His grace, which was given to us by the power of Christ, was given to us before time began. Before time began. One more time, before time began, it was established, it was brought into being, it was created and there is stood, not seen by man, until the sun arose with the dawn, Christ was born, and suddenly the light of Christ shattered the darkness and revealed that which has been established.
This week, I have traversed the valleys and the mountains of Zion National park. One thing is for sure, you can take something already very dramatic and transform it into something otherworldly when the sun rises and finds its way into the the valleys and the peaks. The grandeur of His creation is transformed and set ablaze by the rising of the sun. We too saints, are set ablaze and transformed when our lives and our circumstances are “brought to light.” When light rises up and shines upon us. The word here says that He brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
You have life and immortality by the power of God and it was established for you before time began. It was established for you, it was created by the hand of God. That which did not exist sprang into life through His love and power and grace and for His glory.. And there it stood, in the shadows and the darkness until that glorious day when Christ came forth and the Son rose high above the horizon of the earth, bringing light and glory and setting ablaze that which He established by His very hand, you. Saint, you are not ordinary, you are an extraordinary work of exquisite art, crafted and created by the hand of God and brought to life and light by the Jesus our Christ and our Saviour. Dont forget that today, ponder upon the mystery and the glory of His purpose for your life today.You were brought to light.
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Posted by appolus on October 15, 2020
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
In the Lord Jesus we find true love and forgiveness. Not as the world forgives, for His forgiveness is untainted by human imperfection. In 1 Cor 13 we discover that true love keeps no record of wrongs. I first heard that at a wedding I was attending. I was not saved and I was drunk. I heard the minister read this out and thought what a load of nonsense. One can maybe forgive but never forget. That was what i thought until many years later I myself became the recipient of such love and forgiveness. It took me years to fully realize the magnificent truth of this. Raised in the Catholic tradition of punishment and penance and purgatory, the notion that the Lord had not only forgiven me, but had now cast my sin into a sea of forgetfulness never again to be dredged up was transformative. The tyrannical forces of guilt and shame were dealt with head on.
The antidote to shame and guilt is an intimate confession to a holy and loving God. Then when that is done we must believe that when the Lord forgives us He keeps no record of our wrongs. He casts them into a bottomless sea. The problem is that we judge and gauge the Lord our God by our own standards. But of course His ways are not our ways. He is higher than we. His love is beyond the grasp of the mortal mind of man and can only be grasped by the inspiration of the Spirit.
Encounter God and touch infinite beauty and love. Encounter God and stand in a place of inexpressible awe and majesty. When we grasp something of His vastness, then we are able to grasp the fact that not only has He forgiven us, but that He never keeps a record of our wrongs. They are cast into a sea where it is impossible to plumb its depth. The chains of guilt and shame that for so long have imprisoned men are broken asunder by the love and mercy of God that we encounter before the throne. Today is the day for your encounter. This is the day for your chains to be broken.
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Posted by appolus on October 13, 2020
For the last couple of days I have been surrounded by glory. I mean the kind of beauty that just dazzles you and helps you understand how infintesimally small you are in the grand scheme of things. How big is our God? Have you cast your eyes heavenwards? Have you seen His grandeur in the heavens? Have you considered the depths of the oceans or the dizzying heights of the mountains? Today we saw two specks, two men, scaling one of these mountains. We were told it would be a two day trip for those guys. Spending a night on the top.
Scaling the heights of His glory. Imagine a mountain that made Everest seem like a mole hill. Everest is just under six miles high, now imagine a mountain hundreds of miles high. It would be unscalable. Yet, there would be men and women out there who would certainly try. They would be the few, but they would exist. Brothers and sisters, we get to do that with God. He beckons us upwards. To scale His glory, to scale His majesty of which there is no beginning and there is no end. To say that we who know Him are the fortunate few is to understate a magnificent truth.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers—for whoever is covered by His his blood with me today shall be my brother. We are a band, not just of brothers but of sisters, we are the Body and we walk in the shadow of infinite glory. For our Creator Jesus has shown His handiwork not only in the heavens and on the earth, but no where more spectacularly than in each and everyone of us. Let us marvel together.
