Celebrate Christ in Praise and Worship on New Year's Day

 Worldly New-Year Celebrations

As we know it,  the whole world is now celebrating (or about to celebrate) another New Year. Everybody has made the necessary arrangements to celebrate this annual event. Oftentimes, this is done without considering the Creator of this day (Psalm 118:24). What we do is we exclude God from our daily lives and celebrate a change of day, instead of celebrating and honoring Him who created us and the day. In short, the Lord desires our praise and worship for granting us life and days in this world (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Our rejoicing and celebration must therefore be unto the Lord for His honor (Philippians 4:4).

Before I share the vision, we want to set the record straight that New-year celebrations are worldly and ungodly (1 John 2:15). Additionally, the Lord detests false witnesses who predict lies (Proverbs 6:16-19). Below, we are sharing again a vision the Lord gave us a few years ago and it is worth sharing again!

Vision of Worldly New Year Partying and False Predictions

Given to Charis on December 31, 2012

"In the first part of the vision I saw an African woman with braided hair sitting in her living room looking at a clock and it was 13:13 p.m. After looking at the time, she took her Bible and opened it in the 13th book of the Bible, 1 Chronicles 13:13, and she started reading this verse.

Thereafter, the vision changed to the year 2014. She again looked at a clock and it was 14:14. She came out of her house and saw 14 boys passing by her house and she took note of it as confirmation to her 'prediction'. It suddenly became 2015, she again looked at the clock and this time it read 15:15 p.m. Just then, someone came into her house telling her: "You must STOP saying every year the Lord is coming, and you must STOP predicting falsely!" (Note: Although the Lord has shown the face of this person to Charis, He told us that she is not the only one making false predictions. The Lord is warning us against setting dates and making predictions about His coming).

Soon after this, the vision changed and I found myself high up in the sky lying on my stomach looking down onto the earth, which was in the shape of a circle. The whole world's population filled that circle. This was on a New Year's Day, because people below shouted "Happy New Year!" and I saw hundreds of balloons in various colours being hoisted with a “Happy New Year” message. I could see widespread drinking and partying everywhere.

The vision changed again and a few days after New Year I saw only a few thousand of the world's population worshipping the Lord. After they worshipped, I heard the voice of the Lord say: "They would rather go to worldly parties than to praise and worship Me". After the Lord said this, I saw a BIG white SAD FACE :( appear in the sky, then the vision ended".

In conclusion, as a ministry we do not claim to know the DAY OF THE LORD, and all we know is that He has given us certain promises which are yet to be fulfilled. Also, the Lord in His grace and Wisdom is using this ministry to warn the church and call God-fearing people to repentance.

Psalm 86:9 NIV: “All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name.”

Blessed and Holy New Year to all our brethren everywhere in the world, in Jesus name!

Brother Glenn van Rooyen.

God Forbids Christians Being Confrontational Which Yields Quarrels And Divisions

Frequent Quarrel Equals Hatred

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2 ESV).

Recently, two brethren in the Lord were involved in a heated argument and sharp exchange of words filled with anger and hatefulness. We say hateful because the words carried that spirit of hatred they had for each other. According to one of the brethren, this was not the first, second or third time they had such heated exchanges, this is indicative of a lack of love and respect. You may ask how this relates to our message isn’t it? Well, some of the reasons advanced that led to such quarrels were every time as a result of a confrontational spirit (Proverbs 3:30).

Why Some Of Us Are Confrontational?

What leads us to being confrontational? While we might not have all the answers however, what commonly drives the spirit of confrontation are our emotions and this is often based on our experience(s). In other words, what we felt would drive our response and instead of inflicting emotional scares leading to divisions, the Word of God commands us to add gentleness (Galatians 6:1) to retain and build our fellow brother or sister in Christ our Lord.

Based on some experiences we had, we learned that when a brother or sister in the Lord throws ‘jabs’ of blaming, false accusations and gossiping, we abandon love for our fellow brethren, and as custodians of the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, our actions are displeasing to Him as we are no longer bearing one another’s burdens, on the contrary, our aim is to condemn and destroy our brother or sister’s faith (Galatians 5:15) and this goes against the Word of the Lord (Matthew 12:30) to build and encourage each other in our faith (Hebrews 10:24-25). As we know, love balances our spiritual well-being against that of another and when love responds all the holy fruits of the Precious Spirit of God are present to execute His will (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Therefore, once love has been felt, peace is present and embraced, unity in Christ would make us one (John 17:22) and we all arise as one to Glorify the Lord (Psalm 34:3).

Conquering The Urge To Condemn

Like we acknowledged above, if there is some emotional attachment in the way we relate to our fellow brethren, there would be either some motivation to reject or accept a person in our lives. We also further acknowledge, while it would be impossible to forget an experience good or bad, scripturally, we are urged to show brotherly kindness in a spirit of corrective love (Colossians 3:14-15). If we accept a fellow brother or sister in Christ with a grudging spirit, how can we enjoy the fruit of peace and claim to obey the Lord Jesus (John 13:35). As often as we give others another chance in our lives to love, we grow them and give them the beauty of belonging and appreciation.

In our final encouragement to you, don’t allow anger, grudges, hateful feelings, ungodly perceptions with an evil motivation to drive you when God gives you the honor to dispense real love and Godly kindness when correcting YOUR BLOOD BROTHER OR SISTER IN CHRIST. In a humble and respectful attitude, don’t speak down but encouraging to win, win your fellow brother or sister over (Matthew 18:15). There is NO reason to be blatantly confrontational, we risks driving our brethren away from the Lord.

 If you desire to accept Christ as Saviour and Lord we have a suggested Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started on a new way of life leading to Eternal life and for any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, you may please contact us.

Who's Voice(s) Are We Following?

Who Are We Listening To?

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27).

