Archive for the ‘the state of the church’ Category
Posted by appolus on May 21, 2015
Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Have you ever noticed that the yielded saints who have been through the most trials and troubles in their lives are the deepest of saints? They have been tried in the deserts of afflictions and yet they not only survive but they thrive. In the hottest desert and the most arid places nothing should live. Yet here are these saints, not armed with clichés or words that are not backed by reality, but armed with a power that has no limit. What makes the world weaker makes them stronger. In their own weakness they have found a great strength. The have discovered that if it were just them, they would have dried up and blown away, but in Christ and because of Christ they draw water from the very depths of the Father’s heart.
A life, fully committed to Christ has access to the deepest wells. Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind(1 Pet 4:1) With this power principalities and powers are rendered impotent. The harder they try, the more they come against you, the deeper they drive you into the Father’s heart. To yield is to draw from the well. To surrender and embrace your circumstances in Christ is to drink your fill from the everlasting wells of salvation. For in this yielding and surrendering we are acknowledging that God Himself has ordered your steps. And as you are refreshed by the living waters that flow into your circumstances, great joy comes with the knowledge that He is faithful to you and that He is with you. This joy stands as a witness and a testimony to the one who saved you. Your joy is a reflection of your faith. Now it is a learning process to the flesh. Some saints draw from the well sooner than others, but be assured saint, the well is there and you have been called to draw from it.
When you draw from these wells brothers and sisters, the waters not only refresh you but are poured forth through the brokenness of your circumstances to others that face similar circumstances. Paul encouraged the saints in his chains to be bold for Christ. We who face dire circumstances are called by faith to joy and this faith and joy God will use to refresh the souls of the weary. With the comfort that we have been comforted with we have been called to comfort others. It can become a perpetual cycle of beauty and holiness. To draw waters from the wells of salvation by faith is to have the eyes of your spirit opened to the glory and the majesty of God. God is glorified in our sufferings because the joy that comes is so out-of-place. A flower in the desert? Color in an otherwise colorless landscape? Yes indeed. He brings life out of death. He brings joy from sadness, He creates rivers in the desert, He brings peace from chaos.
So if you are facing difficult circumstances I want you to know that God is right there. A well, an oasis deep in the desert. You will find victory in the yielding. Surrender to God that circumstance that has hounded you. That sickness that has threatened to overwhelm your body. That anxiety that has robbed you of your sleep and denied you of your heritage, a peace that surpasses all understanding. Surrender to God in all of it and lower down your vessel into the deep depths of the everlasting well that sustains you. Dear Lord, bless all saints today who have a spirit of heaviness. Give them eyes to see what the Spirit sees in their lives. Let them put on a garment of praise and be filled with joy and may you be glorified in all of it.
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 | Tagged: the wells of salvation | 10 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 19, 2015
Isa 7:9b If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.
Just this week we are hearing reports of the Anglican Church confirming and affirming homosexual marriage and the ordination of practicing homosexual ministers. This extends to the church in Scotland and Ireland and France and all throughout Europe. And of course right here in the States many of the mainline denominations have already given themselves over to this gross error even before the Supreme court rules in June.
Now the question must be asked, why then do genuine saints stay with such corrupt organizations? Indeed that must be a question that every saint around the world who identifies themselves under the name and the banner of such organizations must ask themselves. Is it misplaced loyalty? Is it merely because of tradition? Is it a fundamental lack of understanding of just what the Scriptures are referring to when it speaks of the Body of Christ and the unity of the Body? My question would be to any saint found within the walls of organizations that sanctify and solemnize homosexuality ” where is your loyalty to the Truth?” Are you so divided in heart and mind that you can overlook this? What next? If they were to strip the Lord Jesus of His Sonship would you still stay? If they were to advocate that there are many paths to heaven would you stay?
