Archive for the ‘the state of the church’ Category
Posted by appolus on June 12, 2013
What are you going to do saints when your country comes after you because of what you believe? When the Lord calls you out of Babylon, will you be so enamored of the things of Babylon that you will be un-able to leave? What about when it was time to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem?
After 70 short years, the majority decided to stay, it was only a remnant that returned. It seems that the comforts of Babylon was too much for most to give up , they chose the comfort of the world over joining their remnant brothers and sisters. We would do well to pause before we criticize those who refused to return to Jerusalem.
Can you put yourselves in their place? Leave a secure modern society to go to an abandoned place with broken down walls where you would be surrounded by enemies on every side? When our own world turns fully against us , what decision will you make? If following the Lord means giving up your place in society, will you be able and willing to do that? Recently, A Christian sportscaster gave an opinion on TV. He said that he did not believe that you could be a Christian and a practicing homosexual. Seems fairly straight forward and even five years ago it would have not raised too much of a fuss. Yet, he later had to come on and apologize for his statement.
Now this is a great example of what is to come for genuine Christians. The world will demand that you compromise what you believe in order to remain a part of it’s system. In this man’s case, it seems there is no doubt that if he did not apologize, he would have lost his standing in the world, along with his job and career and ability to feed his family. He would have become a pariah. Therein lies the choice, a microcosm of what is to become much worse.This is the generation that is going to have to make a choice.
Jesus’s ministry lasted for three years and had many different facets. Sometimes he was highly popular and and the crowds flocked to hear Him and indeed on more that one occasion would have made Him their King. Yet as His time on earth drew to a close and He began to reveal to the world who He truly was, one by one and then by a flood in John 6, most abandoned Him until He was left with a few. Then the world had to choose between Jesus and Barabas. Barabas was a fighter, he fought for freedom, he fought against the Romans, he desired to see Israel rule themselves. The world chose its own and rejected Jesus.
When the time comes, will you choose the world and all it’s comforts and security, or will you take your place with the minority, hated and rejected by the world, living in a place without walls, surrounded by your enemies on every side. It’s no mean choice brothers and sisters, it’s life or death. Die to this world and live eternally, or live for this world and die eternally. One or the other, but not both.
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 June 10, 2013
Brothers and sisters, even now the fires burn all across Christendom. The vandals have entered the gates of the cities. These spirits have come to invade every heart and every mind and every church in the land. These are hordes that have poured forth from the bowels of hell, foul defiling hordes. Yet, they are only the pre-cursor for what is to come. Their job is to tear down everything that is called holy. Every part of society is to be torn down stone by stone. This is the spirit behind the forces who will turn wrong into right, who will turn day into night. Now brothers and sisters, we can see evidence of this all around us and we see the rapid disintegration of society.
The forces that align themselves against Christianity are gaining momentum. They are making a way for their own master to enter onto the world stage. How shall we react to such forces and events? Many without eyes to see, struggle greatly against this incoming tide. As they see the loss of everything they know and hold dear they have a great desire to fight back. They want to fight against the immoral forces that are tearing down the culture that they love and have created. Fear rises up in them, panic even. That fear and that panic compels them into the arms of many would be leaders. Some cry out that we need a great revival, others cry out that we need Godly men in political leadership. Others even consider arming themselves for what they see as a coming cultural war.
What is to be the Body of Christ’s response to a society that seems to be in moral free fall? God raised up Jeremiah in the times of Josiah and must have been a great encouragement to the King in their reformations. Yet, the people were stubborn and steadfastly held on to many idols. Yet they though themselves to be good and detested the words of the prophet. Yet consider this, from the 13th year of Josiah, until they Israelites entered captivity, was a mere forty years. Moses led for forty years and then the people entered the promised land. Jeremiah warned for 40 years and then the people were taken into captivity.
