A Call To The Remnant

Scottish Warriors for Christ- http://www.facebook.com/acalltotheremnant

Jesus pick me up.

Posted by appolus on February 8, 2024

Trouble came knocking at my door
And a voice inside said don't let it in
I opened it
And it knocked me to the floor
I got backup on my feet
And it knocked me down once more

Chorus
Jesus pick me up so I can stand again
Jesus pick me up, I so dearly need you friend
You are my Lord of Lords and King of Kings
The man of many sorrows
If you do not pick me up today
Then there will be no tomorrows

I came to a bridge over troubled waters
But the bridge was swept away
I went down into the waters
And in the darkness I heard Him say
I will be with you as you pass on through
And suddenly the waters withdrew

Then I came upon a mountain high
To scale it I would surely die
I asked the Lord to remove this thing
So that I could rejoice and praise my King
No My son, ask of me to give you power
To climb every mountain and to scale every tower

Bridge

I'll be with you as you pass on through
I'll be with you in all that you do.

Trouble came knocking at my door
And a voice inside said don't let it in
I opened it
And it knocked me to the floor
I got backup on my feet
And it knocked me down once more

Chorus
Jesus pick me up so I can stand again
Jesus pick me up, I so dearly need you friend
You are my Lord of Lords and King of Kings
The man of many sorrows
If you do not pick me up today
Then there will be no tomorrows

I came to a bridge over troubled waters
But the bridge was swept away
I went down into the waters
And in the darkness I heard Him say
I will be with you as you pass on through
And suddenly the waters withdrew

Then I came upon a mountain high
To scale it I would surely die
I asked the Lord to remove this thing
So that I could rejoice and praise my King
No My son, ask of me to give you power
To climb every mountain and to scale every tower

Bridge

I'll be with you as you pass on through
I'll be with you in all that you do.

Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, inspirational, intimacy, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | 7 Comments »

When the stroke hits the soul

Posted by appolus on February 3, 2024

When the stroke goes down to the soul
And the billows they begin to roll
When the lightening fractures the sky above
Shall we be found to be anchored in His glorious love?

When the ship is swamped and going under
And the rain so loud and the clashing thunder
Cause you to cry out and look up towards heaven
Shall we stand upon God and not be so driven?

Surely goodness and mercy despite our afflictions
Will follow us forever without contradiction
And a table before us, a feast for a King
Will cause our troubled hearts to sing

Of His majesty and glory and joy without measure
As we gaze upon His righteousness, His heavenly treasure
He maketh me lie down in pastures so green
And beside the still waters eternally serene.

Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Blessings from the night.

Posted by appolus on January 31, 2024

It has been a night of grief, yet a night of blessing. A night in which there may have been many things which we would wish forgotten., yet many more which we should wish to be remembered for ever. Often during its gloom, we called it “wearisome,” and said “When shall I arise and the night be gone? (Job 7:) Yet how much was there to reconcile it, rather, to fill us with praise because of it! It was then the Lord drew near, and the world was displaced and self was smitten, and our will conquered, and faith grew speedily, and hope became brighter and more eager, and the things that are unseen were felt to be real and true. (H. Bonar)

Brothers and sisters, suffering draws us close unto the Lord. The long night of illness or trial draws us closely to the fires of heaven. We see with eyes that can peer through the night and give us sight to see our heavenly Jerusalem. The fading parchments of this life become somewhat crude in the light of heavenly fires. What comfort the children of Israel must have garnered as the fire by night nestled above them in the calm assurance of His presence. The cloud by day that would shelter them from the blazing desert heat. Our songs in the night give birth to sight. Out of darkness there comes a sure knowledge that He is with us. To not just follow Him closely along the narrow pilgrim way, but rather to walk hand in hand with Him and hear Him so sweetly that our hear burns within our chest……bro Frank

Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian quotes, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, spiritual growth, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant | 1 Comment »

When hope gives way to presence.

Posted by appolus on January 27, 2024

I wrote this poem yesterday while I was having chemo. It was a long day but I very much sensed the presence of the Lord, in divine appointments and also a message from a dear friend who had just recorded the message in the middle of their prayer meeting in Estonia. He prayed for me and then his dear wife prayed for me and I could hear the other saints praying in the background. I was quite overcome to think how honored and how privileged I was. I was humbled, shed a few tears, then wrote this poem. You will notice that I use the word infused a couple of time 🙂

When hope gives way to presence.

