Archive for the ‘worship music’ Category
If I ever have to leave you.
Posted by appolus on April 6, 2024
Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Jesus, poetry, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, worship, worship music | 4 Comments »
Entertain or enter in?
Posted by appolus on April 3, 2024
I could not sleep last night, a mixture of the chemo and the prednisone no doubt. It has happened many times since I began treatment, but last night I awoke with the phrase “entertain or enter in.” The Lord was laying something on my heart. It occurred to me that if you take the letters “ta” out of entertain you are left with enter in. And yet, the definitions could not be more different. The Greek word for entertain is “psychagogia,” meaning “amusement-diverson-distraction.” The Greek word for”enter is “bo,” meaning “to go out or to come in.” The choice seems clear, be amused, diverted or distracted, or enter into His presence.
Interestingly enough, if you look at the two letters “ta,” in the Greek it means “the third person,” meaning “when you are speaking ( or singing) about someone else rather than directly addressing that someone.” Speaking in the third person you remain detached. Are we remaining detached from God in our modern day version of worship? Are we merely being entertained, an amusement or a distraction? A distraction from what? From actually entering in. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise (Psa 100:4) Enter into the joy of the Lord (Matt 25:23) For He who has entered into His rest has himself rested from his works (Heb 4:10) Not everyone that says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter in (Matt 7:21)
It makes my heart long for stripped down, simple/profound congregational worship, something the modern day worship ” team,” has wholly set aside for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is to entertain. We don’t need to be entertained and sit by as mere spectators/fans, we need to enter in. Enter into what some might say? Enter in by the only door available, Jesus and Him high and lifted up. And let every voice sing as unto the Lord and face heavenwards and not towards a “stage,” a place for actors. Let us take the “ta,” out of entertain and let us who know Jesus, enter in.
Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, False Prophet, Jesus, manifest presence, praise, prosperity gospel, revival, spiritual growth, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, worship, worship music | 2 Comments »
Light shining out of darkness.
Posted by appolus on May 29, 2021
The title of the last poem that that William Cowper wrote, in 1773, was “Light shining out of Darkness.” It became known by the first line “God moves in a mysterious way.” John Newton would publish it the following year. It might help to understand the original title when we consider that William wrote this poem after attempting suicide. And so the darkness that he is writing about was gross darkness indeed and how sweet the light of Christ that rescues us even if we make our beds in hell, even the darkness, shall be light unto Him. He also wrote “There is a fountain filled with Blood,” and “O for a closer walk with God.”
These words written, have comforted countless millions over the last 250 years. William, in his serious battles with depression over his whole lifetime could never have imagined the impact his life would have, how it would continue to resonate down through the centuries. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in a man who walked in the darkness of depression for much of his life. Light shining out of darkness. God indeed moves in mysterious ways, who can explain our God? I tell you this though, you rarely if ever read words like this anymore. Savor the words below, they are rich in depth and meaning as opposed to so much of the shallowness that today passes for writing.
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purpose will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain:
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
Posted in Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Church history, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, God's voice, hope, Ignited Church, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, poetry, revival, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized, worship, worship music | 2 Comments »
Rarified air
Posted by appolus on August 17, 2019
There is the presence of God to be found in enthusiastic and energetic worship, the kind of worship that lifts your spirit. It can lift up the head that hangs low and invigorate the heart and fill you full of joy and leave you strengthened. This is good worship. Yet there is another kind of worship that seems to have fled the land. A worship where we breath in rarified air. Oh how desperate is our need for this kind of encounter in our day.
The first kind of presence lifts your heart to gaze upon the Master, the second kind of presence invades every part of who you are. It falls from heaven like a heavy dew, heads are lowered and hands are raised. All becomes quiet, one barely dares to breathe as the Spirit of God slowly descends down through our out-strecthed hands and our hearts and minds and down to the very soles of our feet, and the ground upon which we stand becomes Holy ground. The first kind of presence uplifts us, the second changes us fundamentally. As living waters pour into us then it rises up like a great river that is so full that it overflows its banks.
The banks themselves begin to crumble and fall into this river of pure life as it swells up and floods through every part of who we are. The landscape is being changed by this flood, the very topography of our lives is being flattened by its powers and everything that is not securely rooted to its foundations is simply swept away. Changed forever. And when the flood recedes we are left with a glorious afterglow. As the deer pants for the waterbrooks, I wonder, do our hearts pant after this kind of encounter.
The Lord Himself does not need professional worship teams. He does not need people to encourage us to stand and jump up and down and raise our hands. In the Welsh revival two young women singing either acapella or simply backed by a piano typically sang “Here is love, vast as the ocean.” And there was Love, in the very midst of them, vast as the ocean, flooding the hearts and minds of all who attended.
Brothers and sisters, in all our modernity, what have we lost? In the programs of our churches and the professional class of worship leaders and pastors have we lost the simplicity of it all? And in the losing of it we now have to entertain the people. Spirit led worship is exactly that, it is Spirit led. In work we have a routine. In life we have a routine. Prisoners in prison have a routine. Oftentimes we are slaves to the routine, it is what gets us through life.
Yet, there is nothing routine about the Holy Spirit of the Living God. He is dynamic and you can never know what way the wind will blow next. Have we sold out our souls to the routine? Routine in the home, routine at work, routine at church. Routine people do not change the world. Routine people do not do wage war on the battle-fields of life. Saints, you are extraordinary because of the great treasure that lies within you. Extraordinary people change everything by the overflowing power of God that flows through every part of who they are.
The Spirit of God is dynamic and those filled with His “dynamis,” change the environment around them because of the environment inside of them. Their spirits have been filled to capacity and is overflowing their banks. And all who come near are caught up in the flooding overflow of a mighty all consuming God. Lord fill us again to overflowing with the kind of presence that invades every part of who we are and may all that we encounter be caught up in the flood that overflows our spirit.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, praise, praise and worship, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | Leave a Comment »
Fields of Glory
Posted by appolus on March 3, 2019
Latest collaboration between myself and Aileen Gilchrist. I wrote this song based on a vision I had many years ago of what worship looked like in heaven.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, praise, praise and worship, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | 4 Comments »
Love lifted me
Posted by appolus on January 18, 2019
A number of years ago I was in the midst of a situation that did not last a week or a month or even a year, it had been going on for a number of years. Near the end of this situation I found myself surrounded by darkness and despair. I had no idea it was almost at an end, but God did of course. I found myself lying on the floor, engulfed with hopelessness and as far as I could see, no light. When suddenly, after months and months of crying out to God His light pierced the darkness. There is a song, an old Hymn, written by a Welshman at the turn of the last century. His words perfectly describe what happened to me and millions others like me.
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me.
Love reached down and with a glorious light pierced my darkness and the darkness fled followed closely by my despair. Brothers and sisters, if you know something of that situation today in your own life, don’t you stop crying out with all your heart to a the living God who sees the afflictions of His people. He sees your darkness, He sees your despair. He knows your pain and He sees your struggle. He will lift you again, He will raise you up. He will flood your heart again with love and with hope and with praise. Why don’t you start today and sing this song and remind yourself that the very same Lord, the very same love that lifted you when you were drowning in sin and far from the peaceful shore will lift you once again above the stormy waters of life and then you can sing once more “Love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me.”
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, praise, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized, worship, worship music | 6 Comments »
The lion roars and I am free
Posted by appolus on November 28, 2018
I thank you Lord for broken chains
I thank you Lord that our God reigns
In heaven above and the earth below
You came that all the world might know
That heaven’s gates are opened wide
And flowing waters run deep inside
And I am redeemed and forever set free
And before your throne I’ll forever be
The Lamb of God rises in my heart
The Blood of the Lamb covers every part
Of who I am and forever shall be
The Lion roars and I am free
I run to you my Lord and King
Once had no voice but now I sing
Like a bird that rises on the eternal breeze
To the one who loves and forever frees
I thank you Lord for your holiness
I thank you Lord when I’m in distress
That you are there like you said you would
And in the depths of me I am understood
The Lamb of God rises in my heart
The Blood of the Lamb covers every part
Of who I am and forever shall be
The Lion roars and I am free
The Lion roars and I am free
The lion roars and I am free
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the deeper life, the gospel, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | Leave a Comment »
Love is
Posted by appolus on November 21, 2018
Latest collaboration between myself and a dear sister from Scotland, Mary Greig.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | 4 Comments »
Lord of Sky and Sea
Posted by appolus on April 28, 2018
I wrote these lyrics a few weeks ago and my dear sister in the Lord, Mary Greig in Scotland recorded it in the studio and she and her family created this video to go along with it. It is shot above my home town of Greenock in Scotland. Please feel free to share this, it is a declaration of who God is and who He will ever be!
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, praise, praise and worship, revival, scotland, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, watchmen, worship, worship music | 3 Comments »
The overflowing presence of God
Posted by appolus on January 5, 2018
There is the presence of God to be found in glorious worship, enthusiastic and energetic, the kind of worship that lifts your spirit. It can lift up the head and invigorate the heart and fill you full of joy and you leave strengthened. This is good worship. Yet there is another kind of presence of God in worship, the kind of presence that there seems to be a famine of throughout the land. The first kind of presence we spoke of lifts your heart, the second kind of presence invades every part of who you are. It falls from heaven like a heavy dew, heads are lowered and hands are raised. All becomes quiet, one barely breathes as the Spirit of God slowly descends down through our heads into our hearts and down to the very soles of our feet, and the ground upon which we stand becomes Holy ground. The first kind of presence uplifts us, the second changes us fundamentally. As living waters pour into us then it rises up like a great river that is so full that it overflows its banks. The banks themselves begin to crumble and fall into this river of pure life as it swells up and floods every part of who we are. The landscape is being changed by this flood, the very topography of our lives is being flattened by its powers and everything that is not securely rooted to its foundations is simply swept away. Changed forever. And when the flood recedes we are left with a glorious afterglow. As the deer pants for the waterbrooks, I wonder, do our hearts pant after this kind of encounter.
The Lord Himself does not need professional worship teams. He does not need people to encourage us to stand up, jump up and down and raise our hands. In the Welsh revival two young women singing either acapella or simply backed by a piano typically sang “Here is love, vast as the ocean.” And there was love, in the very midst of them, vast as the ocean, flooding the hearts and minds of all who attended. Brothers and sisters, in all our modernity, what have we lost? In the program of churches and the professional class of worshiper leaders and pastors we have lost the simplicity of it all. And in the losing of it we now have to entertain the people. Spirit led worship is exactly that, it is Spirit led. In work we have a routine. In life we have a routine. Prisoners in prison have a routine. Oftentimes we are slaves to the routine, it is what gets us through life. Yet, there is nothing routine about the Holy Spirit of the Living God. He is dynamic and you can never know what way the wind will blow next. Have we sold our souls for a routine? Routine in the home, routine at work, routine at church. Routine people do not change the world. Routine people do not do wage war on the battle-fields of life. The Spirit of God is dynamic and those filled with His “dynamis,” change the environment around them because the environment inside them has been filled to capacity and is overflowing its banks. Lord fill us again to overflowing with the kind of presence that invades every part of who we are.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, praise, praise and worship, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized, worship, worship music | 5 Comments »
The Father’s heart!
Posted by appolus on June 7, 2017
This is the latest collaboration between myself and Mary Greig. If it blesses you please share it with others………Frank
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | 4 Comments »
Touching the Father’s heart
Posted by appolus on April 7, 2017
How is it I could be so lost
In a very familiar place
How can my heart turn suddenly cold
Now my world’s a smaller place
Chorus
I was born to soar into the skies
I was born to look into your eyes
Reaching out to be a part
Of a world, touching the Father’s heart
Verse 2
How can I stay here in this place
With its darkness all around
My heart longs to hear your voice again
Just to hear a heav’ly sound
Verse 3
I can run in, to my high tower
But I know I cannot stay
Im called to come back into the light
Into the light of a brand new day
Verse 4
So if you have run, you’ve run away
From your life with all its pain
It’s time to come back,come back to him
Time to fall in love again.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, Uncategorized, worship, worship music | Leave a Comment »
I will love you forever!