God’s children must worship the Lord their God with all of their hearts, all of their minds and all of their souls. They must decrease and He must increase. Now is the time for the people of God to trim their lamps and light up the way in the great darkness that is falling over us. Our singular goal must be to press in close to our Lord.He and He alone is our deliverer. Only in Him can we know true freedom, a freedom that can praise God even in captivity. Men prefer another kind of freedom but the freedom that we find in Jesus cannot be taken away by any force. What the world gives, the world can take away, what was given to us at Calvary can never be taken from us, even if we ourselves were to be crucified. What freedom do you desire today? Choose wisely, one is eternal, the other is fleeting.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: cultural war, words of the prophet | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 9, 2013
As I was walking today, and talking with the Lord, I thought about how important it is to be filled, to be constantly filled by Him and with Him. I had been reading recently in the Scriptures about the two olive trees in Zec 4. I read that the candlestick, the light, was constantly supplied by oil from the bowl that was connected to the two olive trees on either side of the bowl. Now, it seems clear from Scripture that these trees represent for us, Jesus on one side and the Holy Spirit on the other. And when we are connected to Jesus by the Holy Spirit, then our bowls, our vessels are filled with a never ending source of power, the power of God. In that same chapter we see , and it is such a well know Scripture , that ” It is not by might, nor by power but by Spirit says the Lord.”
Then Psalm 133 came to my mind. I thought about the precious oil that anoints the head of the priest. An abundance of oil, so much so that it flows down from the head, onto the beard and covers the garments of the priest. Can I ask, do you have such an anointing brothers and sisters? Do you long for it? Are you intimately connected to the source of such oil? Does it cover every part of you as it did the priest in the Psalm? As it was early in the morning that I was walking, I could see that even although it had been a hot day previously and was going to be a hot day, everything was dripping with a heavy dew and how refreshing for the grass of the field and everything that was planted and needed nourishment. This is how it it is likened in Psalm, ” Like the dew of Hermon that flows down the mountains of Zion : for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forever more.”
Oh brothers and sisters I thought about that life, that life that is in me, that abundant life that overflows out of the abundance of my heart. Unless we are filled and we are overflowing then it cannot run down, it cannot be seen and be touched by others. Are you filled this day? Are you connected by Jesus on one side and the Holy Spirit on the other? Come and be filled today, right now. Draw near to the source, reach out to God this day that He may fill up your vessel, that He may anoint you for the day and the times to come. That you may indeed be a virgin with a lamp that shines and a be a vessel filled with oil. A song, a poem began to form and I rushed home to put pen to paper. I pray that it blesses you this day.
Fill me up and fill my cup
Fill every part of me
That I would be intimately connected
To the precious olive tree
Fill me with your Love o Lord
And fill me with your praise
That I may walk each day with you
And love would fill my days
Fill me with your mercy Lord
And humble me within
Fill me with forgiveness Lord
And wash away my sin
Fill the deepest parts of me
That no one else can fill
Wash me Lord and clean my hands
And take me up that Hill
Fill me with abundance Lord
That overflows my heart
Fill me with assurance Lord
That you will never part
Fill me now and evermore
To walk until I’m done
To run the race before me Lord
That you’ve already won
And as I take my dying breath
Fill me even then
Then raise me up and fill my cup
That I may praise again
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: precious oil, psalm 133, two olive trees | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 9, 2013
Brothers and sisters, Christ is coming back and He is coming soon. This world is judged, this country is judged and Christendom( everything that calls itself by the name of Christ but does not know Him) is judged. And so now we must flee, flee from Babylon and into the arms of Jesus. Just like Lot we must prepare to leave the comforts of Sodom. Just like the exiles, we must prepare to leave the comforts of Babylon
Just like our early brothers and sisters, we must prepare to leave Jerusalem for there is a fierce judgement coming, the final judgement. All attachments to this world must be broken even as we continue to go into this world for needs must. These judgements that we are in the midst of, these birth pangs are just the beginning and they are from the hand of God. Shall we resist the hand of God?