As Christians, we only have one Voice to listen to and that is the Voice of our Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. As it is, God in His Wisdom has not hidden the message of His Word to be ‘unlocked’ by specially gifted people but so that it may be understood even by the simple minded (1 Corinthians 2:1; Psalm 119:130). However, today, many people wants to be associated with a pastor or preacher who delivers a certain message that appeals to them and what they believe even if it is false and this was evident by the countless false predictions we received in recent years (2 Timothy 4:3). Are some of these not voices we ought to be careful about? We should discern!

How To Recognise The Voice Of The Lord

Like I indirectly allude above, we don’t a special skill to hear and understand the Voice of the Lord. We do, however, need the Holy Spirit of the Lord to be able to recognise the Voice of the Lord (1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 8:9). Thus, if we need the Holy Spirit, we should just ask by a simple faith and the Lord who will see our desire for the Holy Spirit would give us (James 1:5; Luke 11:13) Therefore, the Voice of the Lord will always leads us to salvation and correction (2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Timothy 3:16). Based on the aforementioned Scriptures, this is then the perfect guidance from the Lord which if we obey could lead us to a sinless life in Christ. As we know, the Voice of the Lord would not lead us astray or cause us to stumble into sin, instead God is preparing us for His Kingdom and into sinless obedience (James 1:13). Additionally, we always have the option to listen to the Voice of the Lord or to disobey Him and such disobedience would have been as a result of some other voices.

Other Voices

A few weeks ago, a friend shared with me how he was led astray by voices of lusts and he ended up indulging in pornographic material and dating other women after joining a dating site. However, by the Lord’s grace the Brother confessed that He felt a strong urge and Hand restraining him not to get involved with any of the women met on the dating website. Having said this, the Lord revealed to us that there are countless unfaithful Christians who are flirting on dating websites and this is displeasing to the Lord. We encourage you brethren to resist the lustful voices of the flesh (Galatians 5:19).

Furthermore, voices other than the Lord’s finds its origin in sin and disobedience. In other words, these voices sets us up against the will of God which leads us being rebellious Christians (1 Samuel 15:23). As a Good Father, it greatly displeases the Lord if we act rebelliously, stubbornly and purposely against the teachings of His Word. From previous articles on this website, we have shared how a man who confessed to serve the Lord ended up in Hell for disobediently living in sin and when he died he was utterly surprised that he ended up in Hell after he was a Church regular, tither, fund raiser and serving on Church board meetings (Matthew 7:21-23).

In conclusion, which voice or voices are you listening to and remember the voice you listen to is the voice you will follow. Like the Bible says, the Voice of the Lord leads to life and eternal joy and the voices of rebellion leads to destruction (Romans 2:5-10). We should not forget, the Lord is near and our salvation is priceless, let us listen to His Voice!

To begin a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, please start by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed Grace,

Brother Glenn.

Are Christians Deceitful In Their Actions?

Our Deceitful Hearts

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it”? (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV). Also, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

Please just bear with me momentarily, the Bible says that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) and biblically all humanity is guilty before God and we all need the Saving Grace of the Saviour (Romans 3:23; 3:10). So why do we need God’s Grace? Our hearts are deceitful and it leads us astray. How? Well, that deceitfulness in our hearts has a mixture of fear, doubt, confusion, selfishness, hatred and lusts for the things of others to mention but a few (Matthew 15:19).

Are we not struggling daily against the unwanted advances of our hearts and minds? What we mean is that our actions always warrants accountability whether we wronged others which will invoke God’s authority to treat others as we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31).

Resisting God’s Authority

The Lord will always test us to show us exactly the content of our hearts. A few years ago, the Lord without any prior announcement decided not to visit us as regularly as He did. Previously, the Lord would say when He was coming to deliver a message to us. Lately, He speaks to us often and unannounced or without saying when He was coming again to deliver a message to us. Why did He do that? Well, the week before He gave us a message to write as an article He said I should write about ‘How to know that God is testing you’. With that the Lord opened up what the scripture means in (Matthew 25:14-30). It was to test all of us and to show us that we only stand firm in Him because of His amazing Grace (Romans 14:4) and that He is no respecter of persons. Predictably, after we shared how the Lord was now communicating with us to some ministry members and some close brethren, their attitudes changed towards us and their commitment towards the Lord. As it is, we experienced a mass exodus from our ministry with many brethren going back to their sinful ways with others losing their respect and love for us.

O’ merciful Lord save us all! What a time of testing and ostracization we had to endure. Honestly we felt alienated, fearful and rejected by those we fed with the Word of God and in return we were repaid with disrespect (Psalm 41:9). As it is, this has really given us an understanding exactly how the Lord felt when He was deserted (John 16:32) and also how Job felt even his friends misunderstood him and blames him for the condition he was in (Job 4:3-5). But High Praise and Glory be to the Lord for steadfast friends who endured till this hour with us in prayer, support and love.

Is Our Deceitfulness Leading Us To Betray And Abandon Our Brethren?

It was like as if they were freed from the ‘burden’ of serving the Lord as faithfully as they had been when He gave them messages. As a result, this ‘freedom’ from the Lord’s authority even led some brethren to say to us, ‘we are no longer afraid of you’. How foolish! The Lord revealed to us that He was just testing us all and that He wanted to show us what is in our hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2).

Using the Bible as authority, we read how many people rebelled against God even after they saw His miracles (Numbers 14:11), this was repeated in the New Testament when some of the Lord’s disciples rejected His teachings and stopped following the Lord (John 6:60-66). Similarly, as a ministry who received revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ, we have witnessed how people’s hearts became hardened against God even after they heard from Him personally. Is it not reminiscent of Peter after having seen Christ’s glory, He still denied knowing the Lord (Matthew 26:69-75) while we understand that Peter’s denial was based on fearing for his life. Today, some Christians has simply lost love and their fear for the Lord that is why when God’s love grows cold in them they start treating their brethren whom they ‘ate from the same spiritual table’ with disdain and as enemies of the truth.

