Psalm 126, like many other psalms, describes in part, the joy of the returning exiles from captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem. Try for a moment to put yourself in the place of an Israelite. He sees his country invaded and destroyed. He sees the centerpiece of all that is holy to them, the temple, destroyed. Then he is loaded up and carried away in chains. He looks back only once and sees the smoke of destruction still ascending to the very heavens which seem to have abandoned him.
Archive for the ‘the state of the church’ Category
Those who sow in tears
Posted by appolus on February 17, 2012
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: endless years, land of milk and honey, psalm 126, spirit of the lord | 4 Comments »
The benefits of His manifest Presence
Posted by appolus on February 10, 2012
To know Jesus is to encounter Him. Now this encounter can come in a thousand different ways. It can come in dreams and visions, quite rare in my experience. It can come in alone times of prayer, this is most common for myself. It can come corporately, relatively rare nowadays I would say. This manifest presence, this shekinah, this felt presence, always leads to changes in our lives.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: dreams and visions, hunger and thirst, knowing jesus, majesty and glory, manifest presence, psalm 119 | 8 Comments »
The Rock that is higher than I
Posted by appolus on February 8, 2012
It’s very dangerous to elevate men. It happens time and again in Christianity where men are revered, relied upon for doctrine and answers to every question. It is not only dangerous I believe, but sinful and harmful. Every single Christian must be grounded first and foremost on the solid Rock of Jesus Christ and led by the Holy Spirit alone. Once this is established, then other mens opinions and teachings can be considered in the light of your own revelation and illuminations from God and from His word.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: co dependence, deeper life, man of god, personality cult, spiritual giant | 4 Comments »
I am rich in the mercies of Jesus
Posted by appolus on February 2, 2012
As many may know, the Lord asked me several months ago to write a poem for every Psalm. This was and is a daunting task. I believe that the Lord asked me to do this last year because last year was one of the toughest years of my Christian walk where I got to walk through the deepest and darkest valley yet. And because of that, the Psalms touched my raw spirit in ways that only the Psalms can. For Christians, victories are won in the depths of the valley and strongholds are broken down. 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. Below are the last few poems that I have written, I am up to Psalm 114. May they bless you………………
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: beauty of holiness, heavenly hosts, magnificent light, psalm 111, raw spirit | Leave a Comment »
You ride upon Chariots of Fire
Posted by appolus on January 24, 2012
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Gen 1:2-5)
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: billions of stars, chariots of fire, glorious majesty, light from the darkness, psalm 19, void in my heart | Leave a Comment »
America the insecure?
Posted by appolus on January 21, 2012
Does the American people worship the armed forces? If that were true, then this would
make the armed forces an idol. Consider what an idol is ……………
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: counterfeit god, population of the world | 3 Comments »
I am you Higher Ground!
Posted by appolus on January 19, 2012
Are you hurting today? Have the trials of life overwhelmed you? Has the enemy come in like a flood and you can see no way of escape? Psalm 61 says “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psa 61:2)
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: deepest darkness, oh my father, psalm 61, when the enemy comes in like a flood, wings of the morning | 4 Comments »
A Wandering Star
Posted by appolus on January 12, 2012
Do you wander in the vast expanse of the heavens? Does your hopelessness and despair feel like it could fill a mighty chasm? Does the darkness seem like it has no end? These are just some words to describe hopelessness. Hopelessness is a form of hell, perhaps the closest thing to hell that humans can experience this side of eternity.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: dreadful state, genesis 1, glory be to god, order of the universe, vast expanse | 2 Comments »
Does the Glory of God rise within you?
Posted by appolus on January 9, 2012
In this “season,” that we just celebrated the world celebrated a caricature, some little baby Jesus in a manger and it falls into the same realm as Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. What an honor that we have, to know, to worship and speak to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords through the Holy Spirit.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: alive in christ jesus, baby jesus in a manger, choirs of angels, heavenly choirs, jesus in a manger, lamb of god | 4 Comments »
Looking for a Lightning Bolt?
Posted by appolus on January 5, 2012
What is the source of your love, your joy, your peace? Cast an eye across the landscape of your life. What would your life look like without talking to God? Would it look much different from what it is looks like right now? Does your wisdom and your direction come from the Word of God and the Holy Spirit? Or, do you draw from your own wells? Recent surgery has interrupted my normal schedule. For the last week it seems that, day and night, there has always been someone around or I have been tired and outta of it with pain meds and so on.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: lightening bolt, talking to god | 8 Comments »
The Spiritual Man vs the Religious Man
Posted by appolus on December 31, 2011
The spiritual man has treasures this world discounts. He has a mystic wisdom of the Holy Spirit, but the world has no way to receive this. Jesus said the world cannot receive Him “because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.” (John 14:17) Just as a deaf man has no sensory organ to receive music, and just as a blind man has no organ to receive light, so a worldly man has no organ to receive the treasure of God’s mystic knowledge. by the Holy Spirit. And of course, if the Christian says that he has and is sure of himself, the world is angry with him, even the religious world. They say he is a bigot, he thinks too much of himself. The Christian man has the Holy Spirit, invisible and from God, whom the world cannot receive. The Christian has heard a voice, seen the light and been able to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, while the world is just religious.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: fundamental church, grave clothes, holy spirit, living in a world, lord jesus christ, religious world, spiritual man | Leave a Comment »
Love Eternally
Posted by appolus on December 29, 2011
The eternal love of God is without limit. Oh the beauty of such a love for such a one as me. Have you tasted of this love? Have you closed your eyes and reached out and grasped a piece of eternity? Have you experienced something of the vastness of God? He wants to be known. He wants us to know the breadth and the length and the depth of His love. To know that which passes knowledge cannot be learned, its a revelation, an illumination by the Spirit of God. That we, so small and so frail and so insignificant, can be filled by something so vast that it renders the word vast obsolete. Its other-worldly words we need. This is the riches of His glory. Come all ye men, paupers and kings, all paupers and know the riches of His glory. He has called you to this.
Oh love without ending
As vast as the sea
Oh mercy divine
Forever it will be
Oh infinite grace
It has no end
Eternal redemption
The heavens you’ll rend
And all these flow down
From a mountain so high
That it reaches the heavens
And bursts through the sky
When I survey
The heavens above
I’m awed by the vastness
I’m awed by your love
One day i’ll stand
On eternities shore
How vast is your love?
I’ll guess no more
Only then I’ll know
How vast is the sea
Only then I’ll know
Love eternally
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: eternal redemption, infinite grace, oh mercy, paupers, spirit of god, ye men | 6 Comments »
A vision of Christ above the clouds!
Posted by appolus on December 24, 2011
I can only imagine the glory of eternity in the presence of glorious majesty. I will sing and dance before my Lord in the beauty and awe of his holiness. And of his majesty there will be no end, His majesty is eternity and that’s what we shall dwell in. And its because of that, afflictions and trials of this world are light and momentary. Let not a complaining word fall from our lips, because we stand in the shadow of Calvary. And as we consider that the God of all eternity stepped into time and space, when such a great light fell from heaven above and brought joy and hope to a world of darkness, a world of separation, may we always remember the hope that was set before Him. That hope is the hope that is set before us.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: glorious majesty, golden crowns, holy holy holy, holy is the lord god almighty, lord god almighty | 2 Comments »
To all who thirst
Posted by appolus on December 22, 2011
Do you thirst after God? Wait upon the Lord brothers and sisters and He will revive you. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him…………….Brother Frank
TO ALL WHO THIRST
As the deer panteth for the waterbrooks
So my soul longeth after thee
Oh my Father in Heaven
Can you hear my desperate plea?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: deer panteth, desperate plea, heavenly angel, holy sanctuary, small still voice | 6 Comments »
Just imagine, this is what revival could look like!