Resistance will not change the judgements to come. The arrogance of those who hate us will continue to rise. Shall we meet arrogance with arrogance? Shall we match their hatred and their violence, shall we render evil for evil? As our enemies gain ground they will become emboldened. They will have the world behind them and true and genuine Christianity will be pushed forward into the lime-light and all the world will hate us as we refuse to bow down to the gods of this world.
Yet brothers and sisters, be of good cheer for the Spirit of God will burn brighter in this generation than has ever been seen before. As the flood of darkness pours in, an incomprehensible darkness, then the light that is in us will shine brighter than ever before. The nobility of the Royal priesthood will be seen by all the world. Consider how one views diamonds in a Jewelers. The diamonds are set on black velvet so that the brilliance of the stones are illuminated against the blackness
As so it will be with the Lord’s own jewels. They will be seen against the backdrop of total darkness and they will shine like they have never shone before. The magnificent beauty of holiness will burn so brightly in the chests of every remnant child of God as they are led, all the day long, as lambs to the slaughter. And when their numbers are fulfilled, then shall come the King of Kings.
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: beauty of holiness, birth pangs, royal priesthood | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on June 8, 2013
In 1991, I wrote these words in the preface to Whatever Happened to the Power of God? Is the Charismatic Church Slain in the Spirit or Down for the Count:
“While the American Church celebrates, our beloved country sinks into lower and lower depths. We are not only killing unborn babies, but we have begun to kill helpless adults—actually starving them to death! It is claimed that some of them are in a ‘persistent vegetative state.’ I believe it is the Church that is in a persistent vegetative state. Will nothing awake us from our stupor?”
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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 | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 7, 2013
This is the generation of the many, who live in the light of the few. There are any number of popular teachers today who have been enriched by packing out stadiums and auditoriums. People flock to hear their teachings. They tell their friends about the popular teacher and they buy the teachers books. Pretty soon it’s the teachers name that is lifted up. They live in the light of whatever popular teacher comes along.
What will happen to the many in the midnight hour? Will the light from their teacher sustain them in the darkness? Can another man or woman’s oil fill your lamp? What is your source of oil? Does the light that you have come from others? Zec 4:1-3 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
The two olive trees are the source of the oil. Christ and His Holy Spirit are the source of oil and this source must be directly connected to the light in your life. Mat 25:7-8 “Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” There is no question as to the fact that the foolish virgins had some source of light, for they arose and trimmed their lamps but now their lamps had gone out. You see, you can get some oil from another and there-by walk in light, but unless you are connected to the source, you will rely on others for the light that you do have and when the midnight hour comes in your life, you will not be able to sustain yourself by the oil from another. When you abide in Christ by His Holy Spirit, then your light shall never go out. If you rely on others for your source of strength and wisdom and light, then you have a limited amount of light and when the darkness comes, the midnight hour, you shall be lost.
Brothers and sisters, now is the time to fill your vessels. You cannot rely on others, you must come to the source. No matter how great the truths that you are learning, no matter how wise the words that you hear from another, this cannot and will not sustain you. You must hear for yourself, you must know God in such a way that you are led and guided and directed by Him and His word to you. This cannot come through others. Yes, you can lead a pretty good life following good teaching, but in the end it will not be by might nor power, but by the oil of the Holy Spirit that you are intimately connected to, if indeed you are.
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: foolish virgins, midnight hour, source of light, two olive trees | 4 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 6, 2013
Brothers and sisters, when I look up to the cross I see humility. I see my Lord humbled and naked for the whole world to see. Nothing hidden. When I look up to the cross I see justice. I see sin condemned. Oh brothers and sisters when I look up to the cross I see mercy . Mercy for me, mercy for me, mercy for me. I do not see my own condemnation, I see my Jesus condemned and rejected by the world, willingly taking my place. Yes, I see Jesus. There is therefore, now no condemnation, because He took my condemnation, to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Oh what a glorious freedom. Free indeed, free indeed , free indeed. Free indeed to stand and fight. To battle even unto death, with my fellow freed men. I pray today that those whom the Son has set free will catch a glimpse of who they are in Christ. Royal priests in a royal priesthood. Children of the living God. Loved and redeemed and reconciled and called to walk in the beauty of holiness. That the world may know that Jesus was sent by the Father. That the world may see something of the glory of God which was given to Jesus and which He has given to us. Rise up and shine today saints of God, rise up and shine, for you are loved so much. How much? Look up to the cross!!!!
