Archive for the ‘the state of the church’ Category
Posted by appolus on November 16, 2020
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.
Perhaps you have reached a crisis point today? Will you call upon the Lord who is your refuge and strength and who is a very present help in time of trouble? Do you know that God is in your midst and you shall not be moved? God will help you at the “turning of the morning.” This means “at the break of Dawn.” You have heard the phrase “things are always darkest just before the dawn,” then praise the Lord we serve a God that shines His light into the darkest of situations. No matter what you face today, no matter how dark your situation, there is a God who cares and is working behind the scenes.
And He is not distant God, like the gods of this world. He is “a very present,” help in time of trouble. He is with us. He dwells in us and therefore He is always near. Whether you sense that presence or not, He is always near. If the Spirit of God dwells within your chest, then so does your heavenly Father and His glorious Son. So yes, He is near. He is not a days journey from you, He is your very breath. He is your high tower and we run into Him. We draw near to Him. How near? The nearness of your heart for it within your heart that He dwells. He hears your whispers on the wind. He hears your anxious heartbeat. The world may rage around you, the mountains may tremble and the waters roar. Yet just one word from our God and the whole earth would fall silent.
Come now to the mountain that cannot be shaken. Stand under the shadow of the Almighty. Lie down in the palm of His Hand. Let not your heart be troubled for our God stills the raging seas, He breaks the bows o. f the strongmen and He burns their chariots with fire. He will be exalted in your situation. The heathen and the unbeliever will marvel at His faithfulness to you. So, be still and know that He is God, He is your refuge and the righteous run into Him and they are safe
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 15, 2020
Sanctification. We could spend years speaking on the subject. The shaping of a man or a woman. Imagine a glacier cutting its way through solid granite. In its wake, mountains and valleys and paths for mighty rivers to flow.It moves at its own pace. There is no force in all the world that could stop its inexorable forward progress. It will meet the sea when it meets the sea. And when it is spent, there is a whole world created in its unstoppable often violent wake.
The thing about pain. When you hide a darkness in the deepest recesses of your heart it defies the depths and it shapes every part of who you are. You think that you have compartmentalized it, yet even the deepest chambers of our heart has fissures. No matter how tight the cell door, no matter that it lies at the center of your soul, the darkness bleeds out. It bleeds into every part of who you are.
Then suddenly the light. An impenetrable light that penetrates every part of who we are. All at once? The light of God marches towards the center of your soul. It takes captive every darkness as it makes its inexorable way to the very core of who you are. The light will not co-exist with the darkness. Sanctification will have its way. To the saint of God it is unstoppable as a jealous God takes every part of who you are and shapes you by immense forces beyond your capability of understanding.
I am 17. My wife has almost bled to death in the process of giving birth to our first born son. The cord was wrapped around his neck and she was hemorrhaging. An emergency cesarean section was carried out and our son was born. He was immediately moved to the intensive care unit and there he lay, attached to a machine that breathed for him and who knows what else. And there I sat beside him alone. A heart already darkened by a dark childhood. I will not let this child touch me.
The doctors recommended that he be taken of the life support machine. Two months premature and several minutes without oxygen, they said. The plugs were pulled. Two days he stayed alive. The nurse says “would you like to hold him?” I heard myself saying no. He was dying and I was dead and the gross darkness poured into a ship that had already overturned in violent seas. Stephen died. On the day of his burial they placed a small white coffin on my knee as I sat in the back of the hearse. I felt nothing until the hearse took a corner too fast and I felt Stephen’s body move within the coffin and a gaping hole was violently torn into the very depths of who I was. I would spend many many years plugging that hole.
Ten years later I got dramatically saved. All the years and overlays of the results of my sin were slowly but surely being removed. With every inch, the glacier was slowly reshaping me. Breaking down everything that stood it its path. The force of this change was unstoppable. And very suddenly after many years, the inner chamber was breached. I did not see it coming, I was not even aware of its existence. Yet one moment in a shower, singing praises to God was suddenly and violently replaced with cries from the very depths of my heart. This man, always in control, was not in control. I fought to control the sobs and the racking of my body.
