Archive for the ‘the state of the church’ Category
Posted by appolus on October 14, 2016
I am lost in the silent depths
Of Your secret wonders
Like gazing at the universe
And the sky above that thunders
Who could plummet the depths
Of a peace beyond all measure
Who could even begin to count
What’s amassed in Your heavenly treasure
Who could soar the heavenly heights
Of the glory that’s all yours
Who could begin to guess the strength
Of your power that simply endures
I can plummet all of Your depths
And soar to the heavenly heights
I can walk by the strength of Your arm
That takes me through the darkest nights
Your heavenly treasures supply all my need
They simply never come to an end
There is peace and joy and boundless hope
From my Lord, my Master and my friend.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 14, 2016
This election proves that this country is under judgement. Terrible choice presented to the people but if you look closely, both these candidates with all their faults, are pretty representative of the population as a whole. People typically get the leaders they deserve. As for the saints, we must not be caught up in fray. Now, I don’t believe that means we do not speak the truth in love with boldness, we must speak the truth in love with boldness, it is our calling, we are a light in the darkness. We are the salt of the earth, it is through us that goodness and light prevail. Even as they turn on us, and they will with boldness, very soon, we must still be that light, that salt, that boldness and fearlessness for the cause of Christ. It is indeed by the Blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death that they overcome.
Now, I have written for years about hypocrisy. It is something that Jesus roundly condemned. The Pharisees were the only people who really caught it from Jesus, He did not hold back in his criticism of them. He completely ignores the Romans, not a single harsh word about them, but slams the Pharisees whom he refers to as hypocrites and white washed tombstones, meaning they looked good on the outside but He knew exactly what they were like on the inside.
The Romans were evil brutish people who for entertainment would roast people and crucify them and feed them to animals and do other things that were so horrendous you could not write about them. But they were what they were, they did not pretend to be anything other than what they were. The Pharisees on the other hand were ” actors,” which is the Greek word for hypocrite. What they said in public was not what they said or did behind closed doors. And so, I have always reserved my criticism for hypocrisy.
I lost quite a few friends for severely criticising George Bush, the golden boy of the Evangelicals. Yet, his actions spoke louder than any words. Now this election cycle my focus has been on the actor, the one who says one thing publicly but in private is a completely different person. So let me say this loud and clear, Hilary Clinton is a clear and present danger to born again Christians. Not religious people who call themselves Christians, but actual Christians.
She and her supporters will come after anyone whom she considers to be deplorable. Now, one of her tests for being deplorable is how someone views homosexuality. If you view it to be a sin, then , in her and her supporters eyes you are a homophobic and deplorable and irredeemable. Now, the meaning of that word is ” beyond all hope.” I want Christians to know that the stage is being set for persecution. Within eight years of a Hilary administration, it will be illegal to speak to the issue I just mentioned in public. It will be a litmus test for every pastor and church in the land. Now, the answer to that is not Donald Trump, it is Jesus Christ.
There are no answers for the saints in Washington DC. Persecution is coming and saints, it will be your friends and family that will be doing the persecution. Yet this is exactly how the Scriptures says it would happen in the great falling away. So, our hope is in Jesus and we shall stand strong in Him and even if the whole world turns against us we shall not be moved. Be encouraged saints, greater is the Spirit within you, than the spirit that is in the world.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, End Times Eschatology, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 19 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 9, 2016
Christ is real no matter our circumstances and the reason we have seeker-friendly watered down Gospel is because people have been taught by ear tickling men. Christ dying on the cross is doom and gloom to those who are perishing but glory and victory to those who are not. Paul speaking out from his dungeon words of faithfulness is glory and majesty but the fearful can only see the dungeon. Stephen glorifying God as the stones rain down is glory and majesty but to the fearful is a terror because their eyes are not on the eternal glory of the Living God and His children but on the temporary temporal things of this world. In Christ there is no fear, He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. So, to those outside of the Spirit , doom and gloom, to those who walk according to the Spirit glory and majesty. Only God Himself can give us these eyes that can see the glory in the very midst of suffering for His name sake.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on October 1, 2016
I just wanted to share what I sensed in my spirit today. ” It is slipping away.” Now you may ask what ” it ,” is.Truth is, I could not give you an answer. All I know is that the feeling was profound enough to bring a tear to my eyes. If you have read anything I have written for the last several years you will know that most of my writings came in the form of some kind of warning. The coming storm was a constant theme. The remnant was another. Now, truly for the first time, I sense that ” it,” is slipping away and that the saints are at the threshold of facing the greatest challenge any generation of saints worldwide have ever faced.