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: beauty of holiness, children of the living god, glorious freedom, saints of god | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 4, 2013
It is interesting to note that Saul and all of Israel were afraid of the giant, Goliath. He was allowed to stand, established in the battle-field , unchallenged. This was not the first time the Israelites were afraid of giants. When the spies were sent in to spy out the land by Moses, the report of ten out of the twelve spies was one of fear, fear of the giants. What is the difference between those who are powerless over giants and those who would run towards them? In Saul and David’s case, we see that one had the position and the other had the anointing. What would you have in this life brothers and sisters? Now the one with the position is initially pleased with the outcome of the fight between David and Goliath.
Was he pleased because the arrogant mouth of the enemy who blasphemed our God was shut? Or was he pleased that his own self-serving purposes had been achieved? Now we see that one has a distressing spirit. Saul had already proved that he was a law unto himself and now had to walk this world himself, without God. Yet, when he heard the people praising David above him, pride and envy and hatred began to build in his heart. When David began to worship God and come into His presence, it merely highlighted to Saul what he did not have and with spear in hand, he said in his heart ” I will pin David to the wall!” ‘Now Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.” (1 Sam 18:12)
There is a difference between the religious man and the man of God. One has position and the other has anointing. What would you have in this life brothers and sisters? These two entities have existed side by side since Cain and Abel. One has an acceptable sacrifice, a broken and a contrite heart, the other has his works. The fire of God falls on one and not the other. Whether it is Cain and Abel, or Saul and David or Jesus and the Pharisees or the martyrs and the Catholic church, there is one thing for sure in these cases, one had the position in this life and the other had the anointing. What would you have in this life brothers and sisters? This state of affairs has and will exist until the Lord returns.
The one with the position will persecute the one with the anointing. In fact, we are moving into times where we will see this ” Saul spirit,” arise to unseen heights. And directly proportional to the anointing is the level of the persecution. Yet be of good cheer brothers and sisters, for “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. (Psalm 34:17-19)
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: cain and abel, giant goliath, jesus and the pharisees | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on June 1, 2013
There is a trail that I typically walk every day. It runs beside a small creek which on any given day has barely a trickle of water in it. It is probably about four to five yards wide. Recently, after many days of rain and after four inches in one night, I went down for my morning walk and quiet time. The creek was gone! The paved trail was also gone, they had been replaced by a raging river. This river was about fifty yards wide. Instead of following the well-worn path of the winding, twisting meandering creek, that followed the path of least resistance and which was defines by its banks, this river was up and out flowing straight. The confining banks no longer existed, and the mighty river was flattening everything and re-creating the landscape, such was its power. Everything that was not anchored or deeply lodged was simply swept away.
As I surveyed this, the Lord began to create a poem in my heart and a deeper longing to see Him come like a mighty flooding river, sweeping the things of this world away from His children. Redefining everything, changing the very landscape. Do you desire this for your life? Are you tired of the trickle that flows within the well-defined boundaries of your narrow banks? Banks that twist and turn, that are defined by the world around you, by the landscape of your life? Banks that have taken the path of least resistance. When the flood comes, and I believe with all of my heart that there is a mighty flood coming, everything changes. We are then not confined by our landscapes, we begin to define and create the landscape of our lives by the power of the mighty flow. May the Lord rend the heavens today and come down in mighty torrents. Here is the poem the Lord created in my heart………………
Like a mighty flooding river
That overflows its banks
Flood the deepest parts of me
And fill me up with thanks
With love and grace and mercy Lord
Flood my heart this day
And with your mighty torrents Lord
Wash my sins away
Wash away the boundaries Lord
That speaks to who I am
Redefine me with your love
When you release your mighty dam
Where once there was a quiet creek
Rise up and overflow
May I become a river deep
And may this river ever grow
And everywhere this river goes
That flows from Calvary
Would wash men in your love and grace
Rise up and set men free
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 31, 2013
Who is this great multitude that is referred to in Rev 7:9-16 ? So we see this great multitude, and they are standing before the throne of the Living God dressed with white robes and crying out praises to God who sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb. Can I suggest that this great multitude is God’s remnant children who, in all possibility, could be this very generation. Now I realize that this possibility does great damage to those of the pre-tribulation persuasion, but the truth is the truth.