In conclusion, what we need is the Strong Hand of the Lord upon our lives to drive away the deceitfulness in our hearts which turns us against God and the community of believers. Finally brethren, if we fall into the habit of allowing deceitfulness to control us, we need to consider our salvation and the vow of love and fear we pledged to the Lord (Psalm 32:5; Acts 3:19). Furthermore, we must remember that the Lord is displeased when we make a united effort to be a stumbling block to others and to consider a Christian brother or sister as an enemy (Romans 14:13-23) and being a Christian, we are required to be humble, faithful and truthful in all we do in keeping with our High and Lofty calling in Christ (Matthew 18:1-5).

Have you allowed your heart to deceive you and justified your ungodly character towards your brethren to influence your behaviour? Are you feeling that you are following your own ways or that of the world? If you desire true peace and you long to restore your relationship with God who is our refuge here is a suggested Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.


God’s peace and abundant grace be upon you in Jesus name!

Brother Glenn. 

Are You Too Discouraged to Continue in Christ Part II?

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God!” (Psalms 42:11 NLT)

Have you ever found yourself feeling alone, sad, let down, with little or no courage, strength, and desire to keep going? Do you sometimes look at your life and are in despair, feeling “there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life” (Psalms 142:4)? We acknowledge that discouragement and disappointments are realities that even faithful children of God have to contend with at one point or another in their lives. Some of you might even have hibernated into the depth of discouragement and taken “refuge” there. Also, we know that even Christians can cause us our biggest emotional pain. Brethren, don't despair God has called no one to be your judge, just continue to serve, repent and endure God will get you through.

In the Book of Ezra, we learn that God moved the heart of King Cyrus to make a proclamation granting the children of Israel permission to go back to Jerusalem and build a temple for the Lord (Ezra 1:1-4). The Lord also moved the hearts of the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, and they prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:5). Work began and they were making progress, until their enemies heard the news of the temple built. At first, the enemies’ attempt to infiltrate the project in order to sabotage it from within was rebuffed (Ezra 4:1-3), but the people of the land continued to discourage the people of Judah. Using scare tactics and bribery, the people of the land eventually succeeded in discouraging the children of Judah from continuing with the project; the work on rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem stopped for about 16 years (Ezra 4:4; 24).

Feeling discouraged, dejected, despondent, and disappointed, the people shifted their focus from building God’s house to building their own houses (Ezra 5:1; Haggai 1:3-9). Just like Christians who get discouraged and distracted from their heavenly calling and start immersing themselves in the false comforts of the world, the people of Judah did not find peace, joy and bliss in their luxurious mansions, while God’s house remained unattended and in ruins (Haggai 1:4). Although they invested a lot on themselves and the land, but reaped very little in return (Haggai 1:5-9).

The Lord Does Care About Us

As Christians, the Bible reminds us that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11). While on this journey, there will be many moments of despair and down-heartedness, as the enemy attempts to sidetrack and distract us from our heavenly hope. The enemy will employ a number of tactics to accomplish this, but whatever weapons he employs, we need not be afraid for the Bible says “No weapon formed against you shall prosper....” (Isaiah 54:17). The Lord protects us and never leaves us nor forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Isaiah 54:17). However, just like the people of Judah, if we get discouraged and lose sight of our heavenly focus, we end up losing everything we invest here on earth, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Quite often, anxiety precedes discouragement and loss of hope. Knowing this, it is important for us Christians not to let anxiety and fear keep growing in our hearts. Instead, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7), we should commit and cast all our cares, problems and anxieties to the Lord, who cares for us “1 Peter 5:7”. It is also important to remember that God does not impart a spirit of discouragement or fear in His Children; He has given us a spirit of “power, love and self-discipline (sound judgement, self-control)” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Sometimes we hear people saying, “God doesn’t care about me!” or “He doesn’t understand what I am going through!” or “NO ONE loves me!” Satan uses these kinds of words and thoughts to discourage and isolate God’s children from God’s presence. The truth is that not only does God care so much about His children, that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save us (John 3:16), but the Lord Jesus Christ is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, as He also went through the struggles of this life (Hebrews 4:14-15), and “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Instead of withdrawing from the Lord, we should have confidence that He is an eternally caring and loving God and Father, a Friend who hears us and answers us if we ask according to His will (John 15:15; 1 John 5:13-14). Knowing this, “let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Taking Responsibility for Our Actions

Many times, we, as believers, may willfully or inadvertently discourage others, by our words or actions. This could be due to making wrong judgments on others as a result of our own personal experience, or through another person’s experience. Hasty or wrong judgments, without giving people grace, can lead us to say hurtful words or take actions that deject and discourage others. Before we pass judgement on others, we should consider that we ourselves are saved by God’s grace; we therefore need wisdom to judge correctly (Matthew 7:1-3; John 7:24).

Many a times we are drawn into family feuds and end up doing things that hurt or disappoint people who have personally not wronged us. The Bible reminds us that if someone sins against us, we first should go and point out his or her fault, just between the two of us, and if they listen to us then we have won them over (Matthew 18:15). We have experienced a number of times when we hear from a third party that we wronged someone, without that someone approaching us first. Many people choose to talk to someone else or share on social media but neglect to simply do what works and what would bring peace (Matthew 18:15; Psalm 34:14). This can be very hurtful and discouraging. As Christians, we should remember that we’ll bear individual responsibility for our sins (Ezekiel 18:20), and we are warned not to not let ourselves be dragged into other people’s quarrels (Proverbs 26:17). Instead, we should be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), not fanning the flames of strife (Proverbs 10:12; 16:18; 20:3; 29:22), but speaking godly, gracious words that promote healing and reconciliation (Proverbs 16:24). Because the Lord hates false witnesses who pour out lies and stir up conflict (Proverbs 6:16-19), we should be careful not to be used by Satan to discourage others from doing what is pleasing to God.