Posted by appolus on March 9, 2017
Here is a song I wrote about a month ago. A dear sister, Mary Greig recorded it in the studio last week. I pray that it blesses you, you may want to share it with someone who needs to be reminded of the love of God…………..bro Frank
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship music | 2 Comments »
The rising Crimson Tide
Posted by appolus on April 14, 2016
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, praise, revival, spiritual poetry, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | Leave a Comment »
Heavens Song
Posted by appolus on November 27, 2014
This is a song I was working on with a dear sister in Scotland when I was recently over there. We are hoping to see an album come together that glorifies God, that we have written ourselves and that allows one to come into His presence.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | 3 Comments »
I asked for a rose, He gave me a Garden
Posted by appolus on April 9, 2014
The song on the video was written last year after I cried out to God. As was walking I remembered this testimony………..
“A man I know of, went into the supermarket to buy his wife a rose. It was his practice to do this every week. He picked the rose that he wanted and made for the checkout lane. As he walked toward the line , the Holy Spirit spoke to him, that small still voice from the Shepherd. “Give the rose to that woman.” Im
mediately the man resisted. “Lord, that makes no sense. What if she thinks I am hitting on her? What if she thinks I am crazy? What if others hear and think I am a weirdo?” There was such a resistance in his flesh, yet he knew the voice of the Lord, and he knew he had to be obedient. So, he took a deep breath and walked over to the lady and said to her “The Lord wanted you to have this rose.” The woman looked at him for a second, then looked at the rose, and as she reached out to take it, she began to weep. She explained.”My husband died several months ago. Every week , for years, he would buy me a rose. This morning I was feeling so lost and forgotten, I cried out to God and asked Him if He had forgotten me, I told Him that I needed to feel loved.” The man cried too. You see how the Lord loves us? You see how He speaks to His people?”
Well that morning as I was walking and remembering that story, I said to the Lord ” I need a rose Lord.” Later that day I got a call from a dear saint who I had not heard from for over a year. The conversation really lifted my spirits and this person really likes me. You know how it is nice every now and again to talk to someone who thinks you are special? 🙂 Anyway that is where the lyrics for the song ” I asked for a Rose, He gave me a Garden,” came from. Maybe you need to hear from God today. I pray that He talks to you through this song. Aileen Gilchrist wrote the music and sings it with the anointing God has given her
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, Daily devotional, Devotions, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, poetry, praise, praise and worship, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | 5 Comments »
Oh Ancient doors!
Posted by appolus on September 25, 2013
A prophetic song about the Church in the desert and the soon coming King.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, praise, praise and worship, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | Tagged: prophetic song | 5 Comments »
Fill me Lord-Fill my cup
Posted by appolus on September 15, 2013
A song sung by two dear sisters in Christ, Aileen Gilchrist and Mary Greig. May the Lord fill you even as you listen and worship Him.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, praise and worship, revival, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | Leave a Comment »
Quiet Godly music
Posted by appolus on September 7, 2013
Here is some quiet Godly music sung, for the most part, acapella May it usher you into the presence of God.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | Tagged: presence of god | Leave a Comment »
Fill me Lord-vision/song
Posted by appolus on August 30, 2013
I had a vision a few months ago and wrote about it in song, here is one version of it with two anointed sisters the amen at the end was Daniel who apparently could not contain himself 🙂 bless his little heart.
Posted in Christian, christian living, Christianity, church of scotland, end times, Jesus, pentecostal, revival, the remnant, the state of the church, theology, worship, worship music | 2 Comments »
A Call To The Remnant 