Posted by appolus on December 21, 2011
To anyone with a heart for revival, to see the world fall on their knees and glorify the Lord. Watch this flash mob and just imagine, just imagine how glorious it would be for the whole world to fall upon its knees and worship the King of Kings.
PS Perhaps something like this will be our strategy when they finally ban the gospel. The name of Jesus will never be silenced.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Do you walk in the Love of God?
Posted by appolus on December 20, 2011
Do you walk in the Love of God? Have you been freed from all earthly ties? Is your Christianity an adventure? Whether in trials or victories can you see the majesty and beauty of the story God is writing with your life? Are you a living epistle? Do you have joy? This peace that surpasses all understanding, have you ever walked in that? When you think of death, does it excite you? Have the scales of this world fallen from your eyes? Can you see that you walk in the light from above? More importantly, can others see any of these things in your life? The Christian man is a strange man according to the world, and so he should be. Are you strange? Are you a puzzle to those who know you?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | Tagged: earthly ties, glorious freedom, peace that surpasses all understanding | 4 Comments »
Will you be grafted in? Wounded for Christ
Posted by appolus on December 17, 2011
Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified in Christ, It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
This post is a continuation of a theme that the Lord has put on my heart for the last couple of weeks and the last several posts.
Is there a reason why the Church today is so anemic? What is missing from us that makes us so like the world? What is the answer to the fact that the modern day church is not walking in the power of God? We see so many dynamic personalities, but we see so little of the Holy Spirit. The most dramatic presentation of the power of the Holy Spirit is a changed life. This is truly the greatest miracle of all, yet, how often do we see that nowadays?
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | 4 Comments »
Shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility
Posted by appolus on December 17, 2011
Tozer writes…………….. In every Christian’s heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the cross, he remains on the throne. Perhaps this is at the bottom of the backsliding and worldliness among gospel believers today. We want to be saved, but we insist that Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of Mansoul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility. (Tozer)
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | 6 Comments »
Are you still standing on your own two feet?
Posted by appolus on December 12, 2011
Brothers and sisters, are you standing on your own two feet today? In any river there is a current. The river of the Living God has a current, that current is the Holy Spirit. Do you flow in the Spirit? Do you flow in the river? The river flows from the throne and the river returns to its own. On either shore of the river of life is thick forest, thick undergrowth, life in the natural. To follow the path of the river from the river bank is hard work. Men will hack their way through this, exhausting work. They will work with all of their might to make some progress down the river. Yet Jesus asks us to enter into the river, into the deepest parts where your feet cannot touch the bottom. To go out into the deep is a scary unnatural thing. Every part of our flesh wants to stand upon its feet.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the state of the church, theology | 6 Comments »
If I did not believe!
Posted by appolus on December 11, 2011
What would your life look like if you did not know Christ? What would the impact be? I was thinking about that this morning ,and as I pondered that thought and all of is ramifications I became so thankful. In this busy time of the year, take some time just to sit down, alone, and quiet, and look at the landscape of your life through the prism of not knowing Jesus. Through all the trials and drama’s of our lives, He is the foundation. It’s because of Jesus that we have hope. It’s because of Jesus that we have joy. We have peace and compassion because of Jesus. We stand, because of Jesus. Take a moment and ponder and consider your life without Him, now open your eyes and see just how far He has brought you and has kept you. I wrote this poem this morning as I pondered………………
IF I DID NOT BELIEVE!
My hope would vanish in the wind
My joy would disappear
My peace would crumble into dust
I would not shed a tear
My love would melt and fear would reign
I’d lose my nightly song
There’d be no purpose for my life
I’d know not right from wrong
My only thoughts would be of me
And what I could achieve
I’d live my life so selfishly
If I did not believe
And when my moment came to die
And stand before the throne
I would not have an advocate
I’d stand there all alone
And for all eternity
For those who don’t receive
You’ll suffer loss eternally
If you do not believe
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the state of the church, theology | 10 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 