Archive for the ‘the persectuted church’ Category
A continuing conversation about the church-and the great rebellion.
Posted by appolus on June 9, 2022
Posted in Babylon, bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, church mafia, consequences of sin, Counterfeit Jesus, Daily devotional, Devotions, discernment, False Doctrine, false teachers, intimacy, Jesus, manifest presence, praise, praise and worship, pulpit pimps, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Will you run from the terror of the light?
Posted by appolus on June 9, 2022
Isaiah 6:7 ….Behold, this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is taken away and your sin is purged.
Will you run from the terror of the light? Or will you flee from the darkness of the night? Will you stand and cry out “oh wretched man that I am?” Stand and face the terror of the light which is the majesty of God Himself. The Glory of God, the Holiness of God which undoubtedly strikes terror into men. See Isaiah fall down as if dead and cry out that he is undone in the midst of the impenetrable light, yet it penetrates him to his very core. This is a salvation experience when a man meets God. This is why the cry is heard “what must we do to be saved….is there mercy for me?” They have encountered the terror of the light and they know that they have been found wanting, they are, indeed, undone.
And yet, in the midst of all of that spiritual turmoil and hanging between heaven and hell, they discover that there is mercy. Not a coal from the fires of heaven that will purge their sin, no, something much greater than that. The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that within it indwells justice and judgment and mercy all at once in a brilliant amalgam to those who flee the night and face the light. This encounter is salvation, forged in the burning roiling chaotic unsaved soul touched by the order of heaven. Listen to the chains fall as a man stands in the terror of the light and realizes that not only is he not undone as he knows he surely was, but He is being born again in the glory and being remade in the image of God’s own Son. He has traveled in a mere moment from rightful condemnation to knowing there is therefore now no more condemnation. Now, he runs to the light, no longer a terror to him, but a fulfillment of all things. He is whole and complete, here before the mercy seat.
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Creatures of the night.
Posted by appolus on June 9, 2022
Tomorrows rain shall never come For this is the eve of the final setting sun The filth has not, nor shall be washed away And now the stench of a world that refuses to pray. This was a vineyard on a very fruitful hill There should have been good fruit but we took a bitter pill And wild grapes came forth and refused to now the knee We rejected the Creator for all that we could see. And so we drew iniquity with the cords of our own vanity And now the terror of the Lord and the glory of His Majesty Causes men to run and hide from the horror of the light For now they realize that they are creatures of the night. The children of the day shall take their place atop the mountains And from those lofty heights there shall flow eternal fountains And all the nations of the earth shall flow towards these waters And the praises of our God and King shall rise from sons and daughters.
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When the Lord will wash away the filth.
Posted by appolus on June 7, 2022
Isa 4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion,
When the rain ceases to fall, the city becomes filthy. Without the presence of God, pride rises up. Yet, they are like shooting stars. Soon enough the haughty and the proud begin to fall. Their ascendancy seemed like it would never end. They soared high and then hit their apex because the power of their trajectory was by the strength of their own arm. God allows the proud to fall. He exposes what lies behind the “beauty.” The thin veneers of societies are ripped away and we get to see who people really are. Are we not there now brothers and sisters? Do we not see the monsters of iniquity now unashamed of their murderous desires to slaughter children and pervert and groom the ones who are left? This is not the exception, rather it is the rule. It is everyman’s neighbor. God is certainly at the door and who among His own would not rejoice in His coming?
We are told that the Lord will wash away the filth by the Spirit of judgement and the Spirit of burning. In that very day Christ shall be exalted and His beauty and His glory shall be clearly seen by all. He shall raise up His own out of this fire and they will have for a covering a cloud of smoke by day and a flaming fire by night. In other words they shall have the presence of God with them in the very midst of judgement. This is what the saints of God have brothers and sisters. We have the Holy Spirit now, He is a cloud by day and a fire by night. It is not visible because it dwells in us but those who are His can be clearly seen in an ever darkening world. Stand fast brothers and sisters, for the Lord is at the door, just like in the days of Noah. They mocked Noah, they will mock you, but you know the rain is coming, you know the fire is about to fall. Walk in the sure knowledge of what you know and let the mockers mock.
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A conversation about how church is done.
Posted by appolus on June 5, 2022
Posted in Babylon, bible, Charismatic, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Daily devotional, Devotions, False Doctrine, Jesus, organich church, pentecostal, praise and worship, revival, strange fire, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
When He arises to shake the earth mightily!