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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: blood of the lamb, end time prophecy | Leave a Comment »
Posted by appolus on May 31, 2013
“No man who is the friend of the Cross of Christ will give license to his passions, or indulgence to his appetites. If he does so, he proves that he is the enemy of the Cross of Christ. No man will seek honor for himself who has known that Christ has bought him with His blood. He will not, he cannot, he dare not live for himself, either in the accumulating of wealth, or the getting of fame, or the enjoyment of pleasure. His first, chief, master thought is, “For Jesus Christ all things—all things in Him, and for Him, and to Him, seeing that He has redeemed us with His precious blood.” They who shirk His service, who take no interest in holy enterprises, who just try to live to themselves—your eaters and your drinkers, your hoarders and your men and women who are always adorning the body, but never consecrating their souls to God—these are they who are “the enemies of the Cross of Christ.” It galls their shoulders and they will not bear it, so they turn aside to ways of their own.”-Charles H. Spurgeon
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: charles h spurgeon, cross of christ, hoarders, precious blood | 7 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 29, 2013
Despite the thousands in our megachurches today, soaking up the warm entertainment offered to them every week, I want to put it to you that we have lost Christianity. Despite the Christian books now found in every Walmart, and the “crossover” of Christian artists into the mainstream, and our Christian mega-stores and CD’s and DVD’s and Study-Bibles, I want to put it to you that we have lost Christianity.
Despite our lavish Cathedrals in the suburbs (‘Charismatic or not)
with their pastel hues and comfortable pews, their projector screens
and $30,000 sound systems, I want to put it to you that we have
utterly lost Christianity.
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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 | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 27, 2013
For Christians, victories are won in the depths of the valley and this is where strongholds are broken down and conquered. This is where the fight is taken to the enemy. This place is his dark domain. This is a place that we would never voluntarily come to. We would never come to this place willingly. Yet this place is where we see the gates of bronze broken down and the bars of iron cut in two. Perhaps you are in the depths of a deep valley today, surrounded by darkness? Be of good cheer and be encouraged, for this place where the enemy would see you destroyed is actually the place where you will see victory in Christ and your mourning shall be turned in dancing and He will put upon you a garment of praise and this spirit of heaviness shall flee before His presence.
Who needs a candle
When the sun rises in my heart?
For the light of Christ consumes all else
And it quenches every fiery dart
The Lord is a sun and a shield to me
He is the sun and the moon and the stars
All darkness flees before my precious Lord
For He has broken all the iron bars
Gates of bronze, chains and fetters
Opened and broken and swept away
As He hung on the cross and said ” it is finished,”
As He hung on the cross and showed us the way
He arose, He arose He arose triumphant
He calls to His children ” arise with me,”
Come and walk, come and walk in the light of my presence
Come and walk in the light of my victory
I am the Way and the Truth and your Life
No one comes to the Father but by me
Will you come and die and rise again
Will you follow the path to Calvary?
Will you take up your cross and follow your King
Through the fires of hell if you must?
Will the world see in you, something of Him?
Will the world see a child-like trust?
Yeah though you walk through the valley of death
And there is darkness all around
Be of good cheer for your Lord is near
And there is mercy at the throne to be found
Even this darkness is light to Him
And the desert becomes like a river
Your valley of tears will become a door of hope
And you will dwell in His arms forever!