Now I am not picking on homosexuality in particular. There are many sins of which these denominations have overlooked and then ultimately embraced. My argument would be that if this is not the straw that breaks the camels back then the camels back is not going to be broken. It stands in such violation to the word of God that the people who embrace such error are truly without excuse. I believe God Himself is exposing the very underpinnings of these institutions. So therefore, if God is speaking are you listening? The Scripture above reminds us of a fundamental truth ” If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” When Judah was face with destruction and the hearts of her people were shaken like the wind shakes the trees then they are advised to stand firm in your faith or you shall not stand at all. This, I believe, is the admonition by the Lord to His people today. Stand firm, do not be moved by the cultural winds of the world that are blowing with hurricane force for if you do not you shall not stand.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 9 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 16, 2015
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:5-6)
You know, there is a gulf as wide as the stars in the heaven between those who have heard about God and those whose spiritual eyes have seen Jesus. At the same time, the gulf is no wider than the distance between our heads and our hearts. One ultimately leads to life, the other leads to death. Have you encountered God in a supernatural fashion or is Christianity merely a philosophy to you? Many men in this world are sold out to religion or philosophy and even have a zealousness in their pursuit of it. Paul says in Romans 10:2 that I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. They did not know God, they had only heard about Him from others or through learning. They had second-hand information, they were not eye-witnesses of His glory. Jesus came to share His glory with us that He had been given by the Father. The children of God are touched by the glory of God.
When we truly stand in the light of Christ’s glory, when our eyes behold His glory then we surely know who He is and who we are in comparison. It leads to life because at the same time the glory of God is the grace of God. Therefore to encounter God is to be transparent and fully understand our state. Yet in that moment, at the apex of understanding that we deserve no mercy, we find mercy by encountering Gods grace which eclipses our view of ourselves and fixes our eyes upon Jesus. Out from that encounter flows the greatest of joy because we have just been touched by unconditional love and it burns into every part of who we are. Our love for Jesus is taken from beyond the realms of the head and explodes in the heart, changing everything. Everything changes. To know Jesus, to see Jesus high and lifted up, to experience His love and His mercy and His grace is the cauldron of creation. It is in this knowing that sanctification takes place. Self effort is the road of the religionists. Yielding is the road of the saint.
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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 | Tagged: encounter God, knowledge of God | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on May 14, 2015
The remnant’s role, the Body of Christ, has changed little down through the centuries, always at her core she has been called to be a witness, an eye-witness to Gods glory. This is the essential heartbeat of Gods Remnant bride and always will be. In this role she has been used as a sanctuary, the sanctuary, the Holy of Holy’s. She is a tabernacle in the wilderness, she is Gods temple here on earth. At the same time she has always been despised by the religious spirit because she speaks truth to power. In these last days God says in His word through His prophet Zechariah that ” In that last day a fountain shall be opened up for the house of David,” and God Himself says again through the prophet that ( speaking of Christendom) “Two thirds in it shall be cut off and die. But one-third shall be left in it. I will bring the one-third through the fire, I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say ” This is my people.” (Zec 13:8-9)
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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 | Tagged: Noah, remnant church, the Body of Christ, The remnant | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on May 13, 2015
I believe the real target is to silence Christianity. I believe the people that are doing this are well intentioned enough, just caught up in a scheme that is much larger than them and beyond their comprehension. America will follow soon enough. And note that it is the Conservatives, in the name of security, that are seeking to silence free speech which will translate into silencing the sharing of the Gospel and the truths found within the Scriptures………….bro Frank
Make sure and read the whole article………… New laws to target radicalisation
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 | 1 Comment »
Posted by appolus on May 12, 2015
I hear the cries of yesterday
They echo throughout my soul
They are etched upon my very face
And on my heart they have taken their toll
Deep waters, give up your children
Mighty waves, just you settle down
Howling winds that scream from the past
Cease your blowing until I can’t hear a sound
Towering mountains come down to the valley
Stars in heaven wont you light up my way?
Mighty rivers dry up to a trickle
Only then will you hear me say
Only the light can pierce the darkness
Only the Son can displace the night
Only a victor can win the battle
Only He can teach me to fight
Now I walk behind the praises of tomorrow
The Son casts His shadow behind
And the joy that is set before me
Shines down love and brings peace to my mind
The cries of yesterday are forgotten
And my heart is healed by His love
The flower in the desert is blooming
As His rain falls down from above.