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Posted by appolus on October 1, 2020
I see judgement whether we turn to the left or right ( not meaning that in a political sense although it may fit) If Trump is reelected the forces of anarchy will intensify and cities will burn. If Biden is elected there will be a sharp rise in aggressive political acts against the Christian community and of course abortion will not only go on unabated but children who somehow manage to survive an abortion will be left to die on a table in the corner of a room. Now, perhaps that is our end, the end of a society that has highly flawed notions of what freedom actually is. There is the freedom wrought for us on bloody Calvary, and then there is everything else.
The freedom that man gives, man can take away. The freedom that God gives though His sacrifice, no power that exists can touch. No man can make me less free. No political party can make me less free. No principality or power can degrade my freedom in any way. I may be in a jail cell but I will be free. I may even be martyred for the cause of Christ but I shall be free indeed. In fact, the more the devil rages, the more I plunge the depths of freedom. We saints must remember that and stand upon that. Dark days lie ahead, but above every dark cloud there is a piercing and perpetual blue sky.
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Posted by appolus on September 30, 2020
For we live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7)
If faith is that important. If it is the deliverer of what grace provides then how shall a man increase in faith? Shall he pray more? Shall he tithe more? Shall he live a more holy life? Shall he increase in the rigors of religious life and then somehow earn more faith by denying himself? Now obviously praying and holiness and denying oneself are not inherently wrong. Yet they become disastrous if they are flowing from the heart of one who is trying to earn faith by their own efforts. Everything must flow from the presence of God. What is begun in the Spirit must abide in the Spirit and walk daily in the Spirit. The key of faith, given to us by Jesus, that unlocks the door of salvation is also the key which unlocks every other door.
I have seen men trying to kick in the doors of mercy and peace and joy. I have seen groups of men with battering rams trying to break down the doors of love and forgiveness and holiness. I have been that man at times, I have held that battering ram at times. Yet no door that opens deeper into the heart of the Father can be strong armed open. It is not by might nor by any power, it is by His Spirit alone. And it is by weakness and an understanding of our weakness that draws us near to the Father and deeper into His heart. As we draw near, faith is increased. As our faith is increased then it delivers what grace has provided. As we receive what grace has provided then we share with others that which we ourselves have been freely given. As we share this with others, faith is increased and the evidence of God walking among us is evident to men and He and He alone is glorified.
Will you draw near today? Will you enter into His rest and cease from your own works today? In His presence there is fullness of joy. In His presence there is a peace that surpasses understanding. In His presence there is forgiveness and restoration. In His presence there is purity of heart. In His presence there is mercy and love beyond measure. In His presence there is strength for the weak. In His presence you can run and not grow weary, you can walk and not faint. In His presence you can mount up with wings as eagles and soar to unimaginable heights. Will you draw near today saints?
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Posted by appolus on September 27, 2020
Gideon was a mighty man of valor. Yet long before he would prove himself on a battle-field he first had to first tear down the altars of his fathers. In order to fulfill the role God has for any of us we must rise up, and go up and tear down the altars, the high places that have been erected for the worship of all things ungodly. A country that raises up an altar on the high places to wickedness shall not stand. Whether it takes one year or five hundred years, it will fall. America raised up a high place of worship, that high place is called abortion. Of all the possible sins that any secular nation can indulge itself in, infanticide will bring that country to its knees.
A culture of death promotes death. The blood of the innocents prime the pumps from the lower depths of hell. And from that gross dark place there pours forth the most vile evil, eventually drowning mankind it its own wickedness. Gideon had to discover from God that he was a mighty man of valor. Then he had to act upon it. God is raising up a generation of Gideons and it begins by tearing down the altars that have been erected to worship ancient evil deities.
Moloch is among them and has been raised up. His flag flies over many of the capitals of the world. Only the light of Christ shining forth from His children can counter the gross darkness that has covered the land. Stand fast saints. For the source of all light is at the door. The prayers from an army of saints marching on its knees will rise up to heavens throne room and God will rend the heavens and come down and in His presence they will stand on that evil day.
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Posted by appolus on September 26, 2020
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal 5:24) This is a very well known passage of Scripture. It is important to know, that despite the fact that your flesh has been nailed to the cross, it does not mean that your flesh is dead. It does mean it is defeated. Now the question is “shall you surrender to the nails?”
Now, crucifixion is, by design, a long , slow death. In this, the Romans were barbarically ingenious. They had designed a means of death that would take a very long time. So, although we often understand our need for the flesh to be crucified, we have little understanding of the process. Many theologians will simply say that the flesh is crucified therefore it no longer has any influence over us. This is wrong. It is important to remember that a crucified man is not a dead man as such, he is a crucified man. Death will come, one is indeed dying, but how long the death? That would depend upon our fight and our struggle against the nails.
In the end, this life that we lead is a crucified life. It is life on the cross. If we could see men with Spiritual eyes, we would see the men and the women of Christ with a cross upon their backs. It is the mark of the genuine saint. Victory comes on the cross. It is the ultimate victory to be able to say from a cross “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.’ There is no sanctification unless there is a cross upon your back. So saint, this day I ask you, shall you surrender to the nails? Let go and commit your spirit to the Lord this day. You can struggle or you can surrender.
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Posted by appolus on September 23, 2020
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ(2Co 10:5)
Its a terrible thing to be held captive by our own thoughts. How exhausting it can be when we allow them to consume us and overwhelm us. They can begin to eat away at us. They can even rob us of sleep and leave us tired and weary. I thank the Lord that He freed us and gave us the ability to take every thought into captivity and focus on Him. If a specific situation or trial has taken your mind captive today, know that there is a way of escape, you are no longer slaves to the flesh but bond-servants, willing servants to the Lord of power.
If you have been set free by the Lord then you are free indeed. You now have the power to take those thoughts captive, they must bow to the Spirit of God in you. By an act of your will, take your eyes off of that situation today and turn them to Jesus and draw close to Him and peace will flood your soul. Remember, if the Word tells us to take our thoughts captive, it is because it is possible in Him. There has been a conquest of your heart and mind and soul and in this Jesus is the conqueror. To the conqueror belongs the spoils. Your thoughts are for Him. He is a jealous God. He will have the reward of His suifferings.
Surrender any situation that drives your thoughts from the Lord. Let it die upon the cross. You take up that cross and let the Lord do the rest. You lift your eyes to Jesus and let Him do the rest. You raise your hands in worship and by the power of the Spirit He will do the rest. Your circumstances may not change but you will in the very midst of them. In one scenario you are a prisoner to your thoughts in the other you have taken them captive and you are victorious. Today is the day of victory. Let the Lord be high and lifted up in your heart and soul and mind, let HIm be preeminent in all things, including your thoughts and you will walk in peace and victory.
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Posted by appolus on September 21, 2020
For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. (2 Cor 4: 15-16)
Lord I pray that my heart would be forever fixed upon the horizon of thankfulness. I can see how love and joy and peace and contentment and life are all attached to a heart that is fixed and focused upon thankfulness to God. When we take our eyes off of this horizon, when we deviate to the left or to the right from this perspective then the floodgates crack open and into the fields of our hearts bitter waters waters begin to seep. Discontentment begins to rise, roots of bitterness begin to break through the surface.
All this begins to happen when our horizon changes, when thankfulness and gratefulness are no longer our dominant state of mind. We all know folks whose hearts have been flooded with bitterness. They have no peace. They have no joy. They are quick to anger. They cannot appreciate anything they have, they are consumed with the things that they do not have, the things that they have missed out on or lost in life.
And they begin to die, spiritually. The bitterness that seeped into the innermost fields of their hearts begin to seep up to the surface. What was once hidden away in the heart begins to manifest itself on the outside. Family are the first to suffer, then co-workers and friends. They do not see someone who is filled with the love of God and the light of His life, but someone who is embittered and filled with darkness. Unless their eyes are drawn back again to the horizon of thankfulness then there can be no hope. Those afflicted with this malady, this disease, lets call it what it is, this sin, will wander in the wilderness and they will die there.
The antidote to all of this is a life of thankfulness and a heart that always leans towards being grateful in every situation. Give thanks to God in all things. No matter the darkness of your surroundings, you give thanks to God. As a saint you have the greatest gifts of all, you have the treasures of heaven, you have eternal life in glory bought for you at a terrible cost. We could live a thousand lives and never be able to repay the cost of the cross.
Run to thankfulness when you are hard pressed on every side. Run to thankfulness when you have been crushed by circumstances. Focus on the light when darkness presses in all around you. With your dying breath give thanks to God. This decision of the heart, this deliberate act of the will, is the power of God in your life. This is enduriing. This is overcoming. This is the fire. This is your sanctification, this is your narrow path that leads to life. Find it, walk in it and keep your eyes fixed upon its horizon.
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Posted by appolus on September 20, 2020
So this is not to be construed as a political post and I will not indulge anyone in a back and forth over one political party or another. The death of RBG and the timing of it is high octane fuel on an already burning inferno. This country was already being torn apart by division and just when you think it cannot get worse, then it does.
A country under judgement looks something like this. The cries of the innocents shout out from a blood soaked land. The fall out from this death will expose completely the fault lines and the hypocrisies on both sides of the political divide. Make no mistake, the supernatural forces of Moloch will rage. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.
The Lord gave me a word from Lamentations chapter four last May. One of the most serious words He has ever given me, you can read it below. The issue in Lamentations was the slaughter of the children by the mothers. For years they had worshiped Moloch and when their backs were to the wall and they were under siege, the cooked and ate their own children.
What low state must a people arrive at when they will rejoice at their ability to murder their own children? The world is locked down in a pandemic, fear stalks the streets, violence and divisions of people are at the breaking point. Saints, God is speaking. Everything that can be shaken is being shaken. Draw close to your Lord and know that He is the Master of your soul and no matter what you see unfold, He is in charge.
When the Hebrew children defied the powers that be and declared that no matter what, they would never bow down to the gods of this world, all hell broke loose and in its fury the fires of destruction were intensified seven times. We are entering into that time, the fires of hells fury is just about to be intensified. We must be willing to stand and make the same declaration as the Hebrew children. Even if we die in the fires we shall never bow down to the gods of this world. Stand fast saints.
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Posted by appolus on September 18, 2020
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:
A door opened in heaven!! What is this, what can it mean? If such a door existed and we had access to it should we not find it and walk through it? Just a few sentences earlier we hear about the door;Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.(Rev 3:20) There is, it seems, a door that we as children of God can open, and when that door is opened we can sit down with the Lord at His banqueting table, glory to God. Again a few sentences before that we hear Jesus say I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.(Rev 3:8)
This open door to glory, this door to heaven, this access to the throne room belongs to the child of God. The ability to come before the Father and bow down and cry out Abba uniquely belongs to the enduring overcoming child of the living God. No man can shut this door, no power on earth can shut this door, Satan himself cannot shut this door. It has been given by the hand of God to His child and no one can rob him of it.
This is the glories of walking with the Lord with an open heart, to walk in His presence and according to His ways. This is the promise of Jesus to His faithful followers, that no matter what happens, no matter how dark the hour , no matter how fierce the opposition, the saints can walk in the glories of God and have access to His throne and to His presence and that He would keep them from the hour of temptation.
Now that word keep is better translated guard. To the loving Church who does not deny the name of Jesus and keeps His word, He guards them from that hour of temptation that is coming upon the world. Temptation loses its power for those who draw near to Jesus. To draw near to Jesus we must have an open door in our hearts, our hearts must be open to His glories and then we shall have the power to stand fast and let no man steal our crown.
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A Call To The Remnant 