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 24, 2013
The depths of the presence of God in meetings lies in the cross of Calvary. We must catch a vision of Calvary, a revelation, an illumination of what the Lord did, and this must come by the Holy Spirit. Only then can we truly have an ” outpouring,’ or a ” revival,” of meaningful depth which changes a man to his core and brings to life half dead Christians and those who have left their first love. I believe that we are headed towards such a thing. It is only by the true revelation of Jesus, a genuine manifestation of who He is, that the world gets a chance to accept or reject Him. Lets consider what happened in a broad overview of the life of Jesus and bear in mind that this is a type. Jesus turned the water into wine, He taught, He revealed teachings from heaven itself when He taught on the mount. Men tried to make Him their King, He rejected that and would not commit to them because He knew what ” was in man.” Again they tried to make Him their King, waving palm leaves. Again Jesus withdraws. In John 6, the majority reject who He is and go away. In the garden we see Peter reject Jesus for who He is and deny Him. Then we see the crowd, of Jewish people and their leaders, who represent the world, reject Jesus outright and choose Barabas , a freedom fighter, a man willing to fight and kill for freedom. They cry out that they have no King but Caesar and that they would have Jesus’ blood upon their heads and their children’s heads.
Now, how will we see this play out again? When Jesus reveals Himself in the last days saints, saints willing to take up their crosses and die, this will be totally rejected by the majority. The majority want leaders who will teach them how to pursue happiness and freedom in this life. They believe this is their right. They want to know how to live their best lives now. They, like the Jewish people, have no desire to follow a God that would have them die. Oh, they will follow men who will promise them miracles and blessings and riches and prosperity, but they will totally reject the God that calls them to lay down their lives, to leave their riches behind. In order for clarity, the Lord must raise up such a group of saints in this generation, in these last days. The choice will lie before men, follow the Lord to Calvary and beyond, or follow the man or men who will lead them to a better life now in this world. That is why in classic revivals of the past, the focus was never on miracles and healing’s.
The focus was on the centrality of Jesus, and Him crucified and resurrected. We do not hear men in revivals of the past cry out “is there a healing for me, is there a miracle for me, is there a better life for me.” we hear them cry out ” is there mercy for me, is there mercy for me.” And praise God, by a revelation of Jesus and what He did and who He is, they find out that there is indeed mercy at the cross to be found. There is life to be found, and that more abundantly, in the Christ who can wash us clean of our sins. There is such great love to be found in the revelation of Calvary. We find out in that revelation, just how much God loves us. This is what transforms men and makes them to shine like gold , treasure indeed to an impoverished generation. Is there such a move coming? Yes praise Jesus I believe with all of my heart that this move is almost upon us because the Lord is coming and He is coming soon and the birth-pangs happening even now.
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: jesus blood, miracles and blessings, presence of god | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 20, 2013
I went along this Sunday to a service where I knew the preacher was and has been preaching on what we would call ” hyper grace.” It is always good to hear first hand and living in Kansas, we have every kind of church here so one can check out these teaching’s for one’s self. Listening to the sermon, I was reminded of an analogy given by Tozer I believe. He talked about a man of God who loved God and studied His Word all of his life and mined the depths of it and always pursued a deeper more intimate walk with the Lord. Near his death in old age, he proclaimed that the more he knew about God, the less he knew about God. Just how vast and ultimately unknowable He was to us mere mortals in this flesh, although He fills our minds and our hearts and spirits to their capacity. Now he longed to stand before God in his raised incorruptible body so that he could know as he is known. This, Tozer suggested, was a good servant. Now, along comes a 18 year old, listens to the old man’s dying words, and proclaims that since God is ultimately not able to be fully known in this flesh, then there is no point in studying His Word so much and pursuing a deeper walk. You see the point, they can both come to the same conclusion, but one is a good and humble servant and the other is a lazy servant who presumes upon God. I would suggest that one pleases God, and the other does not. Not unlike Cain and Abel.