So many local storms in the past, some extremely intense. Never in the annals of Christendom has their been a world wide storm. Let me give you an example of the outer-bands of this storm. Just last week, a friend that I have known for years, many years, who has stayed in my house, accused me of being a racist. The reason? I told him that gay marriage was a sin in the eyes of God. There was time he would have agreed with me. Now why the accusation of being a racist? Well here is the logic. If I am against gay marriage, then I must be against bi-racial marriage. Dont ask me to explain that logic, I cannot , I can only assign it to the signs of the times. The love of many are waxing cold and they have been seduced by lying spirits. If you take a stand for the truth it is going to cost you.
I have written critical things of Hillary Clinton and that has gotten me into trouble. The very first piece I wrote last march, before Trump was even nominated was ” Trump-have we unleased a monster?” Interesting is it not, when you follow the truth you will be lambasted by both sides. Yet, be that as it may, I will continue to follow the truth and speak it as led no matter what the cost. What is not going to happen is that I will not be intimidated by people on either side of this issue. I do not have a side in this issue, I seek to speak truth to power and let the chips fall where they may. There is an old Hymn ” If none go with me, still I will follow.” This will be the challenge to the saints in this new age that has broken over us. The age where the word police and the thought police try to stifle freedom. Genuine saints will never be silenced for the Truth burns in them greater than any fire that the enemy can conjure up.
When the three Hebrew children were faced by the mightiest man in all the earth and refused his proclamations they are dragged in front of him and in front of the fire that was to consume them. These “powerless,” children confront this might man and they tell him that even if God does not deliver them from this fire they will never bow down to the gods of this world. And in the heart of this man a fury erupted and he made the fire seven times hotter. When God’s children today confront the gods of this world there will be a fury that breaks out against them such as has never been seen before. Yet here is what I know, in the very midst of that fury, in the hottest part of that fire, in the midst of the greatest storm ever known, Christ walks with His children and so it ever shall be.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, discernment, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 15 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 25, 2016
Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. (Heb 13:13-14)
Speaking of the outpouring at Azusa street in Los Angeles in 1906, before the scourge of denominationalism got a hold of it Frank Barltleman writes the following………….
The spirit of the song given from God in the beginning was like the Aeolian harp in the spontaneity and the sweetness. In fact it was the very breath of God, playing on human heart-strings, or human vocal chords. The notes were wonderful in sweetness , volume and duration. In fact they were oft-times humanly impossible. It was indeed “singing in the Spirit.”
We had no pope or hierarchy. We were brothers. We had no human program;the Lord Himself was leading. We had no priest class nor priest craft. These things have come in later, with the apostatizing of the movement. We did not even have a platform or pulpit in the beginning. All were level. The ministers were servants, according to the true meaning of the word. We did not honor men for their advantage in means and education, but rather for their God-given gifts. He set the members in the Body.
The services ran almost continuously. Seeking souls could be found under the power any hour of the night or day. The place was never closed nor empty. The people came to meet God. He was always there. Hence a continuous meeting. The meeting did not depend on the human leader. God’s presence became more wonderful. In that old building with its low rafters and bare floors, God took strong men and women to pieces, and put them back together again for His glory. It was a tremendous overhauling process. Pride and self-esteem could not survive there.
No subjects or sermons were announced ahead of time, and no special speakers for such an hour. Know one knew what might be coming, what God would do. All was spontaneous, ordered of the Spirit. We wanted to hear from God, through whom whoever He might speak. We had no respect of persons. The rich and the educated were the same as the poor and the ignorant, and found a much harder death to die. We only recognized God. all were equal. It had to start in the poor surroundings to keep out the selfish, human element.