I put my hands over my mouth but could not contain the pitiful noises that were coming from this ancient chamber, locked away for so very long. My poor wife heard me and rushed into the bathroom in time to see me clinging onto the tiled walls. I can still see that look on her face. Total confusion. More than that, she was terrified at what she was looking at. I could not articulate what was going on. Darkness and shame and guilt and pain and sorrow were pouring out of me and there was nothing to be done until it had emptied itself. And just as suddenly as it had begun, it was gone, leaving me physically and mentally exhausted. Yet, I felt so much lighter. A profound change had occurred. It was 15 years in the making but it was now God who was doing the making and He leaves no stone unturned.
The thing about pain, it leaves an indelible mark upon our soul. The thing about change, it uncovers every indelible mark. Sanctification, the process of being set apart and becoming more and more like our Lord means there is no hiding place. There is no chamber that does not belong to Him. Buy an old house and everything left in the attic and the basement belongs to you. We have been bought with a price, everything belongs to the Lord. He is Lord of all, every part of who we are. He is always in the process of changing and renewing and remaking. What could resist a glacier? Who can resist the Lord? The Potter and the wheel and the clay.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, sanctification, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 13, 2020
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.Dan 6:10
Wicked men who hated Daniel and who were jealous of him came up with a decree that they persuaded the king to sign. This was a trap. By decreeing that no man or woman could petition their God for thirty days they knew they could either control Daniel or destroy him. Now Daniel certainly knew this. What he did was instructive for us today. Now perhaps many of us would go home and shut our windows and pray to God anyway despite what had been decreed. Maybe some of us would follow the decree and rationalize it by thinking that it was only 30 days, what harm would it cause? Daniel went home, and with his windows wide open, prayed unashamedly to the one true God.
Now saints, we are living in a day when many traps are being set for us and there will be many more to come. The enemy will not be satisfied with “30 days.” If Daniel had relented, then another decree would come along more intense and longer in duration than the one before. It is not good enough for the enemy to see outward compliance. He will demand much more than that. He will demand that you bow down to him and acknowledge the lie as truth. Compromise leads to disaster. It is one step down a slippery path and at its end lies destruction. The two wonderful aspects of Daniel’s story was that he unashamedly, in the face of certain death, refused to deny God or bow down to the decrees of this world that demand we deny our God and His truth. The second wonderful part was the fact that God was with Daniel in the lions den. What was decreed for his destruction only strengthened Daniel in the end.
What is pressing upon you saint? What decree is the world demanding that you compromise your faith for? Do not do it. Like a paid blackmailer, it will not end there it will only get worse. Better to go down into the lions den and meet God there. One is temporal and the other is eternal. If you cannot run with the footmen now without being wearied, how then shall you contend with the horses when the world is drowning in gross darkness? Stand upon the truth saints and do not be moved.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 11, 2020
Oh vine, how precious are you now
I am safe within thy graft
Sap flows to every part of me
Now I am part of something vast
With every part of who I am
I in thee abide
Precious waters flow to me
Like a great incoming tide
Life, I feel it’s precious flow
And in that life I dwell
It’s deep and it’s unquenchable
To me an never ending well
Oh the depths of what has set me free
Abiding in the vine and the vine in me
Just to be part of the Olive tree
Sets my grateful soul on fire
Oh Lord my God now comes the fruit
Tis thy work alone, tis every shoot
Tis all thy work who pruneth me
Who died and rose and set me free
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 11, 2020
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
The freedom to do what is right, towers above the prison and the chains of commandments. One is initiated by love, the other is enforced by the whip. Holiness comes from freedom and freedom comes from love . And this love inspires and draws us and compels us to honor and respect and obey our Father in heaven. His love is the very air that we breathe and the air before His throne is rarified air and if we cannot breathe this air then we die. The impetus for us to follow the commands that are written upon our heart is love. It is more powerful than the commands that were written upon tablets of stone. Those who would sin without conviction and use some kind of legal fiction (cheap grace) to excuse or justify their actions simply do not have the laws of God written upon their hearts.