Posted by appolus on June 5, 2022
Isa 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
In verse five we see Isaiah’s description. The whole head is sick. The whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot to the head, there is no soundness. Wounds and bruises and putrefying sores, they are open wounds for all to see. This is our world today, there is no soundness in it. There is no nation that has distinguished itself, they are all alike. The only thing that has averted all out disaster and ruin raining down on us like fire from heaven is the very small remnant of God’s people around the world. They are a gift to the world. The only light that presently exists is the light of remnant saints.
Christendom is a forsaken people, such has been their fall. Their house has been left to them desolate. Shall they be forgiven? Shall they humble themselves in the sight of the Lord? Is their coffers not full of silver and gold? Do they not worship the works of their own hands, in fact is not the work of their own hand all that they have? Isaiah says to such a people “Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty.” (Isa 2:4) Proud men shall cry out in terror and flee from the Glory of His majesty. The “very small remnant,” shall not flee from the Glory of His majesty, but rather they shall run into it and they shall be safe. His glory is their high tower. His majesty is their very life blood. His presence is their very existence.
He has stretched out the heavens like a curtain. His ministers are a flaming fire. The clouds are His chariots and He walks upon the wings of the wind. He looks upon the earth and it trembles, He hides His face and the whole world is troubled. His glory shall endure forever. His hand, for a moment, is stretched out to a undeserving people. Shall the haughty humble themselves? Shall they give up the works of their own hands? Shall they abandon the many centuries of tradition that has caused them to wander so far from the source of all life? They only life that exists is in Him. When He arises to shake the earthy mightily, and He will do so very soon, will He be a terror to you and will you flee from the glory of His majesty? Fall down now and live, or, enter into the rock and see if you can hide from the terror of the Lord to come.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, church, consequences of sin, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Eschatology - Study of the 'End Times', Extreme Prophetic, God's voice, Jesus, revival, Spiritual warfare, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | 3 Comments »
A shaft of light through the darkness.
Posted by appolus on May 28, 2022
For the last six months, I have suffered, almost non stop, from two pinched nerves. I have lived with chronic pain, but this is something “special.” Please, and don’t be offended by this, but please do not comment on the pain, my condition or express sympathy or remedies. My interest is in an analogy. The moments when, for no particular reason, there is no pain. It is overwhelming and quite emotional as I revel in the short window. The heavens seem to open up and I am surrounded by such satisfaction and appreciation for “normal.”
It occurred to me how much this experience is like the presence of God. That moment when all of a sudden and entirely unexpectedly my Lord is with me in His manifest presence. How, all the noise of the world just seems to melt away and I am in my “normal,” place. A place of no pain, no sadness, a place of radiating overwhelming beauty. I know it won’t last but I only know that afterwards. For eternity is always eternity even if it’s only for a moment. One day, one day soon, eternity will be moments no more.
I will wait for Him.
If I had to wait a thousand years,I would wait for Him. He is my all in all and I am swallowed whole by wholeness and it changes me. The world grows ever dimmer and the bright impenetrable light of His soon coming, beckons me. It calls to the depths of my spirit. I learned a long time ago that even if all the heavens above me are covered by clouds, that above those clouds there lies an eternal blue sky. And every now and then, the clouds part and a shaft of light engulfs me and renews my spirit and warms my soul.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | 10 Comments »
Established by God alone in the wilderness.
Posted by appolus on May 26, 2022
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Have you quenched the Holy Spirit by your disobedience?
Posted by appolus on May 26, 2022
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
The plague of your heart:the redemption of your soul.
Posted by appolus on May 26, 2022
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Fools despise wisdom.
Posted by appolus on May 26, 2022
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Fearing God is the beginning of all things. Man can never find relationship with God outside of a healthy fear of the one who created him. A reverence for God draws you closer. No one skips into His presence. Isaiah falls down on his face, the prophets tremble at the presence of God. We have lost all fear of God in Christendom. The world has foolishly never feared God and they will go the way of fools. Yet, what happens when those who call themselves by His name have no actual fear of God? No reverence of God, no trembling at His touch, at His majesty. He is not your mate, your buddy or your pal. He is God and He is greatly to be praised. We praise Him by our lives, by our thoughts and our deeds. Worship is a way of life, not a 20 minute song service.