The Apostle Paul warned Christians to “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels” (2 Timothy 2:23). Unfortunately, many Christians are still so focused on their “prized” denominational doctrines that are based on aspect (e.g. the Sabbath, speaking in tongues, healing, etc.) they look down upon and discourage other genuine Christians who are truly seeking the Lord. Brethren, this should not be so! As followers of Christ, we are all God’s fellow co-workers with one goal: to share the saving message and love of Christ and prepare for His soon return (Matthew 28:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:7-9). The world is getting more corrupt (2 Timothy 3:1-5), division and conflict are on the increase and, winning and gaining advantage at other people’s expense is celebrated, and the love of many is growing cold (Matthew 24:12). However, as the Lord’s servants, we still have an immense responsibility not to “engage in quarrels and strife, but [be] kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. [So that] God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 2:24-25 ESV).

Biblical Examples of Discouragement and Disappointment

In the Bible, we see some examples of people who went through much discouragement and disappointment and overcame.

• Joseph received dreams from God that one day he would be in a position of leadership and influence (Genesis 37:5-10). However, he was despised, hated and rejected by his brethren (Genesis 37:8, 11), persecuted, sold into slavery (Genesis 37:23-28; 39:1) and wrongly accused and imprisoned (Genesis 39:6-20). However, instead of falling into the pit of discouragement and disappointment, he stayed faithful to God, and God was with him (Genesis 39:21-23). The Lord in turn fulfilled His promises to Joseph – he was delivered him from prison and established as a great leader whom the Lord used to save an entire nation (Egypt) and establish another (Israel) (Genesis 41:39-44).

• Nehemiah was disappointed when he heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed, but he has had a desire to rebuild (Nehemiah 1:1-11). The people of the land strongly opposed, discouraged, taunted, and even threatened him with violence (Nehemiah 4:1-11). Through much difficulty, Nehemiah and his men persevered and kept working (Nehemiah 4:13-21) until the wall was completed (Nehemiah 6:15). His enemies were ashamed because this work had been accomplished with the help of our God (Nehemiah 6:16).

• Naomi returned from the land of Moab discouraged and disappointed, having lost her husband and two sons in the ten years that she was there (Ruth 1:1-13). In her own words, she wanted her name changed from “Naomi” (“pleasant”) to “Mara” (“bitter”), because her life was “very bitter” (Ruth 1:20-21). In time, Naomi begun to recognize God’s kindness (Ruth 2:20), blessing and restoration of her family (Ruth 4:14-17).

• When David and his men arrived at their home town of Ziklag, he was downhearted when he found the entire city destroyed and all the people taken captive, including his two wives (1 Samuel 30:1-3). David, along with his men “wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep” (1 Samuel 30:4), and to add to his dire distress, the men wanted to stone him, but he found strength in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6). Because he trusted the Lord, David inquired of Him, and the Lord promised and gave him victory over to recover all that the enemy had stolen (1 Samuel 30:8; 18-19).

• After being threatened by Jezebel and running for his life into the wilderness, Elijah felt so discouraged and alone that he prayed for the Lord to take his life (1 Kings 19:1-4). The Lord fed him, encouraged him, strengthened him, appeared to him, and sent him on other assignments (1 Kings 19:5-18). You might think that the Lord is not with you when discouragement gets the better of you; the Lord never leaves you! Each one of us in this family has experienced various kinds of challenges leading to every kind of discouragements. During these off-moments in our lives, the Lord would encourage us to remain focused on Him. The Lord has always given us strength to face and overcome our moments of discouragement. He knows that we are easily hurt, but in every step of the way, He is there to lift us up (Hebrews 13:5). What we should remember is that we are allowed to be discouraged, but sinning and hurting others in the process is very displeasing to the Lord. We should therefore not allow our discouragement to infringe on others. Our duty is to build others.

Overcoming Discouragement and Disappointment

As long as we are still here on earth, it is inevitable that discouragements and disappointments will come. While we cannot control some of the circumstances that cause these, obeying God’s Word is the one strong weapon we can use to fight back.

• Pray by faith, even when you are discouraged and don’t feel like praying or don’t know what to pray (Luke 18:13; Romans 8:26).

• Submit to God’s authority and command; fight temptation and resist the devil (James 4:7).

• Be a peacemaker and love your enemies while overcoming evil with good (Hebrews 12:14; Luke 6:27-36; Romans 12:21).

• Confess your sins and pray for others, and take your complaints to the Lord (Psalm 55:2; James 5:16).

• Remember that God has a plan for you, to give you a future and hope. As you trust Him, even what may seem to be the worst circumstance may end up working for your good (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28).

• Continue in the fear of the Lord, praying and taking refuge in His Word, which is alive; don’t envy sinners or the things of the flesh. Set your mind on God (Proverbs 23:17-18; Romans 8:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

• Be patient and merciful to others; remember that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, and we are in need of His grace (Romans 3:23-24).

• Take refuge in the Lord and He will deliver you (Psalms 91:1-3; Proverbs 18:10).

• Don’t give in to fear. Set your mind on God and the Lord will keep you in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 41:10-14; John 14:27).

• Work to please the Lord, not to win the approval of men (Colossians 3:23-25; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Thessalonians 3:13).

• Even when facing fierce opposition or persecution, keep obeying the Lord, persevere, be strong and don’t lose courage because the Lord is with you (Deuteronomy 31:8; 1 Chronicles 22:13; Joshua 1:9; John 16:33).

• Trust in the Lord, instead of leaning on your own understanding, knowing that His grace is sufficient. Wait patiently on the Lord (Psalm 27:14; Psalm 31:24; Psalm 127:1; Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 40:31; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

• Have faith in God, keep your head up and look to Him as you run with endurance – this temporary life on earth cannot be compared to the everlasting life He has prepared for us (John 14:2; Hebrews 11:6; 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

• Whatever trials or disappointments you go through, persevere and count it all joy (James 1:1-4).

• Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:10).

Hope in Christ

In conclusion, Jesus Christ is our only hope, our blessed hope, and He is able to give us true joy and peace in the midst of all the turmoil around us that may cause us to be discouraged and disappointed (Romans 15:13; Titus 2:13). We should be patient even through tribulation and pray constantly (Romans 12:12) as we await the day of the Lord’s coming or when He calls us home. Don’t waste time and risk losing eternal life by holding grudges, resentment and unforgiveness. Forgive and keep forgiving those that hurt you (Matthew 18:21-22); love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, curse you or mistreat you (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28).