We were delivered right there from ecclesiastical hierarchism and abuse. We wanted God. When we first reached the meeting we avoided as much possible human contact and greeting. We got our head under some bench in the corner in prayer and met men only in the Spirit, knowing them ” after the flesh,” no more. All obeyed God, in meekness and humility. IN honor we preferred on another. The Lord was liable to burst through anyone. One would finally get up, anointed for the message. It might be from the back seat or from the front. It made no difference ( Frank Bartleman) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, Church history, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Frank Bartleman, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 7 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 24, 2016
When you reckon the words of the Lord to be true, when you believe what He says about you, when you begin to walk in that knowledge, when you combine that with the presence of God and the ability to come before the throne of grace, then you are changed from glory to glory. You mind is transformed, your intellect is enlarged, your wisdom flows from God, people are amazed at your walk, especially if you’re an unlearned man and they wonder how that all happened. They see a former broken man, a man from a broken background, a man from a generationally broken background and they see a new creature in Christ. Not a perfect man but a man who walks in the light of heaven. Who walks in the shadow of the Almighty, who now walks down the narrow path having been taken from the broad path of destruction and they cannot help but wonder and say to themselves ” surely there must be a God.”
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on September 20, 2016
I have flown in heavenly places
Yet still confined to earthly spaces
There’s a part of me that has touched the skies
And with each touch another part dies
Two forces yet only one eternal part
One love that has forever filled my heart
The glory of the crimson tide forever changing me
Lifts me up then takes me down into the glassy sea
I stand enshrined in this mortal coat
Yet the Love of God itself keeps me afloat
Adrift and carried by the crimson tide
The Bridegroom ever beckons home the bride
In this world but surely not a part
To another Kingdom belongs my longing heart
This other Kingdom burns inside of me
As it carries me into the glassy sea
As I approach the glory to be found
I find myself once more on Holy ground
A place where I will find eternity
A place that lies in the midst of the glassy sea
Oh longing heart with wings you must take flight
And lift me from perpetual fleshly night
And deliver me to where my Saviour reigns
A place where at my feet lies broken chains
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 16, 2016
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Heb 11:13-16)
Brothers and sisters, what have you seen afar off? Have you glimpsed the glory of the living God? Have you seen behind the veil into that eternal place, the eternal holy of holy’s? Have you lifted up your spiritual eyes and saw beyond the limitations of this world? These are the things that can only be seen by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. If we only had eyes that could see only this world how miserable a creature would we be. Surrounded by fears and anxieties, wars and divisions overseas and at home. A corrupt political system that has culminated this year by backing us into a corner where the only way out is through people like Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton. What a mess this world is in. Aren’t you glad you don’t belong to this world? Does your heart long after that heavenly homeland, that heavenly country yet to come? We know that God has prepared a place for us. A place without sin, without darkness, without weeping. A place that we come to by passing through the impenetrable light, made penetrable by Jesus.
The hymn says that because He lives we can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone. These are true sentiments. It is because He lives that we know that the ground beneath our feet is solid ground. We stand upon the reality and the promises of the living God. And even though the world tries to press into that with its own reality, stand still brothers and sisters and do not be tempted to wander into the sinking sands of a world that is going down. In such times as we live, with the ever closing storm of affliction and persecution closing in, it is all the more important to lift up our heads and see the glory of the Living God. Not only should we lift up our heads, we should also lift up our voices in these days in which we find ourselves.
Every day the world grows more hostile to the Body of Christ. Yet the glory of God is eternal. The blessed hope of our Savior never changes. His power, His glory goes on forever and He draws us and beckons us to come up higher. As our enemies come in like a flood all around us, He says to us to come up higher. Lets take our eyes of the world and the storms that are raging all around us and lift them up to Him. Lets lift up our thoughts and our prayers towards that heavenly city. Close your eyes and see with Spirits eyes your destination. Go neither to the left nor the right but continue on that straight narrow path that leads us home. It awaits us saints.Glory to God.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 16, 2016
This morning I was having a very unpleasant procedure. I was getting shots in my spine, in the neck and lower back. Before the procedure the doctor asked if he could pray with me if I did not mind, he said he prays for all of his patients and went on to acknowledge the Lord as the great healer. When I was laying face down there was music in the background on the radio. It was some noisy heavy rock stuff. The doc made the comment that it was not very relaxing music. So someone turned it of and then, all of a sudden a women, one of his nurses began to sing a hymn. I am lying there, knowing many people were praying for me, and here was this woman singing a hymn. The doctor said to her ” you have worked for me for 11 years and have never sung for me before.” When the procedure was over I got up and asked who had sung. The nurse came over and identified herself. I hugged her and told her that many people had been praying for me and that she had blessed me by singing. In the other room, another nurse was watching over me and we began to talk. She had had a troubled life and she shared with me some of the details. I shared with her a little of my own troubled background and shared with her how I had found healing and wholeness with the Lord. So, a day that was unpleasant physically was a a day that the Lord could use, first to reassure me and then to reach out to the nurse. Thank you Jesus.
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 | 8 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 11, 2016
One of the candidates used the word “irredeemable,” this week to describe countless millions of Americans. The definition of the word irredeemable is “being beyond remedy, hopeless.” I want to tell you that this statement pronounced on millions of human being comes from the darkest side of our human nature. I want to warn folks to remember the lessons of history. Once a class or a group of people are branded as irredeemable, beyond hope or remedy, then bad things typically happen to that group as a consequence. Black people in this country were once considered less than human, two thirds human. We know well of the terrible carnage released in regard to the Hutu and the Tutsi in Rwanda which began with one group reducing the other group to less than human and calling them ” rats.” Obviously we know what happened to the Jewish people in Germany when they were classified as people of no worth or consequence. The very heart of Christianity is redemption. The enemy of redemption, the one entity who would pronounce people irredeemable, is the devil himself. There is great danger that faces humanity in the days in which we now live. My hope lies in the great Redeemer of my soul who never considered me irredeemable but loved me so much that while I was yet in my sin He died for me.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 10, 2016
Hi Saints, been writing this devotional for many years, kinda stalled out at the end of April, it may never be finished but here is what I have. I am starting at January 1 🙂 ….bro Frank
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Perhaps you have a family member or friend or loved one that seems to be in a hopeless situation, you may even have given up all hope for that person. Yet Our Lord is Hope itself. Hope is the wellspring that all of our joy flows from. We have two choices in this life, even as a Christian, we can live in hope or we can despair. Hope gives birth to joy and to life and to strength. It is because I am in Christ that my hope springs eternal. It is awesome to know that our Heavenly Father is willing to go to enormous lengths to fulfill His plans.
You can only see a snap-shot of your life but the Lord sees it all, from beginning to end. Keep on seeking the Lord with all of your heart. He will bring you out of this place that you find yourself in. Lift up your eyes today and see where your help comes from. Your help comes from the Lord. He sees the afflictions of your heart and He knows your pain. Be encouraged today saint, the Lord your God is with you and He wants you to know that. (January 1,My Highest for 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 presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on September 7, 2016
How many times have you invited someone to church? Its kinda what Christians do. You meet someone who is not a Christian and maybe you say ” you should come to my church on Sunday,” or ” you have to hear my pastor,” but perhaps you don’t say anything. Given most reliable stats, you don’t say anything.
I suppose asking someone to come to church is better than not saying anything at all, maybe. If the whole thing is a cop-out then perhaps we need to search our own hearts? Sharing your faith is something that should come naturally. Can I ask you, when was the last time you meaningfully shared your faith with anyone? Now, I don’t ask this question to put a snare on anyone. If the stats are correct, then 92% of us never share our faith. I want to suggest that this is a tragedy.
In the day and age that we live in it has become increasingly difficult for people to share their faiths. I want to suggest that this is not simply because of the shallowness of what currently passes for Christianity, although that certainly plays a part. Neither is it simply that the generation we now live in has been preceded by more than one generation of cheap grace conversions but of course that also plays into it. No, we are now living in a society where one of the high crimes is to offend someone. This is a generation that is hyper sensitive to being offended. They would rather surround themselves by like-minded shallow people and create an echo-chamber where no difficult different idea has to be dealt with.
Society has new rules and new ways of dealing with anyone who steps outside of social norms. Let’s say you had some legitimate concerns about illegal immigration. To voice them is to be punished with the new whip. It used to be the cat of nine tails now it is the label. Voice a concern about a politically incorrect subject and you are branded a racist or a bigot. Voice a concern about gay marriage and you are branded a hater. So, in any number of subjects you can be shut down simply by being branded, pigeon-holed and at the very least, ignored. Now why would the enemy of our souls seek to create a society that is hyper sensitive to being offended?
Gal 5:11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
You see, the cross, the central tenet of our faith, is an offense to those who are perishing. When shared and preached by the power of the Holy Spirit the fundamental aspect of who we are in Jesus and what is required of men by God becomes utterly unacceptable to men. Now we live in a day and age where offending someone is rising to the level of criminality. We are only a few steps away from the central truth of Christianity being criminalized. That central truth that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but through Him.
If you cannot share your faith now, in any meaningful way, if the best that you can do is say to someone that they should come to your church next Sunday, then can you see the trouble that you are in? If you cannot do it now, when the only ramification is an offense to someone, how will you be able to share your faith when it will be against the law? By overly relying on the one man system in our churches, where only a few get to exercise their gifts, we have effectively starved the Body of Christ of edification. We are a mal-nourished group of people barely able to share even the most basic aspects of our faith, but rather all we can do is feebly point towards someone else and hope they tell them the truth.
When we encounter someone and the Holy Spirit creates an opening for us to share the Gospel, it should be our our life-blood, our passion, to take that opportunity and share whatever the Lord lays on our heart to share. Not passively hand them off to someone else with a feeble invite that they may not even take you up on. The world has a phrase” Carpe diem,” seize the day. We, as Spirit filled Christians, must seize our moments. I believe we shall give an account to the Lord for the moments He created. Now every tear will be wiped away from our eyes no doubt, but how much better to hear these words ” well done good and faithful servant.?
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 | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on August 25, 2016
Five months ago we rescued a two month old male Labrador. At the age of seven months Jack walks without a leash. He heels, he sits, he comes, he drops things from his mouth when told to. He is the envy of the other dogs that see him each day because he is not shackled to his leash. He runs ahead of me, or lingers behind, he runs the fields and the tree line. He loves to run in the tall grass and I love to watch him zig zag through the grass. He runs into the forest chasing rabbits and chases squirrels up trees. Even in full flight of rabbits he will cut short the chase when commanded.
Now to get to the point we are at now took discipline and consistency. There was a sternness to my voice when needed and punishment too when required. Yet, now that Jack and I have the right relationship, now that he understands his need to submit, his need for obedience, his brokenness so to speak, it is Jack that reaps the rewards. I would say that he has more freedom than any other dog in the neighborhood.
You know, 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 ( came to the Lord at 27) 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 is that he always keeps me in his line of sight. He could be fifty yards away but as long as he can see me, as long as he knows I am there, he is at rest in his activities. He can be dashing around the tall grass and suddenly his head will come up, see where I am, and then he his back to his activities. His world revolves around his proximity to his master and all is right with his world as long as he can me and is close to me.
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 the immature saint, the saint who would not yield to discipline, who would not be mastered, whose will is forever clashing with the will of the Master.
To be free in the Lord Jesus is to be obedient. The broken-hearted 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 peace that surpasses understanding. And that peace comes from trust and faith in Jesus, not only as our Saviour which He most certainly is, but above all our Lord and Master in whom we follow and obey all the days of our lives.
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 | 11 Comments »
Posted by appolus on August 20, 2016
Unashamedness. To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is to be emboldened in a supernatural way that cannot be confused with someone’s personality. Peter is a great example of one who was denying Jesus with curses to one who spoke without any thought as to the consequences of the truth he was sharing and of course it did ultimately lead to his death.
A lack of shallowness. The enormity of eternity, the reality of the Kingdom which is now and is to come overwhelms the one taken up by the impartation of the Spirit.
I believe this depth comes from the actual experience of the presence of God. One moment before the throne ruins us for this life. And what I mean by that is that the things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory. It is not that there is not beauty and love in this world, for there surely is, it is that in comparison to His beauty and His love all other things fall short, and that phrase is not enough. There is the the presence of God which is otherworldly and then there is everything else.
To be in that place before the throne is to be home, is to be one, is to be complete, is to be fulfilled. The Lord Jesus states in John 17 that the reason that He came was so that we could be one just as He and His Father are one, that we could be where the glory is. And so, for those who have experienced the ” glory,” then all other things simply fall into their natural place.
The strange thing is, that even although the things of this world grow strangely dim, they are only dim in comparison to His light. For the mountains and the rivers and the birds of the air and the waterfalls and the magnificent creatures of the earth are magnified in the hearts and minds of the saints, no one appreciates the beauty of the creator more than the saints because they can see through eyes that have been opened to the true nature of all things. The smallest bird to the great blue whale, we are captured by it all because we know the creator, we know the artist.
Yet, the magnificent glory of the Godhead, the magnificent presence of God only serves to compel us on no matter the circumstances of our lives. Because we know that we are headed home and no matter how difficult the journey, nothing shall stop us from putting one foot in front of the other for every single step brings us closer to basking forever in the resplendent glory of our heavenly Father. I can say with all honesty that I long for the day of my homecoming. I long for the day that I dwell in that place where there is no sin, where there is no shadow of turning, where there is only Him and His glory. Let us long together saints in this journey that we share and encourage one another with the great blessed hope that lies within us.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on August 17, 2016
Before I encountered God in new birth I felt zero worth and this was the root cause of all of my problems in life, be it anger or alcohol or drugs and so on. Without any details, I was robbed of any worth as a kid. I set of down that typical destructive path. My brother ended up in prison, in and out for many years, my sister fought her own demons and died last year ( not before finding God, praise Him)
Encountering God in the new birth,there sprung forth life. Yet every life needs the light to grow, nothing grows in the darkness. And so I have had at least two significant encounters with the inspiration of Calvary after the new birth which has significantly changed the actual wiring in my head. You see, to know what Jesus did is revelation through His word but to truly understand it requires inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
To inspire someone causes them to grow because of what you have imparted. Have you been ” inspired,” by the Holy Spirit, has there been an impartation? How will you know? How would you not know? It changes everything. If you have never experienced this then I urge you to seek and to plunge the depths of Calvary, consider the cost, consider the anguish and the agony of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. What kind of love is this??? Something above and beyond our wildest imaginations. Can it be grasped?
Yes, it is a work, it is the work of the Holy Spirit and it is found by those who diligently seek it out. If you are looking, He will find you, He will reveal to you, He will inspire you and impart to you the depths of His love as seen on that old Rugged cross so despised by the world. And you will finally see your true worth as all the lies of this old world fall away like scales from your eyes. Your worth is founded upon His love!
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Posted by appolus on August 10, 2016
This poem is for all the folks who have suffered loss and know what it means to hang in there. To overcomers and those who endure the darkest nights, God takes special delight in turning their ashes into something incredibly rich and deep and profoundly beautiful. When we can comfort others with the comfort that we ourselves have been comforted with then we become lighthouses in the darkness. Remember there is a direct correlation between the depths of suffering and the heights of glory. Don’t be told otherwise.
When the cliffs are to your back
And the tide is coming in
When the waters surely rising
And you know you cannot swim
And the water comes so slowly
But you know there’s no escape
It laps around your ankles
It will take what it will take
You know your slowly drowning
But you do not seem to care
What you really are afraid of
That come the morning your still there
How many tides have come and gone
How many fogs have rolled on in?
How dark has been the darkest night
It tries to drown the light within
And suddenly you realize
You are a beacon in the night
You stand above the highest tide
Eternally a shining light
A lighthouse standing on the Rock
For all the world to see
Standing whole and strong above the storm
Shining light for all eternity
Through endless storms and ages past
Through every dark and stormy night
You’ve come to learn this single thing
There always comes dawns early light
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Posted by appolus on August 7, 2016
About four years after I was born again I remember crying out to God ” Lord, whatever it takes.” It was such a serious prayer of my heart and I knew that I knew that the Lord said ” Okay Frank.” The next twenty years were brutal and my life was dismantled piece by piece. Dreams were shattered, ambitions lay broken on the rocks of life, family life, Christian life, ministry, every aspect of what I had known was slowly but surely consumed in a refining fire. I can say now that I would not have it any other way, but if I had had a glimpse into the future I would not, with such ardent zest, cried out with the same passion. I would still have desired it but with a knowing wisdom rather than some thoughts of glory. The battles and the foxholes of life have taken away any boyish notions that there is any other glory in all of this life other than His glory. It is His glory and His,story…………bro Frank
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Posted by appolus on August 2, 2016
What is around the corner for the Body of Christ? I believe that within the next ten years we will be living in a society that will not accept the fundamental teachings of the Bible. How will this play out? We are heading for a time very soon where born again Christians will not be allowed to teach in public schools first, then in any schools. We will be banned from colleges and universities. We will not be allowed on the police force or the armed forces. There will be no government job open to any genuine saint. Media will rid themselves of anyone holding to views that run counter to the popular culture. Homosexuality and your views towards it will be a litmus test in every sphere of life, and not just public life. You will be deemed as unfit parents if you teach the biblical truth that homosexuality is a sin. For homosexuality will move fully into the category of civil rights. No pastor will be able to refuse to marry two men or two women, and if he does, he will lose any official capacity. Christian businesses will be boycotted at the behest of the state and then banned outright.