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Posted by appolus on May 12, 2015
THE TERRIBLE DOCTRINE OF THE REMNANT by A.W.Tozer
By A.W.Tozer. From a previously unpublished essay and now in “Reclaiming Christianity.” It can also be heard here. http://www.box.net/shared/oe47j3glqb
Rom 9:27 Isaiah also cries concerning Israel, “though the numbers of the sons of Israel is as the sands of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.’
I want to articulate a doctrine in the Bible that is very troubling and alarming. I am very much afraid that the Bible is a more alarming book than we know .Before I explain what I mean, I would like to read the words of a hymn. I love this hymn from Edwin Hodder (1837-1904) about the Word.
The Word is like a garden , Lord
With flowers bright and fair;
And everyone who seeks may pluck
A lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine;
And jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths
For every searcher there.
Thy Word is like a starry host;
A thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler
And make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory
Where soldiers may repair.
And find, for life’s long battle day
All needful weapons there.
All of that is true. I enjoy hearing that song and I enjoy singing it. However, I am a little bit afraid that that is the attitude we take toward the Scriptures-that it is a beautiful jewel to wear on or around our neck or our finger, or corsage to wear at some dress up occasion where the star shines on it; that it is fragrant. It is all that. But it is something more than that, and in our simple elegance, I am afraid we are not letting the Word of God mean to us what it ought to mean. Whatever the educators may be saying, whatever the current religious vogue may be, here is doctrine clearly taught in the Scripture,, which cultists have mis-read and have wrested to their own destruction. For every cultist says ” We are the people.” But I refuse to reject the doctrine because somebody else has wrested the doctrine to his of her own destruction. I have neither starry hopes for you to admire nor posies for you to smell; but what I do have is a terrible doctrine that hurt and bothers and makes me sorrow in spirit. It is the doctrine of the Remnant.
Only a Fragment
What is the doctrine of the Remnant? It is simply this; that in our blind, fallen, sinful world of mankind, at any given time, the vast overwhelming majority is lost. And by lost, I do not mean they have missed their way or come short of the mark or are less that they wanted to be or fail to fulfill their dreams. By lost I mean, alienated from God and an enemy to Him, without pardon, without life, without hope. What does the doctrine of the Remnant mean? “Remnant,’ means a small fragment, a surviving trace. It means that some-thing yet remains when the larger body is somewhere else. The Romans 9:27 text deals with Israel, but it sets forth clearly the doctrine as applying to the entire human race as well as the Church. This was true among the nations before Abraham; it was true of Israel after Abraham; and it is true of the Church since Pentecost. I am alarmed because it has been true since Pentecost that such a vast number of people who call themselves Christians-the overwhelming majority-are nominal, and only a remnant is saved.
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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 | Tagged: The remnant | 13 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 11, 2015
Isa 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Maybe you are the parent or parents of a rebellious child? You heart has literally been broken by the path you son or daughter has taken. You have anguished long and hard and looked deep within yourself to see why such a thing has happened. Perhaps you were not the perfect parent, maybe you yourself were not raised by the perfect parent? God has seen your tears and has witnessed your many sleepless nights. He has heard your cries for forgiveness for things that may have contributed to the situation. Can I tell you that God dwells with the broken and the contrite? He does not dwell with the proud or the self-righteous. The man that could not even raise his head is the man that goes down the hill justified in the parable. Now when God has forgiven you, what entity will bring it back to you? Read the rest of this entry »
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 | Tagged: prodigal son | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 10, 2015
Below is a helpful article that compares the ” confessing,” church to the ” compromising,” church. In every era in the last 2000 years, men, almost entirely hirelings with ministries to protect, have been the enemies of God’s people who have separated themselves from compromise. Whether it was Novationists or Donotists or Luther or Moravians or anabaptists or a 1000 other groups, God’s remnant people have separated themselves in order to live an uncompromised life. It has brought them ridicule and scorn and they are most often decried as malcontents and trouble-makers, the devil never really changes his language and typically uses the same type of person, the person who loves to fit in, as his spokesperson. It’s a sad kind of jealousy that can lead to utter hatred and violence as we have witnessed down through the ages.