The grace of God is such a beautiful and dynamic and fundamental part of our relationship with the Lord. It is never a license to sin, God forbid. It is the very opposite for those who know Jesus. When we sin there is a separation between ourselves and the one that we love. We cry with David “restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” The blood bought heart can never be at peace when there is any kind of distance between it and his Lord. Love compels us to humble ourselves, broken and contrite, and come before our Lord in confession so that we may once again walk in the beauty and closeness of His presence and holiness.
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Posted by appolus on November 10, 2020
Many Christians have what they call ” life Scriptures.” Particular Scriptures that have been most applicable to them in their lives and in their situations and these Scriptures have grounded them and kept them on the narrow path. This is one of my favorites….For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2Tim 1:7) Fear can so dominate out lives in all its many shades and hews. It fuels anxiety and stress. Fear is gasoline poured upon your troubles. Troubles is certainly something that we shall always have, but fear is unnecessary. And by that I mean living in fear. Slavish fear, fear that binds us hand and foot. Fear that captures the mind and overwhelms it, rendering us captive to it. How do you know if you have been captured? Do you have a sound mind? Have your thoughts taken hold of you? Can you ” turn them off?” Can you sleep at night? Do you ” walk the floor?” These are all symptoms of not having a “sound mind.”
In days long past it was referred to as having a quiet mind. Oh the beauty of a quiet peaceful mind. It’s in this quiet peace that we can hear the still small voice of God. The enemy seeks to take this quiet from us so that we cannot hear the lord. He seeks to have our minds like the sound of many waters, roaring seas, a din that cannot be stopped. It is vital, absolutely vital that brothers and sisters have a quiet mind. The fear that fuels the noise is not of God. First it comes from our flesh and then is magnified by the enemy. Distraction is the order of the day, but it’s not Gods order. You have to confront your fears in the power of God. He has given you power over it. In the yielding of our lives to Him we have been given a spirit of power and love and self-control. Make no mistake, this is an enemy that will shadow you all the days of your life. You have to be vigilant and put on all the armor of God to do battle with the enemy of God and the enemy of your soul.
There is a reward to those who overcome, there is a reward to those who endure, there is a reward to those persevere. Stand up brothers and sisters. I know you may have fallen down, maybe even multiple times to the enemy which is fear, but stand up. Count all things as loss for Christ and to be found in Him. It will not come naturally, in fact quite the opposite, which is why it is a battle. But be of good cheer, for we worship a supernatural God who hears the cries of His people and who is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and His presence. Who, with discipline and single-mindedness continue to seek out their God no matter what situations come along. Do not condemn yourself if you have despaired. The great men of Scriptures despaired. The levels and the depths of your despair is often the height and the measure of your trial. Stand up, stand strong, stand in the power of God, stand in the evil day.
It is not the falling down that is the measure of the man or woman of God, it is the rising up. Rise up today from your bed of fear and anxiety and cast all your cares upon Him. Trust Him. Know that we can lose everything in this world but we cannot be taken out of His hand. You may not feel His presence today, but He stands with you and goes before you. You may not feel the heat of the sun at night but nevertheless it is there and come the dawn the sun shall rise. This may be a dark time in your life but this I want you to know, the sun will rise again, there shall be a dawn that follows the darkness of your situation. Persevere saints and one day soon we shall gather before the throne and praise together. The Bible tells us to put on a garment of praise for a Spirit of heaviness and that the Lord inhabits the praise of His people. Begin to praise the Living God today in a sacrifice of worship and wait and see the fire of God fall upon that sacrifice.
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Posted by appolus on November 9, 2020
Rom 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
This phrase “against all hope,” or “contrary to hope,” reveals a very wonderful truth. In this particular case we see that Abraham and his wife are well beyond the age of bearing a child. Sarah’s womb was dead, it could indeed carry no life. And so in life we oftentimes run into situations that defy hope, stand diametrically opposed to hope. All the evidence of the rational mind and the finest expert opinions dash any worldly hope upon the rocks of hopelessness and despair. Yet brothers and sisters, it is a glorious thing to remember that our hope is not the hope of the world. Our hope is founded upon our God and His word, His promises. His word is not broken, His promises cannot be broken. And it is this hope that is a wellspring of joy and peace and love and a sound mind.