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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: presence of god | 27 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 15, 2013
After the drought comes the rain. Perhaps you feel like your in a drought? Perhaps its been a long time since you encountered the presence of God? For those who believe and prevail and overcome, can I tell you that there is a cloud , the size of a hand, on the horizon. There is a deep penetrating rain coming for Gods people. He has taken His people into the valley, the valley of death, the valley of decision. Because of the intensity of the battle that lies just ahead, it was and is necessary for the Lord to take His people into the desert of testing, a place of scourging and stripping away of every single thing that we have relied upon that is outside of Him. A place where survival depends not on tradition or past victories or heritage, a place where we once again cry out to the Living God for Him and Him alone. Only those who truly desire Him will stay in this place of testing. Many will return to Egypt, many will look back to where they came from and be turned into pillars of salt. Yet, the Remnant of Gods people will prevail. And our God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
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 14, 2013
It was not that long ago that I saw a documentary on a certain part of Africa. For 10 long months it sees no rain. First the mighty river dries up and then it becomes pools, and then the pools slowly shrink until it is nothing more than mud-holes. In this particular documentary, it showed a giant crocodile that had taken up residence right in the middle of the mud-hole. Yet despite its presence, deer and other animals risked their very lives in order to partake in the last of the water.
A very few animals went on a long migration looking for water, many died, some found water. Yet almost all the animals that were indigenous to this geographic location, died before the rains came. Animals that in normal circumstances would never come within 100 yards of a crocodile, came right up beside him in a desperate attempt to get some satisfaction, relief, from this drying mud-hole. When God withdraws the rain of His presence from His church we see many strange things.
Let us pray to our faithful Lord that the He will send the rain to a people who have learned not to take for granted His presence, and are focused on nothing else. What was very clear from the documentary was that the animals knew that this was life or death. The tragedy for many in the church is that they can live a life, devoid of His presence, and not even know that they are dying.
If you have spent your whole life sucking on mud, barely surviving on the moisture that comes from a mud-hole, getting filthy and dangerously close to being consumed by the world, what a tragedy for a generation of people to have been raised in the dry season who have never known what it is to see the river of life that flows from the throne, let alone step into it and be taken by its current at the deepest part.To try and operate in this world as a church without the Holy Spirit and the presence of the living God is to be reliant upon a mud-hole. Some vestige of some by- gone days where once the river flowed. Talk of past victories but no present life. Living on memories and manna from the day before. Yet manna is to be gathered fresh every day.
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: faithful lord | 5 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 8, 2013
When preachers tour like rock stars, it´s no wonder sinners flock
to stadiums. Of course, preachers holding stadium-sized events
packed out with lost souls is awesome-unless those preachers
present a hyped-up, watered-down, seeker-friendly gospel that´s
giving the assurance of heaven while sending people to hell.
I am convinced that too many people who claim to be Christ-
followers are not really saved because too many false teachers
and false prophets are propagating a “different gospel” centered
on “another Jesus” (see 2 Cor. 11:3-4). I am convinced that
many self-professing saints are going to sit right next to sinners
in hell when it´s all said and done-thanks, in part, to rock-star
preachers presenting a hyped-up, watered-down, seeker-friendly gospel.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology | 2 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 6, 2013
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. (Rom 14:8)
There was a famous group of warriors from the Highlands of Scotland. The “Highland Charge,” was one of the most effective field combat strategies in the arsenal of the Scottish army. Imagine facing hundreds of large screaming Highlanders coming at you at full tilt screaming their lungs out and swinging broad swords that measured six feet. Many armies who faced this charge simply broke ranks and fled. These front-line warriors always took great casualties but they were abandoned to the battle and they died with honor. Are you abandoned to the battle that you have been called to? Is the fear of life or death, success or failure, standing in the community or rejection, holding you back from serving the Lord with all of your heart.