8 clear signs of a comprimsed church
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 | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 9, 2015
Psa 18:4-5 The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
One of the wonderful things about the Psalms and the Scriptures in general is that they are totally honest. We catch an insight into the troubles of the hero’s of our faith and we realize that to a great degree they are just like us. The words of David above are so honest. How many times have we been afraid? How many times in our lives have circumstances threatened to overwhelm us? We are confronted with situations that we think we cannot possibly handle and in the natural that may very well be true.
Yet just before that David starts out with ” I will love you o Lord my strength.” He declares that the Lord is his rock and his fortress, his shield, his salvation and his stronghold. And then he honestly declares to the Lord his situation and how he is feeling and dealing with everything that is coming against him. Dont you love that about our Lord? Dont you love that we can be honest with Him and be faithful to Him while being honest about the situations we are facing? I believe that the Lord loves this. He deals with His children exactly where they are.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: circumstances, King David | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 7, 2015
Jer 4:30…. Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life.
When God has spoken, when He has determined in His heart that His judgements shall come to pass then indeed in Jer 4:28 it says that the earth shall mourn and the heavens shall be black. Can I suggest brothers and sisters that God has spoken. The time of judgement is at hand and of course judgement begins at the house of the Lord. Many in Christendom run to and fro looking to forces that have helped them in the past. They appeal to society at large, they appeal to the courts, they appeal to politicians and to seats of power yet their lovers will despise them;they will seek their lives.
It is a sad sight to see Christian groups appeal to politicians and other groups, these are their lovers whom they have layed down with before. Yet when the worm turns, when no matter how much you try to make yourself attractive to them, they will ultimately despise you and seek your life. Politicians used to need the Evangelical vote and they courted them and Christendom loved to have it so. Now, rapidly, the Christian vote is becoming a liability to politicians of all stripes.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: Christendom | 3 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 6, 2015
Though the waters roar and are troubled
And the mountains fall to the sea
And the earth cries out for it’s filled with pains
My heart is stilled for my God reigns
Though the night has come with its darkness
And the world is ablaze with its sin
The waters rise and come in like a flood
My heart is stilled for I’m covered by His Blood
Though the whole world falls still I’ll follow
I will follow to the ends of the earth
Though fires burn and the skies fall down
My heart is stilled for He’s all around
So let not your hearts be troubled
Nor be moved when the mountains crumble
Let the skies fall down let the fires burn
For we know our Redeemer shall soon return
My heart is stilled in the palm of His hand
It is quiet in the depths of His love
It rests beneath the shadow of His wing
In the depths of the dungeon you will still here me sing
Glory and majesty praise to our God
He is worthy of all praise and all honor
Let us stand for His glory and let us be filled
For He is my refuge and my heart it is stilled
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Posted by appolus on May 5, 2015
Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
God is in the midst of His people, He has set up His tabernacle right in the center of the Body of Christ. Can you imagine, the God of all the universe dwells with us! Where two or three are gathered there He is, at the very heart of it all. He is our strength, He is our refuge, He is a very present help in time of need. Any force that comes against us has to deal with God Almighty.
Now brothers and sisters, we are tested on this. Even the Lord Himself cried out from the cross ” My God, My God why has thou forsaken me?” Have you ever felt like you have been abandoned? This feeling runs head long into the Scripture that tells us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Something has to give. We know at the very bottom of our hearts, at the very seat of all of our affections that God is always right and His Word never fails and that despite circumstances, He is not only with us, but He is in our midst.
Now we know from Hebrews 1 that faith is the evidence of things not seen. What can you not see in your life right now brothers and sisters? Maybe you cannot see a way out of your present circumstances? Maybe a doctor has given you a dire diagnosis? Maybe you look at an ever-increasing darkness in the world and wonder where it can all possibly end? Well, I am going to tell you something that you already know. God has not abandoned His people. God has not abandoned you, no matter your circumstances. He dwells in your heart and He dwells in the midst of His people. The break of dawn is that moment that comes after a long darkness, a darkness that seems like it would never end.
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Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, prophecy, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: break of dawn, God Almighty | 8 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 4, 2015
Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
In another place God says through the Prophet “for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” It is a wonderful place to be when you can see past someone’s exterior and look into their hearts. The proud man, the man who is smug in his own outward behavior is totally blind to the fact that the Lord knows the secrets of a mans heart. You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but a man can never fool God at any time. Saul was the obvious choice for King of Israel. He was tall and handsome and no doubt had charisma. David on the other hand was but a shepherd boy, just a lad, but God knew their hearts.