If you would like to overcome discouragement and disappointment, you may start by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed Hope in Christ.
Brother Glenn and Preparing for the Ministry Team.

Christ Our Alpha And Omega

There is Eternity After This Life

“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13 NIV).

Brethren, I have been battling to find a way on how to best present this week’s article to you and in obedience to the Lord, I have prayed that He help me. I intend being very brief with this article. Last week (14 November 2016) I promised to share a message from the Lord regarding my mother’s eternal destiny. Well, I have it ready for you and I pray that you learn and take caution.

Why We Decided to Write This article?

Now my intention regarding this article is not about seeking for public sympathy, nor is it to elevate my mother. Instead my prayer is that the Lord use this testimony and my mother’s broken life to save souls for eternity. Personally, it is always not a pleasant thing to write about one’s close family member without being emotional, however, if it involves God’s work then it is no longer about us and our feelings but about Him and what is important to Him (Leviticus 10:6). The Bible clearly declares that the Lord is no respecter of person’s (Romans 2:11), He judges each person according to their deeds (Romans 2:6). I would also like to add when the Lord tested Abraham’s it was not about his feelings regarding Isaac, but about what God required (Genesis 22:2). We also need to understand that through every experience good or bad, the Lord’s ultimate aim is to save lives and souls (Luke 19:10). Like we repeatedly shared on this website, we have given some brief accounts about our failures to draw attention to the unacceptable behaviors that displease the Lord with the aim of warning people and saving souls. Likewise, the Apostle Paul also pointed out that God used the mistakes and failures of the Israelites as an example to warn and teach us His ways (1 Corinthians 10:11). Similarly, the Lord has been using many of our testimonies to warn others and this week’s message falls into that same category.

Brief Insight Regarding My Mother

Since we are sharing a testimony about my (Brother Glenn) mother, it would be prudent to give a very summary of her life. My mother died on 15 August 2016 at the age of 77, from a long battle with a lung disease which gave her breathing problems. Born in poverty, and the daughter of illiterate parents. Physically, she had a very small frame, in fact, her bodily frame mirrored her heart fragile, peace-loving and just content with her own life. Although I spend most of my adult life away from my mother, she never changed from how I knew her since I was little. Some might argue and say ‘you are giving an appreciative message about your mother,' indeed I am! The qualities I will always remember my mother for was her quiet and non-confrontational spirit. She always overlooked offenses directed at her without retaliation. Being familiar with hardship and a life of sufferings, she endured the pain of losing my father, the disrespect from others and even from some of her own daughters and grandchildren, yet when we threaten or attempt to take action, she would intervene and plead for mercy for those who wronged her.

From my recollection, she had no experience of a normal family life where love and unity resides, but only a life of emotional pain and abuse, being counted and seen as a nobody in the eyes of those who offered her some food or a place to stay with some of her young children. Being illiterate and unable to count, she further endured the abuse and deprivation to her possessions. Therefore, to me, my mother was the face of suffering, and she seldom complained about her circumstances, being content with whatever the Lord provided. She preferred the simple life and minding her own business. Faith wise, she had a simple faith in God, I would say enough to say thank you to God for another day and to carry her through the day’s troubles.

Which Side of Eternity Did She GO?

Just before we reveal that my wife and I had a discussion before my mother passed away and she said that we should miss no opportunity to lead her to the Lord so that when she dies, she could go and rest because all she knew in this life was just hardship (Hebrews 4:1). Therefore, at every opportunity we had, we shared the gospel with her and encouraged her to pray and seek the Lord. Briefly, my stepfather died during October 2015 and three days before he died, I led him to the Lord, but the Lord did not reveal to us which side of eternity he went to, and neither did we seriously ask the Lord about him. My mother was still mourning his dead. However, earlier this year (2016) the Lord gave Charis a message for my mother encouraging her to seek God because my stepfather was in Heaven. The Lord also commanded Charis to go witness to my mother because her time of departure was near.

Being conscious of this, we made every effort to win her soul for the Lord, discouraging her from her smoking habit which was the very thing the Lord warned her about. I have on several occasions spoken to my mother about her smoking, and the addiction of this habit was so strong in her that she once declared that only death would separate her from it.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, during the early hours of November 6, 2016, I had a vision from the Lord after a few months of prayers on her ‘where about’. In the vision, I could not see her form, neither did I knew where I was, but I heard my mother’s usual voice out of the darkness saying, (I knew she was addressing one of my unsaved sisters) “S… you must not come to this place” (Luke 16:28) and in the vision, I Immediately felt a heavy sadness, and it was then that I realised that my mother died and went to hell. This revelation came as a complete shock to all of us because about four days before my mother’s passing I asked Charis to pray for her and to lead her to the Lord again through the prayer of repentance which she did. Since we expected my mother to be in Heaven, after receiving this vision, I enquired from my elders sister who looked after my mother regarding her final moments and she reported to us that my mother still desired smoking and her appetite for it was as strong as ever because she still desired for the last puff of smoking before dying. The Lord later revealed to me that my mother did not desire Him but her habit and this was idolatry (Colossians 3:5).

In conclusion, the Lord is warning many people including Christians that the pursuit and desire for earthly pleasures will only reap them eternal death. I have tearfully shared this experience, and I, therefore encourage you to learn from my mother’s experience and live your life free from evil desires. You can overcome the spirit of selfish desires by praying daily, and reading your Bible and living according to the Word of God and the Lord will deliver you (Matthew 11:28). Incidently, this was the same portion of scripture I had engraved on my mother’s tombstone, please obey it! Although my mother was warning one of my unsaved sisters in the vision, she is WARNING  YOU TOO! There is a real Hell on the other side of this life, the Lord has revealed about this place three times to me, fear the Lord and make Him your only desire!

We would like to extend an invitation to anyone who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ yet, or of you are not born again, to pray our suggested prayer on this link Prayer of Sincere Repentance
by faith and follow the Lord (Matthew 4:19). You may also contact us for any questions or comments about this article or our ministry.