When the desire comes, it's a tree of life to me.
And the tree nourishes the parts you cannot see
Hope deferred causes my aching heart to long
And in the longing creates in me a song.

Sing my heart, sing of all His glory
Create in me the desire to tell Your story.
To scale the highest mountain, just to shout your name
Consumed by your majesty, ignited by your flame.

Come to me, draw me to your throne
To that place I know that I am truly known
And the tree of life infuses me with peace
And your glory, from the depths of me, released.

Beyond the falling leaf there lies the pastures green
And a heavenly river infused by glorious streams.
Beyond the troubled waters you have surely come to me
And you take my spirit over, to that place beyond the sea.

Posted in cancer, Christian, christian blog, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, God's love, God's voice, healing, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

The crosses that He designs.

Posted by appolus on January 24, 2024

Sorrow leaves it's mark upon the soul
As the Lord shapes us and takes
back what the enemy stole
With an iron pen and
lead in the rock, it is written
The genuine work of God, His composition

He has written His word upon the heart
that He has given
And with many a blow, sin
from our soul is driven
Shall we not welcome the rod that can never miss?
And with a warm embrace, direct it with a kiss

We can count the cost, then embrace the cross
or lay it down and suffer the loss
Remember each one is crafted by His hand
And are designed so that no man can still stand
It's by His Blood and sorrow they were crafted
And they seal the wounds whereby we are grafted.

Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

An abundance of His glory.

Posted by appolus on January 21, 2024

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 

This word weight is used both times in the scriptures with the context being very different obviously. It can mean abundance or burden or load. Now clearly sin is a burden to the soul, a load not easily carried. It slows us down, much like if we were attached to an anchor and had to drag it behind us. We have all felt it. Yet Heb 121:1 is compelling us, with a vision, to lay that burden down. Look up with spiritual eyes and see that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Those who have gone before us, the angels of heaven, the Kingdom of God. See the things that are eternal. See the Lord Jesus Christ high and lifted up. When we look to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith then sin loses it’s power and its hold on us.

When we look  not at the things that are seen, but rather the things which are not seen then there is a power released in us. The light of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ begins to shine forth from the depths of our very beings. This treasure that dwells in the depths of our hearts pours forth like the rising of the sun after the long night. What a welcome sight for all those who dwell in darkness to see the rising sun shine forth from us, and it draws men to God. Rather than our afflictions causing us to look down  and to fall into sorrow, let our light afflictions cause us to look up and to be encompassed with the eternal abundance of His glory. With eyes to see, we peer into the glories of the world to come. We are overcome with His majesty, with His glory, with His holiness, with His joy. This power truly comes to pass in the midst of our afflictions for it is then that God has commanded His light to shine forth from the darkness.

Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, God's voice, healing, revival, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church | 3 Comments »

A poem from a soldier.

Posted by appolus on January 16, 2024

It seems to me that an old soldier’s life would be marked by the battles in which he fought. He could look back and remember the wars in which he participated. He would remember certain foxholes. He would remember the comradery with his fellow soldiers. He would certainly remember the ones he fought back to back with. In many ways he would acknowledge that he had been shaped by each battle. Little by little, precept upon precept, he would become the soldier he is. And even when his wars are all fought, he will always be a soldier. I know that the battles I have fought have shaped me. The seasons that I have walked through have molded me. I remember well the foxholes I have been in at particular times with saints, brothers and sisters, that I have loved as David loved Jonathon.

The seasons of loss, the seasons of victories, the seasons of crying out to God. There are secret times when I have despaired. Times when only the Lord would see the tears upon my pillow, many a sleepless night I have walked where it was just me, all alone, with my Lord. Yet I can say that while all of those battles and seasons have shaped and molded me, none of them has identified me. I am not the guy from the broken childhood, not the guy who lost a son, not the guy who has a special need son. Not the guy whose son went to prison, not the guy who fought for his grandson. And now, not the guy who has cancer. My sole identity is the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. No neighbor or friend would know my background, unless at certain times I could share small portions of my life to comfort them with the very same comfort I have known. Each poem I write I write is either from the battle-field or from the memories of a battle fought. They are forged in the fires of battle or spring to life from from heaven’s throne-room. I wrote this one yesterday. A soldiers poem from a present battle.