This wellspring is Jesus who died upon the cross, and was laid in a place of death, like Sara’s womb. And yet, just like Sarah’s womb, Life would rise up out of that place of death by the very power of the Spirit of God. And just as righteousness was imputed to Abraham who against all hope, believed in hope, the hope of glory, the hope of life springing up from the dead, we too have righteousness imputed to us, who believe in the risen Christ, the Son of the Living God. He is our hope of Glory and in Him we have standing before God.
Perhaps you face a hopeless situation today? Can I tell you brothers and sisters, there is no hopelessness in Christ. He is our wellspring of Hope, and from the Well, springs eternal hope. Trust in Him despite the seeming hopelessness of your situation. There is nothing too difficult for our Lord. God is with you today as you navigate the narrowest and most difficult part of your journey. He is a lamp unto your feet in the darkness and He is the light that will lead you through the valley.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, 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 November 9, 2020
Saints are you ready? God is sending a refining fire. Our God is a consuming fire. The fire, as we speak, is being kindled. You may have heard talk of revival. There is something coming that is so much higher than revival. There is something coming that the world has never seen before. A Church united by persecution. An ancient unity first spoken of in John 17 by the Lord Jesus Himself. A Church arising from the ashes of mediocracy. A Church ushered into the glory.
And on the other side of that is the unity of the world. A world unified by the brotherhood of man. A world united by it’s hatred of everything that opposes its own virtues. A bold enraged world that is about to initiate a grand inquisition. In every town and in every city and in every nation of the world there will come the question. “Will you bow down?” Will you bow down to the gods of this world? The tower of Babel is rising from its ancient foundations. It will rise up in rebellion against Jesus.
If you refuse to work on the construction of this tower then a united world will turn on you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.(Mat 10:21-22) Saints, your family will turn on you. If liking President Trump split families, what do you suppose will happen when Jesus becomes the issue?
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another (Mat 24:9-10) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come…..they shall be…without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, without self control, fierce, despisers of those that are good….traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God……having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof(1 Tim 1:5) I put it to you saints that this generation has arisen before our very eyes. We raised them.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…..For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet…..And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. (Rom 1:21:28)
Saints we are dealing with a world given over to a reprobate mind. We are that generation and as such we have been called to stand in the evil day, to not be ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole Gospel, and the truth upon which it is founded. This is the power of God. This is the fire of His refining. The fire comes in the reaction of a Godless world to the God of all creation burning in the hearts of His saints. We are the match that lights the fire. It is the Truth and our love for it that will be the last piece of evidence against a world that has rejected God.
We have been called for such a time as this. A glorious calling. A final calling at the end of the ages. A calling that sees us walk in the unity that Jesus spoke of. The glory of that unity shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The cost? Everything. The enemy is coming in like a flood and God is raising up a standard. He has called us up to higher ground. He has called us forth to raise His banner high. The banner of Truth. And when one of us is taken by the enemy and destroyed, another rushes forward and hoists it high over the battle-field.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high his royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory
His army shall he lead,
Till every foe is vanquished,
And Christ is Lord indeed.
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 remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 8, 2020
Keeping short accounts. This is one of the most vital aspects of our walk with Christ. The Scriptures tell us to be angry and sin not, but not to let the sun go down on our anger. Letting the sun go down on our anger is like a beaver putting one more stick in the dam. One more stick in the river. It keeps building and building and it slowly begins to choke of the water. Stick by stick, offense by offense, laying on top of one another, rising up into something bigger and bigger and bigger. Unresolved issues permeating our hearts and affecting every part of who we are.
There comes a point when the river is dammed up. It is no longer flowing. It is going to take an almighty effort now to break that dam and when it is broken, it comes rushing down in torrents, full of flooding power and debris. It is a big mess. It is so important that there is not this kind of buildup, that there is always a free flowing river, for this is the river of life that flows from the throne of grace straight to your heart. It is the source of your joy and strength in the Lord. This is the river that makes glad the hearts of the saints.