Blessed peace in Jesus name

Brother Glenn

Jesus Christ Is Waiting To Welcome Back The Prodigal Servant(s)

Return to the Lord, Oh Lukewarm and Backsliding Christian

“But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved” (Hebrews 10:39 NLT).

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV).

The Lord’s Appeal to the Lukewarm and Backslidden Christians

This week’s message is a brief appeal from the Lord to the lukewarm and backslidden Christians, and an encouragement to the faithful brethren to remain active and focused on the Lord. In a short but powerful vision to Jaydeen (one of our daughters) on the morning of November 8, 2015, the Lord showed her a brother who formerly went by the title of “Reverend”. She was led to hear a conversation I had with this “Reverend” brother. The Lord let her hear what was in his heart; he said in an angry voice: “Don’t tell me about the Bible and the way I live my life! I am a grown man, and I make my own decisions!” Suddenly, she heard the Lord say: “I will punish him for his wicked actions”. This was the end of the vision.

In this vision, the Lord is using this brother as an example, to appeal to all Christian brothers and sisters who have gone back into the world to call on Him and return to Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6). The Bible says: “But when a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same detestable acts that the wicked do, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. He will die because of the treachery he has engaged in and the sin he has committed” (Ezekiel 18:24).

Similarly during mid 2015, as a family we experienced an attack from the devil which involved our children. Being never exposed to such behaviour and rebelliousness, we trusted the Lord to carry us through that difficult situation and this truly meant to shake our faith like David's when his son Absalom rebelled against him (2 Samuel 15-19). Under those circumstances, it felt as if God had forsaken us and in that moment our lives were never the same. As it was, that was the year God started testing our faith and while this generated anger and disappointment, the Lord in His Mercy showed me a vision almost similar to the account of the prodigal son how I should in love welcome our lost son back home and to just forgive him and to allow the young man to heal and resume his relationship with God (Luke 15:11-32). What a merciful God, He taught us not to further degrade, humiliate and make the person feel unwelcomed to serve the Lord. Honestly, I have seen many Christians despising a brother or sister who fell into sin and treating them as if they were not welcome. In a message to me the Lord said, those who returned to Him are like those workers who were hired on the eleventh hour (Matthew 20:6) and they too will receive eternal life (John 10:28). Therefore, brethren let us not be a stumbling block to the weak instead we have a Christian duty to encourage them in the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:14). 

Symptoms of Christians Backsliding

Over the past few years, I have had some good and fruitful discussions with many backslidden and lukewarm Christians. When I have engaged with them in a conversation regarding the Lord, most of them light up with a joy and excitement in their facial appearance. This clearly shows that their spirit is longing for a relationship with the Lord, while they are being cruelly oppressed by the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:17). As it is, these brethren’s trouble is not a matter of faith, which I perceive they have, but rather theirs is a question of disobedience aided by worldly desires (Titus 2:11-12). When a person has reached this stage of allowing the dominance of evil desires in their life, we may say that the force of sin has woven itself into the person’s conscience, leaving that person powerless against sinful desires. This is a very dangerous stage to be in, like our brother above, who completely rejects the message of the Bible. Once we have no time for the Word of God in our lives, the love and fear for God is non-existent in our lives.

Apart from the obvious outside behaviors of a backslidden Christian not attending regular Church services, reading the Bible, or praying anymore, most backslidden Christians also have negative attitudes towards others—for example by always being moody and unkind, not having peace and joy and having lost love for people (1 John 4:20). Without love for people, God is NOT there (1 John 4:8).

In order to fill the void left with the estranged relationship with Jesus Christ, most lukewarm Christians engage in some addictions. As we know, with today’s entertainment environment and the world’s constant craving for new technology, it is not difficult to be trapped in an addiction – for example TV, movies, social media, etc. Once an addiction finds a home, which we know is the devil’s way of keeping people away from the Lord, it will result in the creation of a new company to keep us occupied and active in our ‘new environment’. In the final analysis, Satan’s goal is to gain our soul and when this happens, we lose eternal life (Matthew 16:26).

As we mentioned in the Addictions article, if we do not keep ourselves occupied with things of God such as daily prayers, Bible reading, worshiping and praising the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Joshua 1:8; John 4:24; Psalm 119:97; 150:5; 146:2), witnessing (Matthew 28:19-20), fruit bearing through Obedience to Christ (John 14:21; 15:1-4), and building people up (1 Thessalonians 5:11), we run the risk of being occupied with wrong things of the devil and therefore becoming lukewarm (Revelation 3:16). Remember, the Lord is coming for those who are focused on Him therefore let us learn to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24; 1 Corinthians 9:27).

How to Regain Friendship with Christ

In order to return to the Lord, simply repent, disengage from bad company, and throw away your idols and addictions (Colossians 3:5; 1 John 5:21). By repenting, we mean completely turning away from our previous, worldly ways (Zechariah 1:4)! In this new life in Christ, there is no more half-commitment, but we should be fully involved and committed to seeking the Lord with a passion for more truth and more of Christ.

In conclusion, brethren let us not allow the thief of our joy to derail our walk in the Lord by focusing on the troubles we are given. We should endure, like Jacob, by trusting the Lord to help us through any earthly trouble as we keep our faith in obedience to God to inherit His Goodness (Genesis 48:16). As the Bible admonishes us: “But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life” (Hebrews 10:39 HCSB).

I encourage you, backsliding or backslidden Christian, hurry! Like the prodigal son, God Almighty has reserved a full measure of His love for you, which never diminishes or fades. Just come and accept His love as you return to Him by faith, trusting Him and obeying Him.

Finally, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 1:3) and “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (John 15:4 NLT).

If you say “YES!” to the Lord Jesus Christ and would like be healed of your backsliding (Jeremiah 3:22) and begin a relationship with Him, please start by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed love,

Brother Glenn.

Once Saved Doctrine Is Deceitful

Confession Restores Our Relationship With God

“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear” (Philippians 2:12).