THE THORN THAT PIERCES

Shall I shrink back from the crown of thorns
Shall I fall away when I’m battered and torn
Shall I not rise though broken and wasted
And declare heavenly treasures that I have tasted.

This earth is neither my portion nor my rest
And these thorns are but my heavenly test
Pierced and broken but never defeated
I look to heaven where soon I’ll be seated

I cast my eyes upon dark Calvary’s hill
And from the valley floor seek to go higher still
Closer and closer and closer to thee
Where chains are broken and from fetters set free

The night is far spent and the day is at hand
And with Your help alone I will surely stand
The storm may rise and the waves grow higher
Yet to be where you are is my one desire

Nearness to God is the source of it all
Whether we walk or run, or stumble and fall
Through the storms, through the rain, the day or the night
He is there upon the waters, what a glorious sight.

Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

An update on the cancer situation.

Posted by appolus on January 15, 2024

Posted in bible, cancer, christian living, Christian poetry, Christian quotes, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, Jesus, revival, spiritual growth, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church | 4 Comments »

His light in the darkness!

Posted by appolus on January 11, 2024

“How fast we learn in a day of sorrow. It is as if affliction awoke our powers and lent them new quickness of perception. We advance more in knowledge of Scripture in a single day than in years before. We learn songs in the night, though such music was unknown before. A deeper experience has taken us down into the depths of Scripture and shown us its hidden wonders.” (Horatius Bonar) 

And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. (Isa 45:3)

When darkness comes knocking at our door and we come to the end of our own resources, we cry out into the night. There is a hidden treasure that awaits the saints who are overtaken by afflictions. Out of the darkness, God Himself has commanded that light would shine. It shines into the depths of our hearts and dispels all fears. Our perceptions change. Worldly things that were important yesterday, are no longer important today. Our hearts and our minds are drawn up into high and lofty places. Our brokenness allows the hidden treasures of God that lie within us to pour forth as never before. The night watches, so dreaded by men, becomes our sanctuary. A holy place where the Lord Himself gives us a song. Is there a more sweeter sound that the song that resonates in our heart in the night? The contrast of darkness only serves to illuminate the brilliance of the light of God.

Down we go, down into the depths of the Word and His truth and His promises. And as we are taken by the depths of His love, we are lifted to the heights of His glory. The precious hand of God wherein we lie, closes over us and holds us tight as the storms and the waves reach up to try and pull us down. Yet, they cannot, for nothing can pluck us from the hand of God. Every precious word of God becomes a shaft of light that pierces through the darkness. And that light warms us and envelops us and keeps us from the icy blasts of this world with all of its ravages. We become super sensitive to His presence and to His promises and to His love. We begin to actually live one day at a time just as our Lord and Master Jesus told us to. And what a glorious way to live with our eyes truly set upon Him.

As we consider the lilies of the field, as we consider the sparrows of the air, as we understand that His eye is on the sparrow and He clothes the grass of the fields with much more splendor that Solomon was ever arrayed, we understand His eye is on us. And in the knowing of this, in the depths of our heart, there arises great joy. Joy in the darkness? Joy in the affliction? Joy in the depths of infirmities? Yes, yes, yes!!! It is the joy of the Lord. And the joy of the Lord that rises up from the darkness is our strength in the night.   You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psa 16:11) His presence is my song in the night. His presence is my fullness. His presence is my joy. He alone lifts me up to the mountaintops from the valley floor. In fact, they are both alike to Him for where He is, is Holy ground…..bro Frank.

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Update.

Posted by appolus on January 10, 2024

Posted in battle against cancer, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christian quotes, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, praise, revival, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence | 8 Comments »

What God initiates always flourishes.

Posted by appolus on January 10, 2024

Interesting story with this tree. Before it ever existed, I had a tree planted, by professionals, about six feet in front of it. It never flourished. I prayed for it as well but in the end it died. I pondered that as I removed it. Well, the very next year this tree was born. I did not plant it. It is, what they call, a volunteer. I watched it grow. I did not water it, pray for it, or do a single thing to enhance its growth. And here it is, several year later in all its splendor. The birds love it.
 