To worship God is to fear God, to fear God is to encounter God. To encounter God is to be drawn deeper into our Fathers heart. We do not fear God in the sense that a man fears a wild beast that can tear him to pieces. We fear God in the inner man. We know of His reverential beauty and glory. We understand just who we are in the presence of majesty. We know that without His covering we would be nothing more that wretched men who would cry out “who will deliver me from this body of death.” And we know our Saviour who has indeed delivered us from this death. We are no longer “undone,” and our lips are no longer unclean for we have been cleansed by something greater that a burning coal from the fires of heaven. We have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb! We know the sacrifice that God the Father made in sending His only Son to die for us. We have been touched by the magnitude of this.
It has rocked our world greater than any earthquake could. The ground shifted from beneath our ungodly feet and He set our feet upon the solid Rock. We now stand, by His grace and Mercy, upon the finished work of our Lord on the cross. Who could measure the magnitude of this? There exists no such spiritual Richter scale. The Love of God cannot be quantified other than by the bloody cross of Calvary. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who perish, but unto those who are saved , it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18) Fools despise this message and they know nothing of the fear of God. Those who know God and fear Him are on the path of knowledge. True knowledge and true wisdom. The ultimate irony for the foolish who fear not God, is that they will tremble and fall down with fear when it is too late. Better to learn the fear of God now and live, than to learn it before His seat and die eternally.
Posted in Babylon, bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, spiritual growth, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Alumni of the wilderness.
Posted by appolus on May 24, 2022
Mar 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
As soon as the Spirit descends upon Jesus, He is “driven,” into the wilderness. He is separated from everything He has known up to that point and He finds Himself in a desert. Paul, after his own encounter, did not go to Jerusalem, but rather he goes to Arabia. Paul too was separated, separated from the Pharisees of his former life, and also separated from the leadership of the saints in Jerusalem. Jesus would deal with His identity in the wilderness. The Devil will seek to cast doubt into His mind. He asks “if you are the Son of God,” he asks that twice. When Jesus stands His ground he is tempted with all the kingdoms of the world and all of their glory. Yet Jesus knew of a much greater glory, the glory He shared with His Father. He knew of the glory and the majesty of union with God.
Paul’s own identity would undoubtedly be challenged in Arabia. He was no longer a Pharisee. He no longer belonged to the religious order. He was stripped of his earthly titles and positions. Through all this he would discover exactly who he was in Christ. He would emerge from this “isolation,” with the confidence that can only truly come by encounter. Paul was not taught by men, He had revelations from God. He was taught by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. A very different man comes out of Arabia than had went in. He carried the authority of God because the encounter and the revelation changed him. Man did not promote Paul. He did not climb ecclesiastical ladders. His position was established by encounter. His identity was established.
What is your identity brothers and sisters? How were you established in your walk? Did you walk through barren landscapes away from the eyes of man? To be driven into the wilderness is to begin a journey of identity. To “know” who you are in Christ. To have stood your ground against the lying enemy. To be taught by God Himself. To be supernaturally ministered to by the hand of God. To know in the very depths of your being that you do not live by bread alone but by every word from your Fathers mouth. To find yourself, quite apart from men and their establishment and order. When God establishes a man, that man carries the authority of the very God who established him. He does not need titles. He does not have to curry favor from any groups. He or she simply are who God said they were and who God made them to be. Stand fast in your calling brothers and sisters, alumni of the wilderness.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | 7 Comments »
The plagues of the heart in the land of the dying.
Posted by appolus on May 22, 2022
1Ki 8:35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain,
Solomon prays to God for what is to come. He does not say “If the heavens are shut up.” He says “when heaven is shut up.” The inevitable nature of rebellious man is so predictable. Mankind, in its general state, does not change. Confessors of Jesus, in their general state, do not change. What do I mean by their general state? I mean when they forget God. When they forget where God took them from. When they forget that everything they have comes from the hand of God. When they forget that without God they are merely rebellious creatures. Drift away from God and see that the high tide of humanity comes roaring in and overwhelms you. I would argue, that this is the general state of Christendom today. Heaven is shut, there is no rain. There is a famine of the Word of God preached with power throughout the land. Men are dying of thirst and starving to death.