[To keep sentences short, I will use the ‘he’ pronounce]. I recently had a conversation with a pastor friend of mine regarding the meaning of salvation. (I know this brother was trying to defend himself as he found himself in a compromising sinful position). Now, according to his understanding and a position which he vehemently defended is that God has saved us through Christ from all our past, present and future sins. Now in his own words, the pastor friend said that whatever sins we are going to commit in future has been covered by the Blood of the Lord Jesus. Well, we accept that but only on the basis that we repent from our wrong doings and without continuing in our sins (1 John 1:9; 3:6). What I mean is this, if a Christian followed the Lord and later became discouraged and follows the world or his own desires; he would have broken faith with God (Ezekiel 33:18; Hebrews 10:39) and in order to restore his relationship with God he will have to acknowledge his sins, repent and forsake his old ways (Proverbs 28:13).

Should We Continue Sinning Because We Are Once Saved?

Brethren, we should remember the Lord Jesus does NOT encourage Christians to sin after they received Him in their hearts as Lord and Saviour (John 8:11; Colossians 3:5-11). Why are we writing about this? Well, the Lord commanded me to write about this message and to share some of the things He taught us relating to people who practiced falsehood while being saved. Right in the beginning of this Ministry, the Lord gently rebuked us and warned us not to sin purposely because that is grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-32).

As a repetition, many of us in this ministry including many others outside this ministry have had the opportunity of receiving first hand rebuke from the Lord for wilful sinning (Hebrews 10:26). There were people amongst us whom the Lord rebuked for wilful sinning almost daily. From the messages, we could sense the Lord’s anger and Charis who received the message from the Lord said she felt very frightened and she could feel the Thunder and echoing of the Lord’s Words deep inside her being (Hebrews 12:21) and when we shared the message with the individual(s) concerned we would also convey the tone of the Lord’s voice of being saddened and disappointed by our sin and wilful disobedience to Him (Ephesians 4:30; Genesis 6:6). Biblically, we know that the Lord has a very gentle spirit with an unquenchable love and compassion for people always willing to forgive (Matthew 11:29) but our sins is like a torment to Him.

In conclusion, we had a sister in our ministry who was in the habit of simply acting without faith and sinning purposely using the excuse, ‘God will understand’ and despite numerous rebukes from the Lord for repeatedly disobeying the Lord, the Lord issued a messages saying this sister was being used by the devil.

Do Not Provoke The Lord, Fear Him

Briefly, if we take heed to a warning from the scriptures or from the Lord and we repent and forsake that sin it pleases the Lord (1 John 1:9) however, if we repeat such sin stubbornly, there can be NO DOUBT we are in bondage and we obey the devil who is mightily at work in some of us (Ephesians 2:2). We should therefore not undermine God’s authority and His word by encouraging people to sin because they are ‘saved once and for all’. The Bible says we should work on our salvation daily (Philippians 2:12-13) as we acknowledge our wrong-doings before the Lord daily and why daily? We sin daily and if we should forgive our brothers or sisters seventy seven times seven a day does that not show we are in need of repenting? (1 John 1:8-9; Romans 3:10-12; Matthew 18:22). As Christians, we have the flesh or sinful nature and the devil to contend with daily (Romans 8:6-11; 1 Peter 5:8). Thus, we are not saved from evil yet as some say. If we had been we would not have to struggle against evil daily and ask the Lord to protect us against evil (Matthew 6: 13). Let us obey the Lord as we endure the trials and troubles of this present life and only after enduring and rejecting evil will we gain Heaven (Matthew 24:13).

If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and escape the snares of death, please get started by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, you may please contact us.

Gracious Peace

Brother Glenn

Leading Someone To The Lord Jesus

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" Psalm 116:15.

Leading someone to the Lord requires patience, persistence and love. Having said that, the enemy will also ensure that we endure some challenges and hardships (1 Thessalonians 2:18). This is a beautiful testimony how my wife led a women who was forced by her parents to become a Muslim while her heart was to know the God of the Bible. Below follows this testimony!

Testimony of Leading Someone to Christ

During the first week of May, 2016, I (Desiree) had to attend to some family matters involving my parents. The highlight of my visit occurred a day before I returned home. My mother shared with me about her neighbor, Uncle Joe, who was very sick with cancer.

Uncle Joe had been sick for about six months and was just waiting to die. The cancer had spread through his whole body. From what I had seen and heard, his wife was not an easy person to deal with and she does not appreciate people meddling in their business. I thought of many ways to get past his wife to go witness and pray for Uncle Joe. Finally, after a silent prayer, I summoned courage and with the help and conviction of the Holy Spirit, I made a decision to go and pray and lead him to the Lord. So I went to his house and asked his wife if I could pray for him and lead him to the Lord. From the expression on her face, she seemed very surprised but invited me in. After introducing myself to Uncle Joe and his wife I asked his permission to pray for him. The first thing he told me was that he was a Catholic. In response, I lovingly told him that Jesus loves all Catholics, and he just smiled.

Here is How I Led Him to the Lord:

1. I ministered the word to him first so that he could understand the importance of salvation (Romans 10:17). In terms of John 3:3 all people must be born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

2. Thereafter, I felt led to read to him Psalm 103 (You may read any other scriptures as the Holy Spirit leads. Scripture reading produces faith in the heart of listeners) and we prayed, and I led him to the Lord – you may use or customize this Prayer of Repentance. Biblically, we are encouraged to confess our sins to the Lord by acknowledging that we need His forgiveness (Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5).

3. After leading him to the Lord, I simply prayed a general prayer for him to have faith and trust in the Lord and being rooted in His love (John 17:6-19).

4. And after prayer, I encouraged him to pray at least three (3) times or more daily as the Lord taught us and to read his Bible and be faithful in walk with the Lord (Daniel 6:10; Psalm 55:17).