I think about what it means to try and produce things in our own strength, by the power of our own hands. Especially in ministry. And all the time the wind of the Holy Spirit is doing His work. Seeds come from who knows where and life begins. What God initiates, always flourishes. With men it is hit and miss but the Lord never misses, He always accomplishes what He sets out to do. This magnificent tree, it’s position in the yard, it’s incredible growth, all His work!

Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, revival, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church | Leave a Comment »

We must decrease!

Posted by appolus on January 1, 2024

The Lord, of course, was acquainted with sorrows and sufferings and this gives us strength to know that He knows and He sees all of our afflictions. In the end, our walk must simplify as we mature in Him. We must decrease and He must increase. This decreasing is something of a mystery. Perhaps diminished is also a good word, to be diminished in our own estimations of our “self.” 
 
The greater damage we do to self, the clearer the two kingdoms become. The kingdoms of this world and its ruler, and the Kingdom of God, that was, and is, and is to come and it’s ruler, the Lord Jesus. How do we “diminish,” “self?” How do we decrease? How is the hold that self has on us loosed? Only by the cross. Only ever by the cross. The flesh refuses to die, it refuses to relinquish control. We cannot negotiate with it or compromise with it. Absolute surrender, which is so offensive to the world and self, is our stance. Therefore it’s a battle to the death. No quarter to be given.
 
As we go down this road, by the power of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit, we begin to turn a corner at some point. As we surrender to surrender our eyes begin to “see,” things more clearly. We begin to hear the call of heaven more loudly. It begins to fill us and fill us with a greater longing to only live in the Kingdom of God. The things of this world begin to lose its grip on us. We can picture ourselves in the dungeon with Paul and Silas, praising God in the darkness of the midnight hour. 
 
Paul “learned,” to be content. He did not just suddenly arrive at the place where he could declare all things loss as dung in comparison to be found in Him. He walked through many fires and afflictions. He suffered greatly with infirmities. He was hungry and naked, shipwrecked, lashed to within an inch of his life. He was despised and rejected. All of this happened to him as he walked down the path the Master has blazed for us. Shall we continue down the narrow path brothers and sisters?
 
This narrow path leads to Calvary, the ultimate death. Can we say, with our Lord ” for the joy that is set before me?” What joy is this? The joy of fulfilling the will of God in our lives. His will, not ours. His will, which is so violently opposed by our flesh and fights so viciously to exercise its own will. His will is the solid Rock upon which we stand. His will is the center of all that exists. His will is our very spiritual existence. Death to the flesh begins to leads us to an unobstructed view of His will.We see more clearly His desire for us. His desire for us becomes our desire for ourselves. The desire of our hearts is to glorify Him in all that we do.
 
Let everything that does not bring you peace, let everything that does not bring you to this place, go. In the end we love Jesus more than everything. Which was our genuine declaration in the beginning of our walk. Our peace in Him, our joy in Him, is our strength. Without this strength we can do nothing. When all those around us are floundering, when all are losing their heads, then we must be found in Him. We cannot go down with the ship, rather we must walk upon the water and reach out our hand to them. We walk upon the water by keeping our eyes on Jesus. Lift up your eyes today dear brothers and sisters, and see where your help comes from. Reach out to Jesus, take His hand, and never let go!

Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, healing, Jesus, miracles, revival, spiritual gifts, spiritual growth, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

The cup that overflows!

Posted by appolus on December 25, 2023

George Matheson, the great old, blind Scottish preacher once said, “The hour of thy loneliness will crown thee. The day of thy depression will regale thee. It is thy desert that will break forth into singing. It is the trees of thy silent forest that will clap their hands .. the thorns will be roses. The valleys will be hills. The crooked will be straight lines, the ruts will be level. The shadows will be shining. The losses will be promotions, and the tears will be tracks of gold. The cup of suffering you prayed would pass from you will be your constant royal crown in the sweet by and by.”