Solomon gives the remedy in verse 38-39 “when each one knows the plague of his own heart and spreads out his hands towards the temple, then hear in heaven, your dwelling place and forgive…” When each one knows the plague of his own heart. The definition of plague is “an epidemic disease that causes high mortality, pestilence.” If one has a plague in his heart, then you can be assured that the multitude are affected by this epidemic. We are in the midst of a plague, an epidemic. We are plagued by unbelief. We are plagued by lukewarmness. Much of those in Christendom are practical atheists. Practical adulterers. They say one thing, but they live as laws unto themselves. Solomon says “when each one knows.” One has to know their state in order to repent of it. There are no specific calls to repentance, for in doing that there would have to be an acknowledgement of sin and a heart riddled with plague. The pestilence of our age is worldliness.
Verse 47 “Yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent and make supplication to you in the land of those who took them captive…….and when they return to You with all of their hearts and with all of their souls in the land of their enemies……….forgive your people who have sinned against You.” Father in Heaven, hear the prayers of your saints in the land of their captivity, in the land where the heavens have been shut and famine and pestilence stalk the land and the hearts of those who profess your name are sickened. Hear from heaven Father and give us eyes to see the sickened and dying hearts that they may confess and repent to you and that you may heal them for your own names sake one last time. Glorify yourself Lord in all the earth. May Your glory cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian living, Christianity, church, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | 1 Comment »
God speaks out of the whirlwind!
Posted by appolus on May 19, 2022
Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind.
God finally speaks to Job! Not in a still small voice, but out of a whirlwind. A tornado! Most people are absolutely terrified by tornadoes. Often when they glimpse it, they are mesmerized by it, so much so they cannot move. It comes down from the clouds and touches the ground. It moves and nothing stands it its way. Whatever it encounters is broken down and taken up. The sound, they say, is like a freight train. It commands the attention of all who see it. When God speaks, men take notice. When God speaks from the mountain to the children of Israel, they cry out for Him to stop as the thunder claps and the lightening fractures the skies above. God says to Job “Now, prepare yourself like a man.”
When men speak, it is all too often just noise, a light breeze on a summers day. Job’s friends have spoken much, and convinced no one of anything. Job has spoken much and has not convinced his friends that they are wrong.Elihu has silenced Job but not convinced him. Now God will speak and all men will be silent when God speaks. Brothers and sisters, do not argue your case before men, do not try and convince men of the rightness of your case. Let God justify you. Nothing that Job said or could have said would have convinced his so called friends. Nothing they could have said would change Jobs mind, so in the end its all just noise. Now God speaks and Job gets it. His response is, not unlike Isaiah’s “Behold I am vile, what shall I answer you, I lay my hand over my mouth.”
God continues to ask Job rhetorical questions. The majesty and glory of God pours forth from the “questions.” Job is being taught by God Himself and it lays him bare. Finally Job answers and says “I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from you……..I have uttered what I did not know………..I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you, therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes!” What a transformation from a man God had already pronounced to be blameless. Before, he only knew of God, now he has seen Him high and lifted up and he is changed forever. And of course, the man of God is justified in the end, not by his own defense, but by God Himself. “God says to Jobs friends ” My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends for you have not spoken of me what is right as My servant Job has.”
In the end, God has justified His precious servant. Justice belongs to the Lord. And the Lord demands that the three friends offer burnt offerings for themselves and then go to Job and have him pray for them. They are humiliated but their humility and the prayers of Job save them. Now, Job must pray for them as commanded by the Lord, (pray for those who despitefuly use you) and when he does, Job’s losses are restored, and more. Remain silent brothers and sisters and do not try and justify yourself to others. Walk before the Lord in the sure knowledge that all these things are in hand. Pray for those who would condemn you. Lift your eyes to the heavens and consider who laid the foundations of the earth. Praise Him, for the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Even if He kills us, yet shall we trust Him.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Holiness of practical infidelity?
Posted by appolus on May 17, 2022
Posted in Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, discernment, intimacy, Jesus, religion, religious, revival, sanctification, spiritual growth, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
I know that my Redeemer lives.
Posted by appolus on May 17, 2022
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Incredible words from Job in the very depths of his torment. He has now lost any hope in restoration in this world. And so, his eyes turn towards the latter days and the world to come. Surely Job speaks prophetically when he announces that he knows his redeemer lives and that in the last days He shall stand upon the earth. After Job’s flesh is destroyed, he declares that in his flesh he shall see God! We now know that our bodies shall be redeemed, Job did not know that, only by the Spirit. His heart yearned within him for such a time as this where he shall see His redeemer. He even cries out “oh that my words were written, oh that they were inscribed in a book, engraved upon a Rock with an iron pen and lead, forever. Job could not possibly know that this is exactly what would come to pass.
