Archive for the ‘the state of the church’ Category
Posted by appolus on May 23, 2016
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
I grew tired of living in fear and the Lord brought up situations in my life where they had to be directly confronted. One of my major fears was going to college. Another was quitting construction, another was speaking in public, another was money matters, another was self- image, another was facing a life threatening disease, and a thousand more besides. So, choices had to be made, confront or flee. Always, confront or flee. I was never condemned by the Lord when I ran. Now, I condemned myself, but not a single time did the Lord condemn me and I finally figured out that when I ran, the situation was still waiting for me and I was simply putting of the inevitable. I would go around the mountain again until I was ready to take on the obstacle. Yet probably the single biggest factor for me was recognizing that my fear was actually sin. Every single time I was afraid, I was saying “Lord, you are not Lord of my life, the fear is ” And I recognized that I was, in fact, a slave to sin because I had not reckoned on what the Lord had said to be true.
We cannot be slaves and free men all at the same time. If the Lord has set me free, if He has come and opened up my jail cell, what was I doing still in the cell looking out through the bars at the world? Why had I not walked through the door that the Lord had opened? Was it safer for me to stay where I had become accustomed to? Even although it was a slavish miserable place, was it still preferable to me than to go beyond the horizons of what I had ever known? Yes, for many years it was. I was like the Israelites, threatened by armies or thirst or starvation, who wanted to turn back to Egypt with the rationale that at least in Egypt, at least in slavery, they could count on certain things. That was me.
And so I was like a pioneer back in the wagon trail days. I had started a journey, which by the way typically started at a town in Missouri called, of all names, Independence. I traveled through different rugged States, overcame deserts and rivers and mountains which were called anger and fears and lusts and insecurity, and I finally came to a vast ocean. I found many camps there, all up and down the coast. Different camps of Christianity. They had all found their way here because they had followed trails. And yet their destiny lay beyond the horizon of this sea called “Dependence.” It was very comfortable on the shores, yet the master called every day. “Come away with me to a place beyond what you have ever known. There are no maps, you must cast yourself upon the sea of dependence and trust me.”
I looked around and saw what was happening to these people who had set up camp. The call from the sea lessened every day and many people started drifting back to the different States they had overcame. In a mad wild moment I decided, a decision of complete abandon, life or death, to throw myself upon the sea of dependence. And that is how I have come to be where I am right now. I am still on the sea, and I have no control where I will end up. I don’t care, I only know that the Lord has always been faithful and He has been directing and guiding all the way. So the question is where are you in the journey? Are you still in the jail cell? Are you somewhere on the wagon-trail crossing mountains and valleys? Are you by the sea of dependence? These are the great questions of life for every Christians. We must face these questions and they must be answered. Will you abandon yourself completely to the will of God?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 22, 2016
John 8:38 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Jesus is our victory, in Jesus our Lord we find true Freedom. The Scriptures say that He who the Son sets free is free indeed. This majestic freedom rises high above all earthly gained freedom. If men could attain freedom then Christ died in vain. Freedom given my men can be taken by men. The freedom wrought on Calvary by Jesus can never be taken from us no matter what our circumstances are.
How free was our brother the Apostle Paul when he languished in the deep? What about Peter and John as the lashes tore the skin from their back? What about our brother Stephen as the cruel stones destroyed his earthly body? I say that they were as free as the birds in the sky, no, so much freer than they. For the birds are as free as the sky in which they fly, our freedom ascends to the very throne of the Almighty God.
In the deepest darkest dungeons, chained to the walls, we are the light that penetrates and destroys the darkness, we are the salt of the earth. If true freedom could be granted or taken away by men then it would not be the freedom of Calvary. The gentiles busy themselves with earthly things, buying and selling, gaining and losing and for needs sakes we too must walk amongst them. And yet, we are a brotherhood, a Royal Priesthood sent to shine that light of Calvary’s freedom into every corner of the earth. We are called to be a counter culture, not a sub-culture.
So remember brothers and sisters as you go about your business today, you walk in freedom. Never forget what that freedom cost our Lord. You are free to follow Him and praise Him no matter what you face today. Choose to walk in freedom today, it is your choice. And to those who walk in freedom you also walk in victory. Let victory be yours today. Even although darkness surrounds us and the enemy desires to silence us, let us not be silent. Stand your ground my fellow saint for that ground is holy ground and it is victorious ground. The ground that you hold is the ground that was watered by the blood of the saints and the Blood of Christ.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 20, 2016
“Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Rev 3:19-21)
For too long we, as people of God, as the called out people have only entered into “His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.” And while there is great emphasis in ancient Israel for worship of joyful abandon and gladness, this was not the only “mood,” of worship. Even prior to Jesus manifesting Himself on the earth there was a worship of awe and of reverence where one could barely lift their heads. The power would fall, the shekinah glory of the living God would fall with such a “Holy heaviness,” that one could barely lift their heads.
If we are to move to a different place in God, as individuals and as a called out people, we must answer the knock at the door of our hearts. In order to hear that knocking we must abandon the cares of the world. Instead of seeking the gold and the silver of this world, we must turn our eyes to the treasures of heaven and its throne room. If we are to hear God, we must become silent before Him. We are moving into a time where it will be vital to be intimate with Him.
There is a time for shouting and praising God, but if we are ignoring the knocking, then we must stop shouting. If our lives are not reflecting the Glory of God, if we are not becoming like His Son daily, then all of our shouting and praising God will just be so much noise. How tragic for the church of the living God if, when He looks down, He does not see praise but just a group of people making a noise.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 17, 2016
Psalm 46:1 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her at the turning of the morning.
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. Cry out to Him today, trust Him today and if the Lord has called you to do something, please do it no matter if it makes sense or not. Trust in Him, He is the morning sun that rises in the heart of even the darkest of circumstances. Put your foot in the water with the Lord Jesus elevated above your circumstances and see if your river will not dry up and enable you to cross. Just test Him and see if He will not make a way where there seems to be no way.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on May 16, 2016
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.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 11, 2016
I was a fatherless child
A crushed and rebellious heart growing wild
Sinking deeper with abandon into the miry clay
Living for the moment, just living for the day
I could care less if I lived or if I died
No tears would fall from my heavy heart, even if I tried
A heart locked away and hidden behind iron bars
If you could see what He could see then you would see my scars
At the end of my road I was all used up and I was diminished
Then I heard these words of life ” oh Father it is finished.”
And light fell down from up above and the darkness fell away
The Lord had come to dwell in me and that is where He’d stay
My crushed and broken heart He healed
My eternal destiny was sealed
My sins were all forgiven on the day He set me free
He opened up the door of hell with His eternal key
My Lord and God He came to me and He has made me whole
He revived my heart and restored to me all that the locust stole
Now what the Lord has done for me, He can do for you
He can refresh the broken heart in you just like the morning dew
Lift up your eyes oh captive son
For your enemy is on the run
He has delivered you from slavery
He has broken chains and set you free
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 8, 2016
The story of Esther is a fascinating story. From the book of Esther we can see that she was a orphan, no mother and no father. Now, this would be difficult enough in any generation but it must have been very difficult in the ancient world. To add to Esther’s trouble she lived in a time when the king of all the land was looking for a new wife. The king was Ahasuerus and he was very powerful and his dominion was vast. It is reported in history that he had a bridge built near the ocean and it was destroyed by a storm. He had all the builders killed and he ordered that the sea be “whipped and chained.” They literally flogged the sea carrying out the orders of this man who had the power of life and death.
Now the reason he was looking for a new Queen was because his current wife and queen refused to appear before him and the royal court naked, wearing only a crown. apparently he had been boasting to other men just how beautiful she was and he wanted to show her off. She refused him and she would be replaced and banished and never be seen by him again. So, people were sent out into every corner of the vast empire to collect the most beautiful young woman who could be found and assemble them back in the capital city for preparation. Esther was chosen from her region, there would be 400 young women on all. Now you might think that this would be an incredible opportunity for Esther, but it was a truly horrifying prospect. Each young woman would be prepared for a year for their ” encounter,” with the king, meaning they would have to sleep with him. Out of these 400 he would choose a queen. The other 399 women would be, effectively, slaves for the rest of their lives. They would not get married or have children nor have a family. They would be kept in separate quarters and, unless they had somehow pleased this wicked old man, they would quite probably not be called upon again.
And so Esther’s life was one of many difficulties and she faced many trials. It is reckoned she would only be about 14 when she was taken. You can imagine the trauma. What really interests me is what happens after she is indeed chosen and becomes queen. She obviously has to make the best of it being married to a man famed for his hedonistic ways. Yet then comes the crisis that we know about from the book. The Jewish people face being wiped out and Esther is called upon by her uncle Mordecai, an honorable man, to make an appeal to the king. Esther has to break convention and enter into his presence without invitation, a crime whose punishment was death. So, she makes up her mind to do it and makes this statement in regard to it ” If I perish I perish.”
Although there is no mention of God at all in the book of Esther, I see her actions and her statement as an act of faith that can be found all throughout the Bible. In Revelation 12:11 it says “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” This loving God and following the truth more than loving one’s own life is fundamental in the examples of faith throughout the Bible. It is supernatural and can only be achieved by the power and the unction of the Holy Spirit operating in the depths of the children of God. I think of Job when he says in Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Now we know the life that Job had lived and the circumstances that had befallen him.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, faith, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the crucified life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 30, 2016
Are we Unleashing a Monster?-Donald Trump
I would argue that this current political cycle is a perfect example of form triumphing over substance. The rise of Donald Trump is the rise of form over substance. He merely taps into the mood of the people and says what he needs to say to get elected. He is an amalgam of our personality cult culture and business and now politics. This is the end result of a long process that could only truly find its successful conclusion with the rise of media and especially social media.
Now there have been notable people from the previous century that gives us clues as to how we got here. If we look at Hitler we see a man who could never have arisen without the aid of radio and the camera and of course circumstances. The circumstances are obvious. There was social unrest caused by a financial meltdown. This of course was severely aggravated with the rise of socialism and communism throughout the world. Given these fears and others, the people turned to someone who promised to make Germany great again. Someone who would face the problems of the day head on. Now they knew that he held extreme views but their fears for their present situation overcame any misgivings they may have had for him. The basic premise throughout the ruling classes was ” he would at least sort out the Communists,” which of course he did yet they had unleashed a monster.
Along with all those reasons, Hitler could still not have come to power without the aid of media. Radio of course was the social media of the day. People gathered in their living rooms and listened to his captivating speeches. They also went to the movies and saw such productions as ” Triumph of the Will.” A movie about the rise of the Nazi party that combined music and clippings of speeches and rallies. It is purported to be the greatest propaganda movie of all time and truly shows the power of media, form over substance, to move a whole nation. And of course that power has only increased exponentially over the last 80 years.
The first ever televised interview of two politicians debating was in 1960 and was between Nixon and Kennedy. Unbeknownst to Nixon, Kennedy had the heat turned way up in the studio because he knew Nixon had a tendency to sweat. When they both sat down to debate, Kennedy looked cool and collected while Nixon sweated badly. This had a great effect on the viewing audience. No matter what one of these men you liked, it could easily be argued that Kennedy knew the value of form over substance, it was less about what they were saying and more about how they were coming across to the audience.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, Donald Trump, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, politics, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 28 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 27, 2016
I think it is hard for many people to separate what victory means and what victory looks like.
Look at Jesus on the cross. Nailed up there, rejected, tortured, stripped naked, taken outside the city to the garbage dump, and killed there. A notorious and ignominious death. This is victory, this is what the defeat of Satan looks like. The world and the spirit of the world hates this. This physical death looks like anything but victory, but it is and He made an open shame of Satan, by this death, according to Scripture.
” Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” Can you hear the chains falling brothers and sisters? The chains of hell and sin and death. Foolishness to those that are perishing, victory and glory to the saints. Satan will soon be loosed once more only this time will be his end. Satan himself will come in the anti-christ and he will get what he has always wanted. Every tribe, every tongue, every nation will bow down to him. This is what, in the very beginning, caused his fall, pride. He thought he could take Gods place! And now here he is, every living being bowing down to him.
But wait, what will darkness do with the light of the saints? What will he do with the bearers of the truth? What did he do to Jesus? He will try and kill every voice that stands against him. But that’s okay, for the saints overcome him as Jesus overcame him. Not by avoiding death, but by embracing it and crying out like Jesus did, not rendering evil for evil. This is how evil is defeated. This is the victory, Satan may destroy our bodies, like he did with the Apostles, but victory reigns eternally in the spirit of the saints. Praise God Satan was defeated at Calvary and millions of saints after Him were able to follow His example and even after the great falling away, God’s remnant saints in these last days will follow His leading and we will take up our crosses willingly by the power of the Spirit that burns inside of us…………bro Frank
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, inspirational, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 25, 2016
Tozer writes………..
Allowing yourself to be out in such a position that God is exalted is the goal of living the crucified life. When you allow God to be exalted in your difficulties, you will be in the perfect position to smell the sweet fragrance of His presence (Tozer)
Have you found that to be true in your own life? The depths of His presence is no more deeply felt than in the depths of the valleys of our lives. The crucified life runs counter to every human emotion that we have. It is not natural at all it is supernatural. Brothers and sisters, if we can understand this, if we can desire this, if our chief end is truly to glorify God, then we will discover a depth of His presence that we have never known before.
How many of us say that we want the Lord to bless us? What does that actually mean? If the ultimate blessing is to know God in the depths of who He is and the only door that will lead us to that blessing is a door that says above it ” crucified,” will you walk though that door? Now please do not rush to answer that question. It’s an all or nothing question. There is no connection to be had between the mediocre Christian life and the crucified Christian life, they are worlds apart.
If we want to enter into a place of rest and I am sure that you do, then we must come through the crucified door. Think about the children of Israel entering into a place flowing with milk and honey, the promised land, praise the Lord the promised land. They had wandered all those years in the wilderness and now, the promised land. Before they could even start there was a river swollen by spring time waters. It took faith and a mighty miracle just to cross over. Battle over? Not so. Then they came to the most formidable walls you could imagine. It was beyond their ability to conquer. More faith more miracles required. Now, surely, with this huge obstacle removed it is finally plain sailing? No. Then came defeat at Ai. Lessons learned, now Ai is defeated, now we can finally settle down to a peaceful existence? No. More battles, more tests, more faith more miracles.
Brothers and sisters this is our lives as children of the living God. The crucified life is a series of battles, it is a life of overcoming. It is a life of subduing and persevering. Who will endure to the end? To whom are the promises made in the first three chapters of Revelations? To the overcomers, to those who endure to the end. It is to those who live the crucified life that all the promises are made. I want you to take heart today. Perhaps you have been discouraged by a life full of trials. My encouragement today is not to tell you that your trials are behind you or that there are no battles left ahead of you. This I know, there are battles ahead, all along the narrow path that leads to life.
Yet this I know also, that our God goes ahead of us. Our God loves us with an everlasting love and He is well pleased with His children who have laid down their lives and taken up their crosses. He is with us in the midst of our battles, He is with us as we walk through our trials. He is with you right now brothers and sisters. Can you smell His fragrant beauty? It flows down from heaven above when He is exalted in love. When we exalt Him in the midst of our trials then the light that dwells within us shines out through our brokenness to a lost and dark world. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, God's love, Jesus, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 21, 2016
Have you been subdued by the Majesty?
Has your head hung low in the glory?
Has your darkness been shattered by the light from up above?
Have you found yourself adrift in an ocean of love?
Oh God in heaven rend the skies and come down
May I fall to my knees with your glory all around
May the waters rise from the tears of a million saints
Let us enter into this place where no one ever faints
Brighter than the light of a thousand suns
Where time has no place and eternity’s just begun
Where every part of me is one with every part of you
And the glory falls and covers me like the morning dew
I am whole and complete, here before the mercy-seat
I am refreshed and restored where my mercies are replete
Oh God in heaven take me to this place
Where I forever look unto your face
Tears of joy and wholeness rise in me
Waters from the saints that are deeper than the sea
Only in this place do I truly belong
Forever singing heaven’s Holy song
Suddenly I am back from whence I came
But this I know, I shall never be the same
And the memory of His presence lingers on
My heart is full, tis food to dwell upon
This hunger and this thirst is part of me
Longing to be adrift once more, in that eternal sea
Oh take me to that place that is my home
Where I shall dwell eternally before thy throne
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 18, 2016
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not. (Jer 14:18)
Famine and drought plague the land. The spiritually dead are everywhere. And where they are not dead they are sick with the famine. And yet in the midst of this the prophets and the priests cry out to a willingly blind people that peace and prosperity lie just ahead of them. They say that they are enriched yet the very riches they have gathered to themselves have shut up the skies.
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart…….. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem.(Jer 14:14-16)
Those who follow the blind prophets, who willingly have forsaken spiritual eyes for worldly treasure will suffer the same fate as these blind leaders of the blind. Pray now that the Lord will give you eyes to see that your gold is actually brass. Your peace based on circumstances is an allusion, it is the peace of the world that will be shaken to and fro. The people of the world rely on the rain that falls from the sky and the grass of the field to feed their livestock. How feeble is that peace? How dim is the light from the sparks of a fire of their own making?
Seek now, while it can yet be found, living waters. Let the food of your soul be the Word of God to you. These alone will sustain you. The full effects of the drought and the famine is gripping the necks of the willfully blind like a lion grips the neck of its prey after the chase , just prior to its demise.
Jer 15:11 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant;
Even in the midst of great turmoil God’s hand shall remain upon His people. As spiritual darkness falls on every nation, there is a light that dwells in the chests of His children. Even as the world is spiritually ravished and morally bankrupted, the saints of God will fall deeper into the heart of God and will shine like true heavenly gold amidst a wicked and perverse generation.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, false prophecy, False Prophet, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on April 14, 2016
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, praise, revival, spiritual poetry, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on April 12, 2016
The fire in the furnace reveals Christ in the midst of His people…………….The revelation of God is the fruit of the flame.How many times have we missed the fragrance of God’s presence because we resist the furnace and the tribulation and the suffering before us……We want to be coddled on our way to heaven and have the easy life. We want to make sure that we are going to go to heaven when we die but in the meantime we want to enjoy the pleasures of this world.
There is no revelation of God in following that path. There is no experiencing the fragrance of God’s presence. There is no burning of the bonds that the world has imposed upon us, setting us free to follow the Lord. Yes we walk by faith. But occasionally there are some glorious moments in which God reveals Himself to us. I tell you, this is holy ground. This is an area of sacredness incomparable to anything else this side of glory. (A.W.Tozer)
Has this been your experience? Have you experienced incomparable sacredness and the beauty of Gods holiness as you stood there on Holy ground, or lay there on Holy ground? You see, holy ground is to be found in the midst of the fire. Moses was told to kick of his shoes for he stood on holy ground, the presence of God being right there in the fire. It’s in the fire that Christ comes gloriously to His people in a way that is beyond all comparison. He reaches into the very depths of who you are and He changes everything.
Now not all fires produce this. The fires that produce this kind of change is the fire that is yielded to. In the yielding and submitting to God in the midst of the furnace of our afflictions, the bonds of this world are burned off and we are freed to fly to the throne room of God. It is in the depths of this experience that we are truly changed in the most dramatic of ways. Sanctification, being separated from this world is a yielding voluntary process. When the flesh screams out for justification only yielding to the revealed will of our Lord brings us deeper into sanctification.
There is a reason why the narrow path, the deeper walk is to be found in so few people. Yes,many will be saved but by fire in the end, but those who choose to yield to the fire in the here and now are those whom God truly uses. It is through them that the Lord shines His light which has illuminated the narrow path for 2000 years. Maybe you are a yielder and you have experienced the depths of Christ in your innermost being and it has changed you forever. Yet you look at your life and it seems you have achieved very little. You do not have a large ministry. You are not a preacher nor an evangelist. Your just little old you. You don’t have an easy life and you seem to go from one trial to another. Can I tell you something saint? Inside your broken vessel is the light that shines forth from the darkness of your trials. This is the light of the world and it illuminates the face of Christ to a lost and dying people. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 8, 2016
The next word is that which is best translated, I think, into our English word with which we have become sadly familiar in recent days – a refugee; the essence of this word is that. It means one who has left a region of desolation and found refuge from desolation – a fine thought for Overcomers. It is possible to know spiritual desolation even amongst the people of God, to know desolation of heart even in the Christian Church. So many write to us and speak to us – ‘The place where I attend is a desolation, there is no food, there is no life, it is all barren and dead; what are we to do?’ And that is a Christian church, so called; a Christian circle. Yes, we say it quietly because we do not gloat over that; it is the opposite of that that is in our thought. We have to take note of facts, and these are facts, that there is spiritual desolation today in Christendom and often even in evangelical circles; starvation and death, and the Overcomer, the remnant, are those who have left that region of desolation spiritually and have found food, come into life, into wealth, into spiritual affluence, who have found the realm of heart satisfaction. That is how it was at the beginning.” (T.A.Sparks)
“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever
cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest
they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion
without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless
they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which
they first set out.” — John Wesley
“Preaching truth without the anointing of the Holy Ghost is helping
the devil to damn souls. There’s nothing on earth today so
deadening as preaching without heaven’s anointing. Refrain from
preaching unless you know that the dew of heaven is on your soul.”
— Duncan Campbell
I watched a nature program one time about an African country that had a very short rainy season. Long before the year was over, the rivers had dried up to a series of mere muddy pools. It showed that some of the animals set of in epic journeys to find life sustaining water, most stayed behind and died. God’s saints will find water, they are the few that will get up and seek Him where He shall be found. Those that stay behind slowly die as even the mud holes dry up and the land is scorched and the drought takes it’s toll.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, prophet, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 7, 2016
Oh glorious fourth man in the flame
Stand with Him and never be the same
Let the world gaze on and wonder at it all
Standing firm in the furnace, standing tall
There is gold in this refiners fire
In the world you’d be covered by the muck and the mire
Yet in this place of testing and refining
There is one like the Son of God gloriously shining
Do not fear when the enemy knocks upon your door
Nor in the darkened den when you hear the lion roar
The Son of God is coming with lightning in His hand
By His power and by His grace you shall forever stand
So stand amidst the flames and know you shall not fall
Stand upon the rising storm and hear the Master call
Lift your eyes and fix your gaze on Christ and Him alone
Rise up above all earthly fears and stand before His throne
A place where every storm is stilled
A place where every saint is filled
A place that casts out every fear
A place where Jesus Christ is near.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on April 5, 2016
Excerpts from David Wilkerson’s prophecy which is now 40 years old.
I see the rise of a super world church. I see the formation of a super world church council consisting of a union between liberal, ecumenical Protestants, and the Roman Catholic Church joining politically hand-in-hand to create one of the most powerful religious forces on earth. This union is going to start as a cooperative charity program and it will end in a political union. This visible super world church is going to be spiritual in name only, freely using the name of Jesus Christ, but will in fact be antichrist and political in many of its activities. This powerful church union will be deeply involved in social action, tremendous charity programs, and ministries of compassion. Its leaders will make statements about meeting human needs. They will send out a call for social action, political intervention, and a greater voice in world affairs.
There is going to be a sudden mysterious chain of events. Just when it appears the ecumenical movement is nearly dead, a rather mysterious chain of events will bring about the framework for this union. Rome is going to insist on and receive concessions from the Protestant ecumenical leaders. The Pope will be considered more of a political than a spiritual leader of this church union.
I see the rise of a super church, a supernatural invisible church, a union of deeply spiritual followers of Jesus Christ, bound together through the Holy Spirit and mutual confidence in Christ and in his word.
This supernatural church of true believers will become a kind of underground church.
While this visible super church(apostate) gains political power this invisible body of believers will grow tremendously in spiritual power.
This power will come from persecution. The persecution madness that is coming upon this earth will drive these Christians closer together and closer to Jesus Christ. They will be less concerned about denominational ties and more concerned and emphasis on the coming of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will bring together as one people in all walks of life.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Eschatology - Study of the 'End Times', Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, prophet, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 20 Comments »
Posted by appolus on March 31, 2016
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. (Zec 13:9)
The refining fire of the Lord is to be found in the furnace which we call our lives and the world. Now there are different degrees of fire, some are hotter than others. They all refine, yet the greater the fire the greater the refinement for those in whom faith reigns. Now a man or a woman can say that he or she has faith but who can know it but the fire knows. It is in the storm and in the fire that faith blazes brighter than the flame. Does faith reign in your life? Is your trust in Jesus the essence of who you are? Can we believe our own hearts in this matter or must it be the fire that reveals all? The fire reveals and consumes the dross in our lives, if we stay in the fire.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. (Dan 3:17-19)
When the Hebrew children are confronted with he who represents the world and the world demands that they bow down to their gods, they refuse. And this refusal to bow down to the gods of this world causes fury. The heat of the furnace was increased sevenfold. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace(Dan 3:23)
The time is coming soon brothers and sisters where it will be required of the saints that they bow down to the gods of this world, in fact it has already begun. When you refuse, the fury of the world will begin to rise until it shall burn with a ferocity against us that has never been seen before and we shall” fall down,” in the midst of this fire and the world will rejoice.
And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:4-8)
Yet even when the world should think that they have overcome the saints because they have made them to fall down in the furnace of afflictions, the world will look again and they will see something most remarkable. In the midst of the great tribulation of the saints the world will see the Son of Man shining through like heavenly gold in the very center of their sufferings. And in the end the world will see the Son of God coming in His glory and they will acknowledge , just like Nebuchadnezzar that ” there is no other God that can deliver.”
So brothers and sisters. Rejoice in your triumph in the midst of your trial. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. (Zec 13:9) You see, your reward is your relationship with Jesus. You can call upon His name and the Lord hears you and speaks to you and you are His child and He is your God. And for all eternity you will look back at your sufferings and know that in choosing to suffer with the Lord and counting it as a small thing you now rule and reign with Christ forever. Stand fast brothers and sisters. The Lord sees your afflictions and is with you in the midst of them.
1Pe 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on March 27, 2016
The dark night of the soul is not something pleasant to go through and does not end with a fellowship supper after church on a Sunday night. It is a grueling experience that requires an absolutely strict detachment from everything that you normally rely on so that you are only left with Christ.
The dark night of the soul separates those who are genuinely interested in following Christ from those who just have a curiosity about the deep things of God. We surely want God to do His work in our lives, but we want the lights left on. We want God to do in our hearts and lives that which will bring Him honoring glory, but we want to know and understand every step that He takes in our lives.
Darkness speaks of not knowing. We want God to do, but we want Him to do what He does within the scope of our comprehension. The dark night of the soul, however, is a work of the Holy Spirit that exceeds the ability of any man or woman to understand. When we come through the dark night of the soul, we do not know what has really happened to us, but we do know what has made it happen (A.W.Tozer)
Tozer is here talking about the dark night of the soul. This is a concept well-known to the Body of Christ. Tozer describes it very well in the above quote. I would say that for centuries men here and there have went through this experience and they have had a profound effect on the Body of Christ. It is a kind of refiners fire that purges away reliance upon anything else other than God. It has happened to individuals and small groups of people but now I want to suggest that God is taking the Body of Christ, the genuine saints, the remnant, through a dark night of the soul corporately so to speak. He is and has been and is continuing to separate his children from ailing and compromised institutions. He is drawing them out. And as they come out He is drawing them into the desert. Now the desert is typically a place of death but the saints in their dark nights of the soul, in their journey to complete dependence upon Him will find life in the desert.
Perhaps you are being drawn out? It is scary. You are full of doubt, you are surrounded by darkness, you cannot hear from the Lord or discern His purpose for your life but you are being driven. As much as you cannot see the way ahead you know you cannot stay in a place of compromise and lukewarmness. No one understands you where you are. When you speak of deeper things and desiring to take up your cross for Christ people look at you like you are an alien. So you are driven. Driven into darkness and solitude and loneliness. Driven to a place where your only fellowship is the Lord Himself and His word. This is alien at first but the longer you journey into this place the more you realize the wonder and the glory of complete dependence upon the Lord for all of your spiritual needs. He is establishing your feet upon a broad place. He is equipping you to be a light in the gross darkness to come. He is enabling you to be a source of encouragement to the Body of Christ in the age in which we live.
As the saints come out of this desert I believe God is drawing them to each other. All around the world in the days to come God is drawing His Body together after they have come through the darkness and complete separation from the world and now completely rely on Him. He is and will continue to equip the saints in every generation for what they have to face. I believe our generation will face the greatest darkness that has ever faced the Body of Christ universally. Men and woman of the past whom the Lord brought through the dark night of the soul, as few as they were, had a tremendous effect on the Body of Christ. Imagine what effect the Body of Christ will have on the world when the Lord has finished His work of taking His Church through this experience.
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:2-5)
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized | 13 Comments »
Posted by appolus on March 24, 2016
I was awoken at 1.40 this morning by the Holy Spirit with this line ” There is a rising Crimson Tide.” I have arthritis and it is bad right now but I knew if I did not get out of bed the line would be gone and there would be no poem, so I got up and was inspired by the Lord to write this, I pray that it blesses you. Upon reading it back to myself I see that it could be sung to the tune of ” The house of the rising sun.”
There is a rising Crimson tide
That burns inside of me
Tis from my wounded Master’s side
Which flows from Calvary
This fire was set when I met Him
So very long ago
And though the years are passing me
This fire will always flow
It rises and consumes my heart
This heart He gave to me
This fire consumes my very soul
Which flows from Calvary
And from His nail pierced hands it flows
And trickles down on me
Who kneels below this Crimson flow
The cross of Calvary
And I am raised up by the tide
Of Crimson’s glorious fire
His blood it cleanses all of me
And raises me up higher
It take me all the way to heaven
To stand before His throne
I lift my hands and worship Him
For me His Blood atoned.
Consumed by a fire of molten Love
That flowed on me from up above
Igniting every part of me
Thank God in Christ for Calvary
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 