The Spirit that was in David compelled him to not only challenge Goliath, but to run to the battle. The Hebrew children said to that wicked old king that their God would save them from the fire. Now, how many in Christendom would say amen to that? Yet, what is not often quoted in many circles is what they said after that which is truly a statement of faith “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image which you have set up.” (Dan 3:18) You see, whether they lived or died, they would glorify their God. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13:15) Job is saying that even although he has lost everything and even if God would kill him, still he would trust his God. Paul says ” For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”(Php 1:21) Can we say that brothers and sisters, can we truly say that this is our chief end, that whether we live or whether we die we will glorify God? There is a Scripture often quoted by many in Christendom and it is this ” By the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony,” and this is how we overcome the evil one. Yet the full Scripture 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.”(Rev 12:11) “And they loved not their lives unto death” Brothers and sisters, this is the mark of the genuine saint, not that they are delivered from every situation but that they glorify God despite their circumstances, even in matters of life and death. This is normal Christianity. This is a witness to the world.
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: hebrew children | 6 Comments »
Posted by appolus on May 2, 2013
In Ephesians 3:14 Paul writes that it ” is for this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And previously he wrote in verse one of this chapter ” For this cause, I Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ,” meaning for this reason he bowed His knees, he was a prisoner. What was the reason that Paul bowed his knees? Why was he gladly a prisoner? Why, in other places in Scripture does Paul rejoice in his chains? We can find the reason back in chapter two of Ephesians, we can find the cause, the purpose, the reason for it all. We discover in chapter two that
1. God was rich in mercy and His great love for us and raised us up together with Christ to make us sit in heavenly places with our Lord and Savior. (Eph 2:4-6)
2. That He might show us the richness of His grace through His precious Son Jesus. (verse 7)
3. That by that grace, we may be saved by faith and not of our own works. (8-9)
4. That whether circumcised or uncircumcised , constrained by the Law or not, that in Christ Jesus there would be no division, no separation, no walls of partition , but we would be one in Christ by the work of Christ on Calvary’s bloody cross. (11-16)
5. That through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit we now have access to our Heavenly Father. (18)
6. That we are no longer strangers and foreigners to each other, no matter our background, but that all in Christ Jesus are being built into a Holy Sanctuary for God to dwell in, each one of us stones, rightly shaped and fitted together by the power of the Holy Spirit to form the household of God.
Now in chapter three we see the culmination and purpose of the above points. That by the richness of His glory, that we would be rooted and grounded in love, and that with all the saints we may know the length and the depth and the height of the Love of Jesus which surpasses knowledge. And in this ” knowing,’ we would experience the fullness of God. Can you bow your knee to this brothers and sisters? Do you realize that each child of God is a living stone that is being laid in place to build a dwelling place for God? And that the foundation of this dwelling place is Jesus and the Apostles? We are one in Christ, we belong to another kingdom, we are now strangers in this world, sojourners, pilgrims, merely passing through. In the flesh, when you travel abroad and have been gone for a long time and then meet another American, what joy it brings to meet a fellow citizen. Can you say that brothers and sisters when you meet a fellow citizen of the kingdom that we truly belong too? Does this one Spirit that unites us burn within your heart?
John writes in 1Jn 3:14 ” We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love his brother abides in death.” This is a great barometer to your spiritual health. Do you abide in life of death? “1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” How indeed? We are of no use to the world and to the lost if we cannot love our brothers and sisters in Christ. In the separation now taking place, in the midst of the great falling away in which we now dwell, we will be tested on this as brothers and sisters from all kinds of back-grounds are brought together. Yet, those who burn with the Holy Spirit will recognize the Spirit in others despite very different backgrounds and the world will know us by our love for one another. For when the man made walls of separation have finally been swept away, when the scourge of denominationalism gives up its portion of saints, then, very likely in the midst of severe persecution, the world will know that we are one and that God sent Jesus because of the ” richness of His mercy and His great love.”
And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one, I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.
(Joh 17:22-23)
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: power of the holy spirit | 2 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 