Now the strange thing is, outside of irony, that none of this will have anything to do with homosexuality in and of itself. No, this has to do with the truth. It’s always been about the truth. In every century and in the last two millennium its been about the truth. After the litmus test of homosexuality will come an assault on the great pillar of truth itself. Jesus says ” I am the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) This, even more so that people’s views on sexuality, will be the rod that will be used to strike the backs of every genuine saint. You see, the world will demand that all those who believe that there is only one way to heaven and that all other paths lead to hell, be “put away.” And so it will all come down to truth and our love and commitment to it. The thing about truth is, no matter what the subject, whether it was as in previous centuries infant baptism or transubstantiation, its adherents will not yield. Not because they are particularly invested in one subject or the other but they are sold out to all of it and all that it encompasses even to the point of death. And why? Because the genuine saint has fallen in love with Truth. Jesus is the way and in that way we must walk. Jesus is truth and upon His revealed truth we must stand. Jesus is life, and only by walking in Him and standing upon Him can we have that life.
So get ready saints. It will be difficult but is there anything too difficult for God? We will have to persevere and overcome but remember all the promises of the Lord are made to those who overcome and endure till the end. For a long time in the West we saints have had little resistance from the authorities. It will not be so anymore. The Son of man is coming back in all of His glory and the enemy of our soul knows it well. The Lord has prepared a place for us and we must take hold of that place. For those who stand upon the truth have a high tower in the Lord. For those who do not yield to the world but trust the Lord in all their ways, they will have a peace which surpasses all understanding. There are no surprises to God, He knows what is coming against His children and He has equipped us for such a time as this. Hold all things loosely but never let Him go. Esteem not the praises of men and do trust in them, but look to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. He and He alone is able to fulfill and complete the work that He has begun in you and He will be faithful to do just that. That part is His work, our part is to trust and obey and we will see that there is no other way.
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Th 2:10-12)
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Posted by appolus on July 28, 2016
In the emptying process He removes the stones and rocks and the clods from our hearts and refines the flesh. The desires of the world lose all their allure as He draws us to Himself. If we yield to the process then He draws us closer. I would love to say that in my experience it has been a one-time yielding, but no, not so simple. Time and again the calling comes. The deeper and the closer we come, oftentimes the deeper the cut. Shall we yield to the surgeon’s knife? Shall we yield to the sculptor’s chisel? I would say that only a vision of heaven itself could draw us to such yielding.
Just one moment in His presence. Can a single moment ruin us for the things of this world? Is it possible that after that moment the world turns to black and white? Then another miracle happens. As we begin to look at the world through those captivated eyes, the color begins to return but it’s not the color of the world, it’s the color of heaven. Now one truly sees the sunset because one has been intimate with the artist. I can see a waterfall and my spirit soars because I know the hand that crafted it. The mountains raises me up to higher places,to the place where they were born. The stars in the heavens draw my eyes upwards and my spirit follows the path of my gaze and I find myself in higher places. The hand of a child, a single ray of sunshine through the clouds, a wave that crashes to the shore, soon enough I see my Lord in all of it. I see His beauty everywhere.
Yet the darkness prevails and time and time again it comes against the light. Yet, out of that moment, out of His presence there is born an eternal longing that no darkness can quell just as no hand could hold back the tide. He comes. Yes and He comes again to those who would wait upon Him. How long shall we wait? However long it takes. This is the kind of love that would wait a thousand years. The kind of love that would fill an ocean with tears. The kind of love that was birthed in heavenly places. And so we yield, and so we die to this world. And we are drawn ever closer to the next until the day comes when we step over into the world that has touched us and called to us.
There is glory in all of it. It is a grand tapestry and we are but a thread. Can we see the vision of the artist? Can we see the vision of the sculptor? It is not so important to see the vision of the artist or to see the finished sculpture, it only really matters that we see Him, Him who creates it all. And in seeing Him we see everything in a single moment. Now with eyes that have gazed upon the Master we see it all so differently. Have you seen Him? Can you see the world through the eyes of Him who made it all? It’s a glorious vision and it continually draws us.
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Posted by appolus on July 26, 2016
We may expect, therefore, that in these end times, when the events of the ages are to be focused into one, that we shall discover the pattern of this great hour prefigured and typified everywhere in the sacred Scriptures. This is the day of the “fulness of the times.” The ends of the ages have come upon us. Not the end of the age; not the end of the ages; not the ends of the age; but even “the ends of the ages” (1 Cor. 10:11, Literal). And therefore, just as the river which begins as a trickle in the top of some mountain, flows down the steeps and through the plains, and gathers into its flow the waters from all the springs and rivulets and streams along the way–and finally empties all its accumulated waters into the ocean, so it is with the stream of God’s purposes.
There was judgment and there was glory with every age and every dispensation that God ever gave; but now we have come to the ends of the ages when all the judgments as well as all the glory of bygone ages are to find their focus in this great hour. Why did Jesus say of the Jews of His day: “That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation?” (Lk. 11:50). Simply because the sum and substance of all the promises of the Scriptures were heaped together and offered to that generation in the Person of Messiah; and therefore in their rejection of Messiah all the judgments which were due to all preceding generations were heaped together and laid upon that generation. And so it actually came to pass, and was fulfilled in the desolation of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans in A.D. 70.
Now we have come to the ends of the ages. Once again there is an apostate religious system, upon which the wrath of God shall descend in great fury; and then shall be fulfilled the Great Tribulation, of which the desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Emperor Titus was but a type and shadow. That was a local event, concerning only the natural Jerusalem; this shall be a world-wide event, and all the earth–especially apostate Christendom–shall feel the mighty impact of the Day of the Lord. But as we have already discovered, the Day of the Lord is the unveiled might and power of the God of Heaven, descending in wrath upon the ungodly, but in great power and blessing upon the overcomer.
The dispensation of the Law could only end in tribulation and the curse: for it is a ministration of death. But the dispensation of Grace must end in glory and victory: for it is a ministration of life. The universal Church, however, has refused to accept the dispensation of Grace, and has continued from the earliest times to live under the dispensation of the Law. Religion continues to patch that which Christ has declared useless. The veil that He rent in twain has been sewn together, and the flesh continues to rule in the place of the Spirit. Instead of the blood of Christ, there is the work of man. Instead of new birth, there is moral rearmament. Instead of the Holy Spirit, there is fleshly entertainment. The Day of the Lord is at hand, even the ends of the ages, and great shall be the display of God’s glory. It shall be light, glorious light, or it shall be darkness, gross darkness; and that will all depend upon our position before God.
Just as all the wrath and judgments which were due to all preceding generations were heaped together and laid upon the generation of Christ’s day; so now, not only all the wrath but all the glory ever administered or ever offered to all preceding generations, shall be heaped together and laid upon our generation when the Day of the Lord is revealed. It shall therefore be Great Tribulation, such as was never known from the foundation of the world; but it shall also be Great Glory, such as was never known from the foundation of the world. To the one class of people it shall be a day of “darkness” and of “gloominess.” But to the other, “as the morning spread upon the mountains.” (Joel 2:2).
This is the focal hour of history. The glory of Moses’ day is for us; the glory of David’s kingdom is for us; the glory of Solomon’s kingdom is for us; the glory of the restored temple of Ezra’s day is for us; the glory of Enoch’s day, and the glory of Elijah’s day, and the glory of Paul’s day,–all this glory and much more is available to us, if we can hear His voice. (George Warnock)
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A Call To The Remnant 