In the very depths of his torment, Job now truly sees. He sees the fleeting nature of this life and yearns for the life to come. He understands that redemption does not mean to be restored to his former glory, but that redemption is to be found in God alone. What does Job want above all things? Not the things that he has lost, but rather, to speak to God. To fellowship with God. To walk with God and to talk with God and to be redeemed by God. He knows that His redeemer lives. Despite what was happening to him, despite the loss of all things, despite being despised by everyone, He knows that His redeemer lives and he desires, above all things, to speak to Him. Brothers and sisters, what do you desire most in your life? Is it to be found in Him? Job was so sure about what he was about to say that he wanted the words to be written in a book. And, lo and behold, that is exactly what God did. Job declared God to be His redeemer. He was declaring that He had standing with God and that standing meant that ” I shall see God.” We have the same standing!
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | 1 Comment »
Cutting the Gordian knot.
Posted by appolus on May 15, 2022
Cutting the Gordian knot is an ancient story related Gordius to the king of Phyrgia. He is said to have tied his cart to a beam with the most incredibly intricate knot. An oracle proclaimed that the man who could untie this knot would rule all of Asia. Along comes Alexander the great and he is presented with the knot and the story. He studies the knot for a moment, takes out his sword, and with one blow, cuts the knot and releases the cart. And so the phrase has come down through the ages to represent incredibly intricate unsolvable situations. In the end, only drastic and swift action can cut through the maze of intricacies and unsolvable problems.
I would like to suggest that Christendom presents such a situation. It has become a monstrous maze of religion and denominations and hatred and bigotry. Much of the Body of Christ wanders in and has been swallowed up by such a maze. What man, or group of men, could ever solve the problem, could ever extricate the Body of Christ from the maze of Christendom? There is no such solution, only the sword can cut through the Gordian knot of impossibility. Only this time, it will not be an Alexander or an earthly sword, but Christ Himself that shall cut the knot. The knot, in this case, is a man made abomination and only the sword can solve the problem. The knot cannot be undone, it can only be cut asunder. Jesus tells us that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Its the sword that frees.
When the sword is applied then the knot is destroyed. The knot is Christendom and it has enveloped the Body of Christ. Cut the knot and the Body is released from its entanglement. There is violence in the cutting no doubt. A mans enemies shall be those of his own household. Jesus did not come to send peace into the world, but rather a sword. The truth divides. A man shall find himself the enemy of his own household, denomination, community, nation and world. He will discover that if he loves any of these things more than he loves Jesus, he is not worthy to know Jesus. He will lose his life. Yet, if he is determined to know Jesus above all these things, he shall find eternal life. When the sword of the Lord is wielded, the simplicity of the truth of God is unleashed. The Body of Christ is free as it wields the sword, it is forever entangled if it attempts to undo the knot.
Posted in Babylon, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christianity, Church history, church mafia, churches, consequences of sin, Constantine, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
I shall not hide from You.
Posted by appolus on May 15, 2022
Job 13:20 Only two things do not do to me: then I will not hide myself from you.
What are these two things Job desires in order to come before the Lord? We find them in the following verse. 1. Withdraw your hand far from me. While Job was in the very midst of his agonies, it would have been very difficult to focus. If you have ever suffered terrible chronic pain, you will know that it is almost impossible to focus in the midst of it. Yet even in this state Job manages to make one of the greatest declarations in the history of man “Even if He kills me, yet will I trust Him.” And, of course, it seemed to Job, that he was being killed, first by losses that would destroy almost any person. And then afflicted in his body with boils from head to toe that would not have given him a moments peace.
2. Let not the dread of you make me afraid. Job instinctively knows what Isaiah found out to be true. To come before the throne is to fall unto your knees and tremble as if dead. Isaiah cries out “woe is me for I am undone.” And so, therefore these are good requests. Job knows he needs to talk to God, he knows his very existence and survival depends upon it. In the end, no matter what our circumstances are, we need to speak to God, it is the answer to life itself. It is unlikely, as a Christian, that if you fail to pursue God when your circumstances are favorable, that you will pursue Him when they are dire. To forget God in the midst of a peaceful life does not bode well for you. We must never forget or neglect our relationship with the Lord, He is the key to life itself and without a vibrant relationship with Him, then we are mediocre people at best. Job was never such a person which is why, for him, there is so much confusion in this situation.
After a lot of research, it seems that Job was written around the time of the patriarchs. Imagine the effect this would have on them, hearing the story of Job. A cautionary tale indeed. Job, by virtue of his standing and wealth, would have been known far and wide. And therefore, news of his seemingly disastrous fall would have have spread quickly. Everyone would know the story of Job. Before any Scriptures were ever laid down, here is the story of Job, written. God is teaching some of the most valuable lessons ever taught. Everything is not always as it seems. Do not be quick to judge. Do not apply certain truths to a situation when you do not know the back story. Only speak as you are led. Often, very often, it is better to say nothing and simply wait upon the Lord. Never assume that material blessings are somehow a sign of God’s pleasure, and by the same token, never assume that a lack of material blessings are a sign of God’s displeasure. In the end, the only treasure worth having is a relationship with the Lord.
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Even if He kills me.
Posted by appolus on May 12, 2022
Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:
This is the high water mark of faith. Only those who know the depths of the valley and have suffered through many seasons, can truly make this declaration. To suffer, to experience loss, to have God fall silent, not just for a day or a week or a month or even a season, is to be in the position to make this declaration. The three Hebrew children expressed similar faith when they declared to the king that even if they burned up in the fire that they would never bow down to the gods of this world. They were, of course, facing imminent death. Praising God in the dungeon as Paul and Silas did is an expression of this faith. Singing spiritual songs as the flames licked around their mortal bodies as the martyrs did, was an expression of this kind of faith.
Trusting God. Having faith in God is an absolute. It makes no inquiries. Many saints know this in the depths of their beings and if the time ever came, then out comes this treasure and flesh is placed upon the bones of our declarations. God breathes and men live. The power of the Holy Spirit that enables His saints to stand. The breath of God blows upon the embers of what lies deep within the depths of who we are. Spiritual flames burst forth and consumes the fears and the ordinary state of man. It has to be there in the first place. Decisions must be made. It is we who must decide whom we shall serve. It is the outward circumstances that shall reveal whether the words that we have spoken are true. To the saint who already knows that he shall trust his Lord whether he lives or whether he dies, he will burn and be consumed by the glories of God. Circumstances shall become opportunities to prove that above all else and despite the loss of everything, they love the Lord their God with all of their heart and soul, mind and strength. He who willingly gave everything for them, they now willingly give everything for Him.
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The thing that I greatly feared.
Posted by appolus on May 10, 2022
Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
This portion of scripture is often presented in some sort of negative fashion, especially by the Charismatics. They see this as an admission of a lack of faith and somehow blame Job’s very fears for bringing upon him his calamities. This of course, is totally false. We already know that Job was a blameless man of integrity, who, under severe trial, held fast to his integrity and honor of God. Now rather than this being a negative, it is actually very much a positive. Job never took anything for granted. He had a very healthy fear and reverence for God. He feared for his children that somehow they may dishonor God and sin. He would arise early and make sacrifices to God and pray for each of His children.
The question is, brothers and sisters, do we have the same kind of fear and reverence and integrity that Job had? Do we take our many blessings for granted? Do we presume upon the blessings and the mercies of God? How then shall we live? With our eyes wide open to a world that is full of possible distractions and temptations. Not just for ourselves, but for the children that we raised. What are we sacrificing for our children? What burnt offerings could we present before the Lord as wise and faithful servants? Perhaps the preferred career could be sacrificed in order to make more time for that which is truly important? Perhaps there is no real need for the great big house or the latest car? The story of Job reminds us that all of a sudden, an ill wind can blow and our circumstances radically change in a very short period of time.
One small comfort for Job would have been to know that he did everything a good father could do for his children. It guarantees nothing, but it is something to stand upon. If we had a sick loved one and we did everything that we could do for them, in their passing there would be no recriminations. There is a wonderful peace to be had by doing the right thing with a cheerful heart. This is part of our love and integrity. This is how we should serve the Lord our God. With everything that is in us. It will not prevent adversity touching the hems of our garments, but it gives us a peace within to know that with all of who we are, we strove to serve the Lord our God with reverence and Godly fear and integrity. What can the storm do against such a man or a woman. Imagine, for a moment, God saying “have you considered my servant ………… (fill in your name) Treasure beyond measure.
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A Call To The Remnant 