In Jeremiah 17 God says “But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” It is true is it not, the Lord is the searcher and the examiner of all motives? It is less about what you do rather it’s about why you do it. Jesus in John 7 was addressing the fact that they were angry enough to kill Him because He healed a man on the Sabbath. Men, so blinded by outward appearance, cared nothing for the sick man. They were the guardians of the Law and it had afforded them a position, and all they were truly interested in was their position and how things looked to other men.
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Posted by appolus on May 3, 2015
(Matt 5:13)You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty 
again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
So much of American Christianity is wrapped in their flag. Yet there is a wider problem in Christendom that goes well beyond the borders of the United States. It lies at the very heart of the religion of Christianity as opposed to the reality of Christ. True Christianity is indeed about becoming by grace what Christ is by nature. Yet the history of the Christian church from the time of Constantine to now has been about how to merge the church and the state. In order to do that the church has sanctioned wars and called it ” just wars.” This is the preposterous notion that the teachings of Jesus and the life of Christ in us are suspended in times of war and that it is perfectly okay to kill and maim you enemies if sanctioned by the state. Somehow the state over-rules Christ in times it deems to be emergencies.
This is no different from the Jewish leaders sacrificing to Roman gods inside the temple so as to preserve the temple system of worship and in doing so preserved their own place in society. If the visible church had opposed wars over the centuries they would have been driven out of public life and compelled to be an underground church. And therefore the church that we now know would not exist as it would have been an underground persecuted church. It would be a heck of a lot smaller but it would be the most powerful force on the planet as opposed to the weak and anemic world version we now see.If every professing saint in Europe had refused to take up arms in the last several hundred years, there would have been no wars, including the two world wars.
Without the support of the established religious church, war could not exist as we know it in the west. What men have created, what men have forged together is now being dismantled from the inside by outside pressures. The culture is now demanding more and more of the established visible church. If it is to survive it will be forced to capitulate and the price of that capitulation is, as it always has been, truth. Thankfully God has always retained for Himself a remnant. He will have His witness and no force on earth can destroy it not even the gates of hell.
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 | 19 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 30, 2015
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Here is a wonderful declaration by Job in the very heart of his troubles. Now Job was looking ahead to Christ, the mediator, coming to earth. We look back and rejoice and can shout aloud with even greater conviction than Job; I know that my Redeemer lives for He lives inside of me!
He came and He conquered and He died and He rose again. He sits at the right hand of the Father and both the Father and the Son have taken up residence in out hearts. We know that He lives, we know Him and we love Him and we rejoice in Him even in the darkest moments of our lives. For in these dark moments there is a fire that burns in us and that fire gives off light and heat. No matter the circumstances that you endure at this very moment, your Redeemer is interceding for you. You know that word Redeemer has a connotation of family. A next of Kin who will redeem you in time of trouble, someone who would pay a ransom for you, some one who would avenge you, the word redeemer has all of these meanings and more. We know that Jesus paid it all, we know that justice was brought to earth and the enemy of our souls who had taken us hostage by sin was defeated.
So we can praise our God today. Even when Paul was imprisoned and wrote to the Philippians he encouraged them time and time again to rejoice in their salvation. Maybe you are in the midst of troubles today? Maybe you have people who would constantly put you down for what you believe or for what you stand for? Maybe you have dogs constantly barking at your heels no matter where you go? Maybe you are in the midst of sickness and disease? Perhaps a crisis of faith because you cannot see the road ahead, you cannot see around the bend but what you can see does not look good? Can you say with Job today “I know that my Redeemer lives” By faith Job was able to look ahead, despite everything he knew, that there was coming one who would plead his case. God sees your situation saint, God knows. He has not forgotten you. Your Redeemer lives. Lift up the arms that hang down today and praise Him today. Lift up your head to the sky today and begin to make declarations. There is a cloud of witnesses, there are principalities and powers, there is a strength to be found in declaring the truth to the enemy of your soul. Times are getting darker for all saints. He who restrains will not restrain for much longer. We must learn now while there is yet some light to encourage ourselves in the Lord for there are dark days ahead.