The Lord sees us. He knows us. He comforts us. His comfort is strength and joy where there should be none. And though darkness may press in on us from every side, His light triumphs over it. Even the darkness is light to Him, and then, of course, to us. When the landscapes of our lives seem to stretch out before us in endless deserts, suddenly even the sand cries out, and the very rocks cry out, glory, glory, glory to the Living God! When the silence floods in and we struggle to hear anything above its noise, suddenly, glory to God the silence is broken. Just one word from our Lord shatters the deafening silence and our hearts and spirits are filled with His majesty.

Sometimes the thorns of life invade our lives yet from these thorns come magnificent roses. I am reminded of the Lord’s crown, and yet truly, He was crowned in a higher place. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Crown Him with many crowns, but first the crown of this life which was overcome. And now we overcome in Him. Paul once said that he considered the loss of all things as nothing, as less than nothing, for he only wanted to be found in Him. If our losses in this world lead us into the depths of Him, then we should surely be found praising Him in the midst of every situation. I praise Jesus today.

There is a cup in this life, and we are asked to take it, to take it all. Jesus led the way in the garden, and if He could take that cup, the cup that was filled with all the sin of this world and would lead to the death of the cross, then surely, in His power, and in His might, we can drink down the cup given to us. And in just one of the countless paradoxes in the Scriptures, we see that as we willingly drink this cup, there is another cup that simultaneously begins to fill and overflow………..Psa 23:5  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies:  anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian quotes, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, faith, God's voice, healing, Jesus, revival, spiritual growth, Spiritual warfare, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

Deep calls out to deep.

Posted by appolus on December 24, 2023

Deep calls unto deep
At the noise of your waterfalls
And in the daytime
Your loving-kindness calls
And when the nighttime comes
Your song shall be with me
And even in the darkness, I shall see.

To the Lord my Rock
I run beneath thy wings
And in the night watches
I listen to the angels sing
When darkness is all around
Send out Your light to me
Shackles are broken, and I am free

A very present help
Though the mighty waters roar
And mountains they fall down
Yet your Spirit helps restore
My troubled heart in times of need
Within my chest it surely leaps
As the deep within my soul calls out to Deep.

Posted in bible, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual growth, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

My situation with cancer.

Posted by appolus on December 23, 2023

This is the word from the Lord that led to my last poem. This video is an update of my current sitution, may the Lord be praised through all of it………………..bro Frank

“And in the silence there is peace. It dwells above the noise and the din. Above the begging and the pleadings and the raging storm, there sleeps Jesus in the boat. Shall we too arrive at the place where sleep is not dependent upon the storm being stilled? Where trust lies down among the lions. Where perfect love casts out all fear. This is the Kingdom of God, this is the rarified air of heaven. This is the shaft of light that pierces the darkness and guides us home.”

 

Posted in bible, cancer, Christian, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Devotions, healing, intimacy, Jesus, revival, scripture, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church | 6 Comments »

Sleeping in the boat

Posted by appolus on December 22, 2023

This a a poem I just wrote based on a word the Lord gave me last week due to my current circumstances (cancer)

And in the silence there is peace
It dwells above the noise and din
And faith from heaven is released
And fills completely from within

Beggings and pleadings are not heard
By our own hand we are not kept afloat
Yet Christ Himself in the midst of it all
Keeps the storm at bay, asleep in the boat

I shall lie down, at peace in the silence
When all around, the storm rages still
Safe and secure in the depths of His glory
In perfect peace at the center of His will.

I sleep in the midst of the lion's den
They are held at bay by His heavenly hand
His perfect love casts out all fear
And in peace or storm I shall surely stand

I breathe in deeply the air of heaven
It fills me and fills me with His perfect love
A shaft of light shatters the darkness
It leads me and guides me to my home high above.




Posted in bible, christian blog, christian living, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

This one thing. (Psalm 27)

Posted by appolus on December 9, 2023

The Lord is the strength of my life
He is the ground upon which I stand
And though war has risen and come after me
I'm confident in the God who has set me free!

And in the secret place of His tabernacle
He's set me high upon the Rock
And His pavilion is a home and shelter to me
I am confident in the God whom I can see.