So keep a short account. If you fall out with your husband or your wife, do not let the sun go down on that situation. First, forgive them or ask for forgiveness depending upon the situation. And then put flesh on that forgiveness. It could simply be a kiss on the cheek. A cup of coffee. Reaching out and holding their hand. A warm smile. Very small things in the bigger picture of life, but sometimes an incredibly hard obstacle to overcome. Do it. It is the manifestation of forgiveness. It is your forgiveness made flesh. It is a proof and a seal to the work that has been done in your heart. It is so often a bridge over a chasm that has opened up.
Keeping a short account is to keep the river of life flowing. It is a spiritual artery from heaven that brings life giving sustenance straight to your heart. The condition of your heart is the most vital aspect of your walk with Jesus. It is from the heart that the issues of life flow forth. If it gets dammed up you have choked yourself of from that abundant life. It is hard to survive living on trickle, it is spiritual death when the river has dried up.
Get of the roller coaster of highs and lows, trickles and floods and life sapping drama. Instead, keep the river flowing. Make no mistake, it is by an act of our will and obedience to the Word of God and the still small voice that keeps us well watered. Start today saints and flow in the waters of life.
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 | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 7, 2020
I believe God ordained President Trump so that the hypocrisy of those who spoke about tolerance was exposed and their true hatred and intolerance revealed.. Secondly, what has happened in the last four years is like the drawing back on the bowstring. Back, back, back, almost at straining point, and then……..release.
A torrent of dammed up hatred against the saints is on the very verge of being released. The four years was a temporary alleviation of a global march by the elites. Just for a moment, with Brexit and President Trump it looked like globalism had been dealt a death blow. Now it has sprung to life again and is angrier, bolder, more arrogant and more dangerous than it ever was before. It no longer feels the need to hide behind the masquerade of tolerance. Stand fast saints.
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 | 10 Comments »
Posted by appolus on November 6, 2020
There is a direct correlation between unconditional love for God and peace. Is your love for God conditional? In many ways we wont know that until we face a certain set of circumstances and those circumstances are different for everyone, God knows though. That is why that while there is one narrow path through this world the saints experience that path differently.
The circumstances of your life will tell the tale. The more we love God unconditionally the more we walk in peace. The greater the witness. One might argue that unconditional is unconditional. There cannot be more unconditional or less unconditional. I would agree with that in the abstract. Yet in the practical working out of our lives and our salvation, we often discover, to our horror, that we are not what we thought ourselves to be. Meaning that we fail in certain circumstances. We fall down. In the failing and the falling down, we see how far we fall short of His glory. We see our desperate need for Jesus and the absolute imperative that we surrender all, actually surrender all as opposed to merely singing with feelings that precious old Hymn “I surrender all.”
So unconditional love for God means that we make no deals. It is God that says to us “if you do this.” The Scriptures are full of the word “If.” What can never happen is the opposite. We can never say to God “if you do this.” We worship a Holy God for no other reason that He is a Holy God and He is deserving of our worship, quite apart and distinct from our personal circumstances, no matter how good or how dire they are. Unlike our circumstances, God never changes.
In the natural we understand the phrase “Unconditional surrender.” The Germans and the Japanese both discovered what that meant. Have you unconditionally surrendered to God this day? Have you surrendered your husband or your wife? Your nation? Your children? Your finances, your standing in this world? Your reputation? Whatever percentage you hold back for yourself, it will directly detract from your walk with Jesus and the peace that surpasses all understanding. Identify within yourself what you have held back. Surrender it. The high water mark is complete and total unconditional surrender. How do you measure up?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on November 6, 2020
“Lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.” (2 Cor 4:4)
I want to focus on “The Gospel of the glory of Christ.” What is the Gospel of the glory of Christ? We know that the word Gospel means good news, so we could say it is the good news of the glory of Christ. Do you know the glory of Christ? If the good news itself is about the glory of Christ, is it possible to share the Gospel if you yourself have not experienced the glory of Christ? And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one (Joh 17:22) Jesus is saying that His glory comes from the Father and that He has given us this very same glory. And why? So that we may be one. So, without the glory we cannot be one with Father and the Son and we cannot be one in the oneness of the Body. Have you been given the glory? And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Have you saw His glory?