Even in chains Paul could rejoice. Even in the darkest dungeon Paul could praise God. Even as Stephen is being stoned he was filled with the Holy Spirit and could see heavenly visions. This is the power of the overcoming saint, the saints that endure to the end receive the promises of Christ. Faith is the power in which we live. The ability to see what cannot be seen, to trust when all around us is burning embers, when our life in the natural is falling apart, there in the midst of it all, stands our Redeemer. He stands brothers and sisters, He sees, He knows, He has every tear drop shed held in a bottle. He sees you wronged, He sees your pain and He wants you to know that it will not always be as it is now. The Spirit gives us eyes to see what cannot be seen and ears to hear what no ear can hear. We see His glory and we see eternity stretching out ahead of our circumstances. There is a weight of glory that awaits us saints. You may think in your heart ” this will never end,” but it will end. The hope we have is not the hope of the world where it simply wishes things will get better. Our hope is a blessed one founded on the word and the promises of God. He has gone to prepare a place for us, if it were not so He would have told us. So lift up your eyes and gaze upon the glorious eternity that lies ahead of your circumstances, and when you do, the Spirit of God will begin to fill you heart and mind and body with the ambient glory of what you can see. Can you see His glory? Look saint, with Spirit eye, look!
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 | Tagged: Job, my Redeemer lives, redeemer | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 27, 2015
But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. (Jas 4:6)
The enemy is ever creating caricatures of the most powerful fundamental truths of Scripture so that people will flee from it; whether that be grace, obedience, holiness or the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He understands all too well the fundamental and elemental nature of these things to the saints. The Kingdom of God came down to us wrapped in flesh. The Kingdom had entered the world the moment Jesus was born. He walked in that power as did His disciples. He was Emmanuel, Christ with them. He would leave, but He would not leave them as orphans. He sent His Holy Spirit so He was no longer Christ with them but Christ in them and it was better for them for now the Kingdom of Heaven had taken up residence in their hearts. His Words, His teachings never change, they are the same yesterday today and forever. In fact the worlds will pass away but His word, every word that proceeds forth from His mouth stands. And we stand on it for it is like solid Rock and all other ground is sinking sand. One heart, one mind, one Body one Spirit one Truth.
God has called us to be obedient. He has called us and we walk in His grace. Holiness is an essential aspect of our Christianity. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is vital for a powerful walk with Him. We cannot pierce the hard hearts of men without this power. We cannot discern what the Spirit says to the churches without this power. Can I say that Grace and Holiness and obedience and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are all vitally connected to one another. They are the building blocks of who we are as saints. All of those elements together create salt and light. Can we truly be a light to the world without being obedient servants to our Lord and His word? If we are not obedient to His Word can we walk in Holiness? Without Holiness can we really see God? If we cannot see God high and lifted up, if we are fallen from our first love can we move in power? If we fail to walk in a broken and a contrite state do we not quench the Holy Spirit? What do we find when we approach the throne in brokenness? Do we not find mercy and grace? Ah, grace, unmerited favor, perhaps the key to it all is a proper understanding of who we are in Christ. If we know that, if we can rejoice in the reality of knowing that we are sons and daughters of the most High God, redeemed and sanctified by His Blood, then we can understand Grace.
And so brothers and sisters, do not let the caricatures that Satan produces, the counterfeit truths, rob you of what is yours in Christ. Whether it is Grace and mercy, or Holiness or obedience or the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, all are vital to our walk and being salt and light to the world. Pursue truth whatever it may be and wherever it may take you. Dont worry that most of Christendom has thrown out the babies with the bath water. Dont worry that the world may lump you in with the counterfeit of the caricatures of Satan, for that is exactly his plan. We are not ignorant of his schemes. Continue to be lovers of the Truth no matter the opinions of men and run after it with all of your heart and mind and body and soul. In doing this you will be a true and genuine light unto a world of ever-increasing darkness.