This one thing is the desire of my longing heart
That I may dwell in His house forever
And behold His beauty and His marvelous grace
And forever and continually seek His face

I would have lost heart, but for this one thing
His beauty and the glory of His might
And when everything's gone and I'm all alone
I shall seek His face before His throne

Wait on the Lord when it all goes wrong
When the world and it's ways presses in
When the night has come and there's no way ahead
Wait upon the Lord and bow your head

Fall to your knees and lift up your hands
Cry out to the one from above
And without any notice, quite suddenly
You shall drenched by His marvelous love.


Posted in bible, Christian, Christian poetry, Christianity, Daily devotional, God's love, Jesus, poetry, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, The Psalms, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

1 Cor 14-The shattered touchstone

Posted by appolus on December 4, 2023

1 Cor 14 is a subject near and dear to my heart. I have written many times about it and have long considered writing a small book about it. The title would be “1 Cor 14-The Shattered Touchstone.” Now, a touchstone is defined as ” a test or criterion for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing.” In the new Testament we have very little to determine how the early church gathered, yet in 1 Cor 14 we see it laid out. And so, over the years, when given the chance I have a question I ask “leaders,” or “pastors.” It is always the same question, verbatim. “Does your church look anything like 1 Cor 14 and if not, why not?” You would not think that a very controversial question. Yet it typical engenders anger or a personal attack. Actually the best answer I ever got was from a dear brother who simply said, after acknowledging that his service/liturgy (order of service) did not resemble 1 Cor 14 replied “I don’t why.”

And so, I asked that question of a “pastor,” yesterday and here was the reply “I don’t want to get into a fault finding discussion about my church or any other congregation. We work hard to contend for and embody New Testament Christianity. No congregation is perfect, but I am thankful for the healthy body life in my church body.” Strange answer dont you think? Now I realize that this man ( a good man in my opinion) depends upon that church to put a roof over his head. He undoubtedly enjoys his position within that church. It elevates his status. And because he is in that position, he can never criticize his gathering. Imagine having a doctor that could never tell you what is wrong with you? Would you pay that doctor? The man in question stated that he “worked hard to and contend for and embody New Testament Christianity.” Now, if that were actually true, then one would undoubtedly go back to the Scriptures and see how they compared to it. Is there any other way?

All genuine revivals of the past started with an inward look at the state of ourselves, the nation, the community, the Church and the local church. How else can change come? If we cannot compare ourselves to the Word what is left? Well, then we must compare ourselves to others or perhaps compare ourselves to the traditions of men or the idols of our fathers. All of that would leave us severely wanting. Imagine we decided to ignore Galatians chapter 5 for instance. Within that chapter we see the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. This is an absolute way we can measure ourselves. It’s a measure of where we are. Imagine not wanting to offend ourselves or others by daring to ignore these fruits. Imagine not having the ability to suggest to a man that is clearly lacking in self control that he is falling short of the mark of God in his life. Our actual opinions about ourselves would mean nothing, it is only meaningful in light of the revealed Word of God.

And so it is with all things. The Word of God is our touchstone. It determines the quality and the genuineness of whatever it speaks to. If we must ignore that in order not to offend or find fault with man, then we have drifted far away from the Truth. It is often easier in the flesh to offend God than it is to offend men. If our foundations rest upon the tradition of our fathers, if our salaries and pensions and status in life depend upon ignoring the Word of God in favor of not offending men, are we any better than a hireling? The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any tow edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb 4:12)

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Hear my cry O Lord and bend the heavens.

Posted by appolus on December 1, 2023

The very opening line from David in Psalm 18 is “I will love you O Lord…..my strength.” He is our strength at all times. His love for us and our love for Him creates the Kingdom of God in our hearts. It creates the atmosphere of heaven that surrounds us. It creates the light that shines forth from us to a dark world. In this particular psalm, David is writing about many years of trials and brokenness, years when he was hounded by Saul and surrounded by enemies. Years mind you. Not a day or a week or a season, but multiple years when, for all intents and purposes, he was not moving in victory. His enemies seemed to have the upper-hand. Now the question becomes “shall we be faithful yet.” Shall we still follow the Lord with all of our hearts even when our prayers are not answered? Even when we have been backed into a corner? There have been times with all the great saints of the Bible when for multiple seasons and multiple years nothing seems to be going right.