Do you know the Glory, have you been given the glory and have you seen the glory? In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple ( Isa 6:1) Have you had a vision of God? Have you experienced His manifest presence? In Hebrews chapter one it is stated that Jesus is the radiance of His glory. And so, if we know Jesus then we know the light that emanates from God Himself, this light is the glory of God. Many of have seen the corona of the sun when an eclipse occurs .The corona is the aura that surrounds and emanates from the sun. It is only at the moment when the moon blocks out the sun that we dare gaze upon it and see the aura. To gaze fully into the sun itself would render us blind. The glory of God is the aura that emanates from Jesus. He is so Holy that we can only know Him by His aura. Jesus is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. By taking on flesh Jesus was like the moon that enabled us to look with unveiled eyes about the radiance of the glory of God without destroying us mere mortals in the process.
We must know His glory. His glory is a gift from the Lord Himself, He allows Himself to be seen by the power of the Holy Spirit. We see His glory, we stand in awe, just like Isaiah, at the glory of God. We ourselves would be undone if it were not for Jesus. We could not stand in that place unless we were covered by His blood. By becoming one in the Father and the Son we can stand in the glory. We can bask in the radiance of His glory. We are empowered and renewed and strengthened by the glory. We rise up by the power of the glory. We speak of Him only by the empowering presence of His glory. In short, we do all things by the glory of God and for the glory of God and without the glory we can do nothing. Can you see how important the glory is? It is the power of God and the beauty of God and the holiness of God. If we would walk in the beauty and the holiness and the power of God we must know the glory of God. Do you know His glory?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, 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 November 4, 2020
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
I had a dog named Jack. One of my favorite dogs. He walked without a leash, every dog I have had walks without a leash. Jack could be in full flight after a rabbit and I could call him of and he would return to me. When a bike would approach him on the trail he sat. When other dogs would pass him he ignored them. He would run the fields and the tall grass in front of me as we walked.
To get to that point it took discipline and consistency over time. There was a sternness to my voice when needed and punishment too when required. Yet, because he and I had the proper relationship, and he understood his need to submit, his need for obedience, his brokenness so to speak, it was Jack that reaped the rewards. I would say that he had more freedom than any other dog in the neighborhood. This has been my experience with the Lord. I am sure some will object to the master/dog analogy but for me it really fits. As a young man and a young Christian ( i came to the Lord at 26) I was very headstrong, rebellious and undisciplined. I marvel at the patience of my Master, my trainer. I too experienced discipline and I would say that it came mostly in the Lord allowing me to suffer the consequences of my actions. If He had shielded me from them I doubt I would have ever learned a thing.
Another aspect of my dog was that he always kept me in his line of sight. He could be fifty yards away but as long as he could see me, as long as he knew I was there, he was at rest in his activities. He could be dashing around the tall grass and suddenly his head would come up, see where I was, and then he was back to his activities. His world revolved around his proximity to his master and all was right with his world as long as he could see me and was close to me. Do you keep the Lord close? Can you see Him high and lifted up? Do you follow Him at a distance as opposed to walking side by side?
Now consider the un-disciplined dog. He walks with his leash and is always straining against it. He never gets to run, he never gets to explore, his master cannot trust him and always has to keep him on a tight leash. The disobedient dog will never experience freedom. The unruly dog is forever confined. He is constantly being choked as he pulls against his leash. Can I suggest that this is the experience of many saints, the saint who will not yield to discipline, who will not be mastered, whose will is forever clashing with the will of the Master. Jesus must be our Lord, He cannot only be our Savior. Do not listen to any theologian who would tell you otherwise.
To be obedient to the Lord is to be free. The brokenhearted and the contrite saint is the free saint. We have been called to freedom. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Gal 5:1) For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives (Heb 12:6) Will you be free? Then will you bow the knee? It is in the bowing of the knee, the yielding of the spirit and the obedience to His word and voice that throws of the shackles of sin and produces a freedom and a peace that surpasses understanding.
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Posted by appolus on November 2, 2020
My fellow Americans. There is a tension in the air, is there not? An anxiousness. Its kinda hard to describe. I remember standing waiting for the leather belt in Catholic school. You knew what was coming, the deed had been done, the sentence handed down, and now you were just waiting for the punishment. Outside the class, outside the assistant headmasters room. Sometimes inside the class, where there was five other guys getting belted before you. A wee bit of a knot in the stomach.
Or perhaps someone challenged you to a fight after school. In my world the phrase was “your claimed.’ So, inevitably it would be a long day until the bell rang. Instead of a day it has been more like a year In America and the bell is about to ring. You get this inner sense that America stands betwixt two points and whatever way it goes there can be no turning back. There are multiple ramifications no matter which way it goes. Yet it was always good to get the belt over with. It was always good to get the fight over with. Some kind of sense of relief. Even a bad report from the doctor is better than the not knowing.
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, this is an excellent opportunity to strike a blow against anxiousness. Do it now, do it before the vote is cast so to speak. Show the Lord that your faith means something, your trust means something. Scripture tells us that the just shall live by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Trusting in God, what a wonderful affirmation of your love for Him and who He actually is. I believe our whole sanctification is measured by the barometer of trust/faith. We are called to cast all of our cares upon Jesus. Casting a vote is one thing, but to cast all your cares upon Jesus is the very essence of our lives in Christ. By an act of the will, do it today, do it now.
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Posted by appolus on November 2, 2020
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
The greatest revelation of God in my life has come in the midst of my needs. It has not come in my wants or desires or accomplishments it has come in my needs. The greater the need the greater the revelation. The second time of greatest revelation of God in my life has come when I have sinned against Him. There is no deeper humiliation for a saint than to have failed his Lord badly. Yet, when I approached the throne of grace with my head hung low and with a spirit within that was crying out ” woe is me for I am undone,” then suddenly I am encountered with love and forgiveness even although I myself had desired punishment and penance to atone somehow for my sin. Now I am undone not because of my unworthiness but because of the realization of the depths of His love and faithfulness to me. It is His holiness that saves, it is his grace that is sufficient and it is His faithfulness that will never fail. He increases in my heart and I decrease as I realize the very source of all that I am in Him and in Him alone.
If our sins lead to humility and repentance and brokenness before the throne where we receive a greater and deeper revelation of who God is, and they do, then would not the enemy of our souls do everything in his power to keep us from this place? And the easiest and most effective way to do that is to convince us that we never have to seek that place out. Do not be fooled saints, God is glorified and revealed to us in the depths of our needs, our infirmities and our failures. Should we then seek to be in need or to be infirm or to sin so that God may be glorified?
God forbid. I can guarantee that you wont have to seek out needs or infirmities or sin. They will find you because you are finite and corruptible. But an infinite God will one day raise you up in in-corruption. And until that day comes His grace will be sufficient for you. He will meet you in the depths of your needs. He will be faithful to forgive all of your sins when you come before Him and confess them. And in all of that you are drawn ever deeper into the heart of the Father.
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Posted by appolus on October 30, 2020
(Jas 1:2-4) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into many kinds of temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith produces patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Trials and tribulations will ultimately bring out the best in genuine Christians and the worse in the religious man. The harder the circumstances get for the genuine Christian, the more he is forced to his knees and driven deeper into the heart of the Father. He is humbled and contrite as he understands how weak he is and how much flesh he still has. Ultimately the results of this is more love, more peace, more forgiveness and more understanding.
The harder the circumstances become for the religious man, the more bitter he becomes. He has no joy or peace. He will not forgive his enemies and his hatred for those he perceives to have caused his sufferings increases dramatically. So, the trial and the deep valley is death to one and life to another. The flesh dies and the spirit rises.
The genuine saint faces the same danger as the one who has never known Jesus if he reacts in the same manner as that one. The difference will be their love for the word of God and their love for God Himself. A saint is motivated by His love for God and his passion for the truth that is written, not only in the Word but upon his heart. It is the driving force of his life. It is his very heartbeat, the essence of who he is.
Nothing else matters when sin disturbs this, it has to be put right for the alternative is distance between him and the one that he loves. When you find yourself in the midst of troubles of any kind dear brother and sister, resist the flesh’s desire to run into a dark corner and react as the world reacts. Do the opposite of what the flesh demands of you, draw near to God and He will draw near to you and you will grow in the Lord and in the power of His might.
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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.
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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.
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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 »
A Call To The Remnant 