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 | Tagged: fundamental truths, holy spirit | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 24, 2015
I moved to the States from Scotland in 1990. I was 26. I came to Christ a year later. After several years in America a strange thing began to happen in me and it was very unsettling. After visiting Scotland I knew I could never go ” home.” I did not belong there any more, I had moved on. Yet, I did not feel like I belonged here in the States either. I felt like a stateless person. After months of soul-searching I realized that I was actually a pilgrim and that I was on my way home to my heavenly kingdom. I was an am truly a sojourner here on this earth, belonging wholly to God and to the Kingdom of God that is and yet is to come.
Strangely enough, I would have to deal with that feeling again and it was way more unsettling and took much longer to come to terms with. I started out my Christian life as a Pentecostal for lack of a better term. My mother had attended the Assemblies of God when I was a child and was a “tongue speaking Holy Ghost Christian.” Now I did not attend that church as a child, my father was a Catholic and detested my mothers faith and so I attended the Catholic church for most of my childhood. Yet, I knew the difference. I had witnessed my mothers transformation when she ” found Jesus.” It was total and radical and had a profound effect on me. So when I came to Christ at the age of 27, it was natural for me to seek out a ” Pentecostal,” church which I did. I myself was ” baptized in the Holy Spirit,” about eight months after being radically transformed in the new birth. I want to state that my born again experience was way more radical than my baptism in the Holy Spirit. It was life changing and profound and seemed to change my very DNA. I actually had a new heart, one that was capable of love. God took a profoundly dysfunctional man, addicted to drugs and alcohol and food and sex and every type of excess and turned it all around. It was a miracle of enormous proportions, this new birth, this resurrection from the dead and I praise God above all things for it.
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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 | 18 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 23, 2015
Martin Luther writes………….”If we look aright at what people now do who reckon themselves as Evangelical and know how to talk much about Christ, there is nothing behind it. Most of them deceive themselves. They learn indeed to speak words, as a parrot repeats what people say, but their hearts do not experience them.They remain just as they are, they neither taste nor feel how true and faithful God is.”
It was true in Luther’s day and before, and so in ours. In so many circles, so much talk about Jesus but nothing behind it. The born again life is a supernatural life not a superficial life. The power of God is demonstrated in the transformed lives of men and women, such are trophies of His grace and His workmanship. First and foremost there must be a transformed life. The Kingdom of God must beat in the hearts of His followers. They must be led and guided by the Holy Spirit of the Living God. If men are not being led by the Holy Spirit then they are being led by their own souls and they deceive themselves. They speak, they write, they use words but they, as Luther says, are merely parroting what they have heard other men say. It is a regurgitation and not an impartation. Men without the Holy Spirit leading and guiding them, are like waves tossed upon the sea driven by the wind, unsound and unsettled, never learning only ever following other men. One day they will violently oppose something, and the following week when the wind changes so to will they change their unbridled minds. They are grasping in the darkness and can only parrot what they have heard and desperately try to give the appearance of one led by the Spirit.
I have found in my life that men of God are loyal and faithful and loving and true. Truth above all else drives them. Men of God from every age past were solely and wholly devoted to Truth, in every sense of that word starting with Christ. If the nature of God burns in your bones then you will be a lover of truth unto death, forsaking all things for its cause. This is the thread that runs through the ages. Some have been tested more than others on this in times past, yet the same Spirit and the same passion exists in every genuine saint. Truth, Christ, on Him alone we stand, all other ground is sinking sand. In the times present and a time soon to come, our generation will be tested by this on a scale never seen before.
The Body of Christ will stand in that day. It will be the finest hour for the Church of Christ. Yet faithless men, men who know nothing of divine love and divine loyalty, devoid of the Holy Spirit, will simply twist in the wind as they always do because they are driven and tossed by an earthly wind that makes them unstable in all their ways. They will become the deadliest enemies of the saints, accusers, night and day with a fierce jealousy that burns in their souls and turns to violence. This spirit is already rising. It is an ancient spirit and it is about to have its day. It has had its moments in time, but it is about to have its day. Who will stand in that evil day? God’s Kingdom children with royal blood coursing through their veins will stand by the power of the Holy Spirit that leads and guides and empowers them and magnifies Christ in their hearts. Amen Lord, be glorified.
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 | Tagged: holy spirit, Martin Luther, Men of God | 7 Comments »
Posted by appolus on April 22, 2015
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 »
Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
A Call To The Remnant 