Abraham waited so very long, over twenty five years, for the child of promise to be born and with every passing year, at least in the natural, the promise became less likely. Did he stand? Jacob, on the run so to speak for multiple years, not fulfilling his destiny. Moses, all that time in the desert, having run from the Egyptians. Over and over again the story goes. Joseph and his dream, yet between the dream being fulfilled there lay ahead of him rejection and betrayal and slavery and imprisonment. And so here we are with David. Saul is dead, his most implacable enemy. God has delivered him after countless years of wilderness wanderings and betrayals and rejections and tests. And David begins His thanksgiving to God by highlighting his love for God and acknowledging His strength. He is the Lord His rock and his fortress and his deliverer. The God in whom, all through the dark days, the valleys and the caves, he trusted. God was his very shield, the horn of his salvation and his stronghold.

He called upon the Lord his God when the “pangs of death,” surrounded him. He called upon his great love  when the “floods of ungodliness,” made him afraid. When the “sorrows of hell,” surrounded him and the “snares of death,” confronted him, he called upon God. In his distress he “cried out to God.” And time after time he got the breakthrough. Not necessarily from his circumstances, no, his breakthrough was “He heard my voice from his temple.” His cry had come before His Lord and even just in the knowing that God knew and saw his afflictions, there was victory in that alone and he was encouraged by living waters. How many times was Paul told not be afraid for the Lord his God was with him? The breakthrough in every situation is first and foremost to “know” that “God is with you.” Now some may say that we should always know that as His saints. I would just answer with saying that it is one thing to know something in our heads, it is quite another to recognize the manifest presence of a God who walks with His children.

Look at the response of God starting in the seventh verse, this is the response to David who was constantly crying out to the Lord His God. “Then the earth shook and trembled.” Not unlike what happened to Paul and Silas in the dungeon. A devouring fire came forth from the Lord and “He bowed the heavens and came down…………He rose upon the cherub……He flew upon the wings of the wind.” “He sent from above and He drew me out of many waters.” He saw the many situations of David and He moved on his behalf, this faithful man of God who ever cried out to Him. And in the end , after many many faithful years in the valley and in the cave, God himself delivered David from all his enemies, especially his greatest enemy, Saul. Shall He not also deliver us dear brothers and sisters? Shall He not hear our cries from the valley?

If you have been going through a long and arduous test or tests. If there seems to be no light at the end of your circumstances. If you have been surrounded by the pangs of death and great ungodliness and sorrow besets you on every side and the gates of hell themselves has come against you, keep crying out to God. He is your strength. He is the Rock upon which you stand. He is your fortress and you can run into Him. He is your deliverer and your strength in whom you can trust. He is worthy to be praised in the midnight hour. He sees the afflictions of His people. He knows, He cares, He is actively working on your behalf even when you are not aware of it. He ever intercedes for you before the throne and in truth, it is the reason you still stand. He prepares a table before you in the very presence of your enemies and in due time He shall bow the heavens and come down. He is faithful even in the midst of darkness and when we cannot see the way ahead, He is the way ahead brothers and sisters, cry out to Him today for He is your strength.

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He dwells within my heart.

Posted by appolus on November 19, 2023

My hope is in the Lord my God, who dwells within my heart
The one who came and died for me, His glory to impart
The Christ who raised me from the dead
To live forevermore
The one whose broken ever chain and opened every door. 

He's the Lord who whispers in my ear, He listens to my cries
The one who never ever sleeps, the one who surely died
He died for you and He died for me
He surely rose again
Removing every doubt and fear, removing every stain

He's my sunrise in the morning, the light for every day
To chase away the darkness and in my heart He stays
And there He always shall remain
Until my day is done
He gives me strength to carry on, the victory it is won.

He's the sunset of my life, He is with me to the end
He heals the very depths of me, the broken He shall mend
He lifts me with the rising tide
To stand on higher ground
He's with me through the waters, in Him I shall be found.

Posted in bible, Christian poetry, Devotions, Fresh Fire, Jesus, poetry, revival, spiritual poetry, testimony, the crucified life, the deeper life, the gospel, the persectuted church, The presence of God, the remnant, The State of the Chuch and Manifest presence, the state of the church, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »