A Call To The Remnant

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Making war with the remnant

Posted by appolus on January 2, 2019

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Much has been written about “the woman,’and her “seed,” Who is the woman,?Who is the seed,? Who is the remnant? You can read any number of books and articles on this subject. I don’t want to write about that today. I have written many times about the remnant, indeed my website is entitled “A call to the Remnant,” and my Facebook page is simply called “The Remnant.” Yet you wont be able to read anything I write, then fit me into a certain eschatological camp. Now you will know that I do not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, but that is about it.

I want to focus on the last few words of the above verse. When talking about the remnant of her seed John describes them. He finishes the sentence by saying they are those who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Let me ask you something saint. Do you have the testimony of Jesus Christ in your life? Do you keep His Word? Then you are the remnant of God and you have an enemy that has made war against you.

In the latter days, which I believe we are in, then the enemy will come against the saints for a “final solution,” if you like because his time is short and he knows it. He will not come after folks simply because they are called “Christian.” He will not come after the apostate church and denominations that already do his bidding such as approve of abortion and sanction gay marriage and so on. Why would he? They are a vital ally to him as he seeks to weed out the wheat from among the tares. In Christendom today we see a field of tares and among them are stalks of wheat. And so, how to identify them? You will know them by the fact that they have a testimony. Every genuine saint has a testimony of Christ in them. And if called to give their testimony the saint gladly gives it. He or she will tell you how they were born again, how they became a new creature in Christ. They will rejoice in the retelling of that story.

They will also live exemplary lives. They will not be perfect people but their lives will glorify God. In their communities people will know of them because of the change in their lives, their very lives are a testimony to the power of God. Hundreds of years ago, many genuine saints were identified for execution because everyone in their towns or villages knew them because of their exemplary lives. Now this flies in the face of those who preach cheap grace, but that’s ok. As it was then, so now shall it be. The very lives of the saints will identify them. Their love for one another and their love for the truth will mark them. This too has always been the case. A genuine saint will never and could never deny the truth of Christ in them or the Word of God. They will not compromise with the world. Their very lack of compromise identifies them for the enemy. He will know who to make war with and his fury will be boundless, but be of good cheer saint for the Word of God says in the very same chapter that ……………….

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
(Rev 12:11)

So brothers and sisters, the enemy can and will make war against us. His power and fury will be great but blessed is the name of the Lord for He who is within us is greater than he who is in the world. By the blood of the Lamb we stand justified before a Holy God and no power that exists can ever take us out of Hid hand. By the testimony of Jesus Christ in us we stand as a witness, as a light that shines into the darkness. And because of that , because we have already died and been born again, we fear not the death of this body nor the one who can kill this body, but we magnify the one who has the power not only over our bodies but over our eternal souls. In this we stand. If He is for us, who can be against us?

Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

My Highest for His Glory

Posted by appolus on December 30, 2018

I was writing a book of devotions but have decided to put them on a specific page called “My Highest for His Glory.” I will publish three a week, one at the beginning, one in the middle of the week and one on a Friday. If you want to read them, click om the link below and then “like” the page, and feel free to share with anyone you think might need to be blessed. https://www.facebook.com/My-Highest-for-His-Glory-1520600…/…https://www.facebook.com/My-Highest-for-His-Glory-1520600074738714/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Devotions, end times, 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 church, theology | 1 Comment »

An atmosphere of hatred-the tipping point

Posted by appolus on December 23, 2018

Many years ago I watched a documentary about the rise of the third Reich. One of the women they interviewed said something I will never forget. It was in the 60s so it was more than 20 years after the war ended. She was asked why she had supported Hitler and why she attended the rallies and why she was so fanatical about him. She said the following “there was something in the atmosphere and we all breathed it in.” It was such an honest profound answer and in fact it was a spiritual answer even if she was unaware of that fact.

I remember when I was a teenager in Scotland. I had never been to a Celtic v Rangers game. This game was legendary. They were both Glasgow teams and the rivalry went back over one hundred years. There was an added element to their rivalry, in fact this was the major distinction of the two teams. Celtic was a “Catholic,” team and Rangers was a “Protestant,” team. This religious element only heightened the hatred between the two sets of fans. The “atmosphere,” at the game was supposed to be brilliant, such was the passion between the two sets of fans. I went to my first game when I was about 18. I discovered the atmosphere was one of sheer hatred. Even although I was completely neutral, I felt myself getting swept up in the “atmosphere.”

Today we are living in an atmosphere of hatred. One might argue, correctly, that rivalry between different groups such as blacks and whites, straight and gays, liberals and conservatives have always existed and have always been bad. I would agree but I would also argue that there is a tipping point. Once the tipping point has been achieved, it spills over into the atmosphere which then effects everyone to one degree or another depending on how much you give yourself to it. It is one thing to breathe it, it is quite another thing to breathe in deeply. The saint should be surrounded by rarified air, the air of love and grace, an atmosphere whereby one does not render evil for evil.

The tragedy of rendering evil for evil is all around us. If you hate, for whatever reason, you are being slowly eaten alive from the inside out. You have breathed in the poison. The great tipping point here in the States has been President Trump’s election. One side thinks their hatred is justified because the other side is so bad. Hatred, for whatever reason, no matter what side you are on, is a consuming fiery cancer The thing about hate is that either way it wins. And when the tipping point is reached and hatred runs amok, then the destruction of society inevitably follows. It could be World War one or two. It could be the Russian revolution. It could be the 1960s and the race riots. It could be Rwanda or the cultural revolution. There is an antidote and if we fail to seek it and to live it then we shall destroy ourselves and fall into the darkness. If you choose to breathe in deeply the air that is all around us and spew out more hatred into the atmosphere then your fate is sealed, or you could breath in the rarified air of peace and love as the Lord Jesus has commanded us saying……………

You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Mat 5:43-48)

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 | 1 Comment »

Letter released from Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain church in China

Posted by appolus on December 22, 2018

This is a letter from Pastor Wang Yi, the pastor of the Early rain church who was arrested last week by the Chinese government along with his wife and one hundred other members. The letter was to be released if the pastor was not set free after 48 hours. Please take the time to read this from a dear brother in prison for the cause of Christ. It should inspire you to not be afraid and stand upon the Rock that is Jesus. It is quite long but then what is a few oments compared to our brother and his wife and fellow brothers and sisters who now rot in a Chinese prison………………….

On the basis of the teachings of the Bible and the mission of the gospel, I respect the authorities God has established in China. For God deposes kings and raises up kings. This is why I submit to the historical and institutional arrangements of God in China.

As a pastor of a Christian church, I have my own understanding and views, based on the Bible, about what righteous order and good government is. At the same time, I am filled with anger and disgust at the persecution of the church by this Communist regime, at the wickedness of their depriving people of the freedoms of religion and of conscience. But changing social and political institutions is not the mission I have been called to, and it is not the goal for which God has given his people the gospel.

For all hideous realities, unrighteous politics, and arbitrary laws manifest the cross of Jesus Christ, the only means by which every Chinese person must be saved. They also manifest the fact that true hope and a perfect society will never be found in the transformation of any earthly institution or culture but only in our sins being freely forgiven by Christ and in the hope of eternal life.

As a pastor, my firm belief in the gospel, my teaching, and my rebuking of all evil proceeds from Christ’s command in the gospel and from the unfathomable love of that glorious King. Every man’s life is extremely short, and God fervently commands the church to lead and call any man to repentance who is willing to repent. Christ is eager and willing to forgive all who turn from their sins. This is the goal of all the efforts of the church in China—to testify to the world about our Christ, to testify to the Middle Kingdom about the Kingdom of Heaven, to testify to earthly, momentary lives about heavenly, eternal life. This is also the pastoral calling that I have received.

For this reason, I accept and respect the fact that this Communist regime has been allowed by God to rule temporarily. As the Lord’s servant John Calvin said, wicked rulers are the judgment of God on a wicked people, the goal being to urge God’s people to repent and turn again toward Him. For this reason, I am joyfully willing to submit myself to their enforcement of the law as though submitting to the discipline and training of the Lord.

At the same time, I believe that this Communist regime’s persecution against the church is a greatly wicked, unlawful action. As a pastor of a Christian church, I must denounce this wickedness openly and severely. The calling that I have received requires me to use non-violent methods to disobey those human laws that disobey the Bible and God. My Savior Christ also requires me to joyfully bear all costs for disobeying wicked laws.

But this does not mean that my personal disobedience and the disobedience of the church is in any sense “fighting for rights” or political activism in the form of civil disobedience, because I do not have the intention of changing any institutions or laws of China. As a pastor, the only thing I care about is the disruption of man’s sinful nature by this faithful disobedience and the testimony it bears for the cross of Christ.

As a pastor, my disobedience is one part of the gospel commission. Christ’s great commission requires of us great disobedience. The goal of disobedience is not to change the world but to testify about another world.

For the mission of the church is only to be the church and not to become a part of any secular institution. From a negative perspective, the church must separate itself from the world and keep itself from being institutionalized by the world. From a positive perspective, all acts of the church are attempts to prove to the world the real existence of another world. The Bible teaches us that, in all matters relating to the gospel and human conscience, we must obey God and not men. For this reason, spiritual disobedience and bodily suffering are both ways we testify to another eternal world and to another glorious King.

This is why I am not interested in changing any political or legal institutions in China. I’m not even interested in the question of when the Communist regime’s policies persecuting the church will change. Regardless of which regime I live under now or in the future, as long as the secular government continues to persecute the church, violating human consciences that belong to God alone, I will continue my faithful disobedience. For the entire commission God has given me is to let more Chinese people know through my actions that the hope of humanity and society is only in the redemption of Christ, in the supernatural, gracious sovereignty of God.

If God decides to use the persecution of this Communist regime against the church to help more Chinese people to despair of their futures, to lead them through a wilderness of spiritual disillusionment and through this to make them know Jesus, if through this he continues disciplining and building up his church, then I am joyfully willing to submit to God’s plans, for his plans are always benevolent and good.

Precisely because none of my words and actions are directed toward seeking and hoping for societal and political transformation, I have no fear of any social or political power. For the Bible teaches us that God establishes governmental authorities in order to terrorize evildoers, not to terrorize doers of good. If believers in Jesus do no wrong then they should not be afraid of dark powers. Even though I am often weak, I firmly believe this is the promise of the gospel. It is what I’ve devoted all of my energy to. It is the good news that I am spreading throughout Chinese society.

I also understand that this happens to be the very reason why the Communist regime is filled with fear at a church that is no longer afraid of it.

If I am imprisoned for a long or short period of time, if I can help reduce the authorities’ fear of my faith and of my Savior, I am very joyfully willing to help them in this way. But I know that only when I renounce all the wickedness of this persecution against the church and use peaceful means to disobey, will I truly be able to help the souls of the authorities and law enforcement. I hope God uses me, by means of first losing my personal freedom, to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ.

Regardless of what crime the government charges me with, whatever filth they fling at me, as long as this charge is related to my faith, my writings, my comments, and my teachings, it is merely a lie and temptation of demons. I categorically deny it. I will serve my sentence, but I will not serve the law. I will be executed, but I will not plead guilty.

Moreover, I must point out that persecution against the Lord’s church and against all Chinese people who believe in Jesus Christ is the most wicked and the most horrendous evil of Chinese society. This is not only a sin against Christians. It is also a sin against all non-Christians. For the government is brutally and ruthlessly threatening them and hindering them from coming to Jesus. There is no greater wickedness in the world than this.

If this regime is one day overthrown by God, it will be for no other reason than God’s righteous punishment and revenge for this evil. For on earth, there has only ever been a thousand-year church. There has never been a thousand-year government. There is only eternal faith. There is no eternal power.

Those who lock me up will one day be locked up by angels. Those who interrogate me will finally be questioned and judged by Christ. When I think of this, the Lord fills me with a natural compassion and grief toward those who are attempting to and actively imprisoning me. Pray that the Lord would use me, that he would grant me patience and wisdom, that I might take the gospel to them.

Separate me from my wife and children, ruin my reputation, destroy my life and my family – the authorities are capable of doing all of these things. However, no one in this world can force me to renounce my faith; no one can make me change my life; and no one can raise me from the dead.

And so, respectable officers, stop committing evil. This is not for my benefit but rather for yours and your children’s. I plead earnestly with you to stay your hands, for why should you be willing to pay the price of eternal damnation in hell for the sake of a lowly sinner such as I?

Jesus is the Christ, son of the eternal, living God. He died for sinners and rose to life for us. He is my king and the king of the whole earth yesterday, today, and forever. I am his servant, and I am imprisoned because of this. I will resist in meekness those who resist God, and I will joyfully violate all laws that violate God’s laws.

The Lord’s servant,
Wang Yi

Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »

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