The steps above may appear very simple and mundane, but they require the faith of God’s messenger and the receiver of the message. Generally, people always struggle with issues of faith, I can remember a few years ago the Lord wanted to bless a certain young man in our ministry with a job but he had no faith to receive a job. The Holy Spirit led my husband (Brother Glenn) to teach the young man how to pray and develop faith in the Lord. This greatly impressed the Lord that He gave my husband a message through Charis promising to bless him (Brother Glenn) for teaching and helping someone to grow in the Lord’s will (Matthew 28:20; Ephesians 4:12-13).

The Peace of the Lord

After praying and leading Uncle Joe to the Lord and in a sense of personal joy, I had so much peace after doing that for the Lord. Uncle Joe was a new person with all smiles and thankfulness to me and the Lord. I could sense his joy and gratefulness for everything and I could only praise the Lord for this precious soul. Therefore, the joy of leading someone to Christ is priceless, but our work has just began and that is to sustain that person in prayer daily so that he or she will make it to heaven. The journey begins when leading a soul to the Lord and prayer and the word sustains them to overcome the rough storms of temptation, worldliness and discouragement.

Leading a Muslim Lady to Christ

Finally, I have one more testimony to share. About two years ago (2014), one of my cousins was dying of cancer. After her release from hospital, my husband and I decided to pay her a visit with the aim of leading her to the Lord. During our visit, she related to us how she suffered through the effects of chemotherapy and with tears in her eyes, she told us that the Lord visited her while in the hospital. She saw a bright glorious light on her bedside that gave her peace and in her conviction, she related that she knew the Lord was in that light. About a week before her passing in November 2015, I prayed to the Lord to grant me grace and to keep her alive until the Sunday that I was available so that I could pray and lead her to the Lord. Mercifully, the Lord answered my prayer, and I got the opportunity to pray for her. She passed on two days after I had led her to the Lord in prayer.

I had to endure a struggle to wrestle her soul from the devil. Her father was determined to have her die in his faith (Muslim). Knowing that he would oppose me, I managed to get a private opportunity with her. Before praying for her, she told me that she received visions of Arabic writings on the television screen and on the bedroom wall where she was laying sick. As much as we prayed for her and desiring her to know the Lord, her father and mother, who are devoted Muslims, ministered to her as well and they gave her Islamic literature to read. She read it while believing in the Lord also and with a divided faith she accepted the Lord and renounced her faith in the Islamic way of belief. Later, the Lord revealed to Charis and Jaydeen in a vision that my cousin made it to heaven. Glory to God! (You may read all about it here.)

Again, here is another uplifting testimony that my husband shared earlier on how our Aunt Lily received salvation on her deathbed.

Be blessed and encouraged. Have faith and the Lord will come through for you, brethren, as you lead your loved ones to the Lord. Keep sharing the gospel at every opportunity, and don’t wait until it’s too late.

If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and escape the snares of death, please get started by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, you may please contact us.

In Christ,

Sister Desiree van Rooyen.

Updated by Brother Glenn

How to Love and Cope With Difficult People

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:19 NIV)

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8 NKJV).

Why Are Some People Difficult?

This week's message is equally important to us as we are encouraged to maintain a culture of humility and become truly God-fearing Christians. In this work, we aim to draw your attention our day to day relationship with others within the Christian family. Like with all our other articles, this message is not an exhaustive study, but intended to be an eye opener to encourage you to seek the Lord further if you are struggling to maintain a healthy relationship with others. Having personally experienced the Lord's sharp and soul-penetrating rebukes for wrong doing, I am indebted to share with you and to draw your attention to things we often overlook which displease the Lord. This message concerns some matters of the heart and the deceitfulness of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9). I would also like to point out that it greatly displeases the Lord when we use our minds as an instrument of harboring evil thoughts towards others (Matthew 7:2). The Lord said if we are continuously thinking bad and wrong things about others is it a condemnable sin, because bad thoughts translate into hateful feelings and evil intentions (Luke 6:45). Now this has a bearing on our eternal destiny: NO LOVE, NO GOD, and NO HEAVEN! (1 John 4:20-21; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3). It is a known fact that we are all different physically and emotionally. Therefore, what defines human relationships is how we relate to one another in a social context. Once again, we do not intend going into a detailed discussion on this subject; our aim in this work is simply to give a Scriptural appreciation on loving and helping difficult people.

From all backgrounds and within various families, people have a hard time dealing with the disposition of others simply because of the unique or different way they perceive and understand things. This is because various factors play a role in shaping the human personality, for example, our upbringing within a family and the values we were taught by close relatives and friends, our education, cultural background, and our relationship with God. As we freely make choices (Deuteronomy 30:15-20) and form good or bad habits, we may also be influenced by other forces  that may shape our total personality and character (John 12:6; 13:27). As a result of the various influences vying for our attention, we use our personality traits with or without restraint to engage with others socially. Based on the above, the tone and level of our interactions is determined.

Adjusting our Standards to Love and Accommodate Others

We may find it both difficult and almost impossible to effectively communicate and engage with other people who are culturally diverse from us. The secret to winning people’s trust and confidence is to find common ground with them, without compromising our Christian faith. For example, the apostle Paul crossed the cultural divide and wisely practiced with success cultural tolerance in order to effectively communicate his message (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Generally, people from all walks of life identify with things and mannerism that reflect some of the values they have. Again, when the apostle Paul visited Athens, he made a careful study of the practices of the local people (Acts 17:22-24) so that he may challenge and adapt his message to win them for the Lord (Acts 17:23-34). Contrary to Paul's behavior, the apostle Peter was at first reluctant to embrace other cultures, until the Lord Himself rebuked him for refusing to adapt culturally in order to present the holy gospel of salvation (Acts 10:14-15). Despite the opposition from his company, Peter finally obeyed the Lord (Acts 11:17-18). The Apostle Paul also rebuked Peter for hypocrisy with regards to relating to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-21).

How often do you obey your cultural inclinations to restrict the Gospel? From my experience, I know some people are afraid to cross the cultural divide because they are afraid of change and the trouble that sometimes results from adaptation. Most of us are too comfortable in our culture and are unwilling to venture outside. When we are unwilling to adapt culturally, we often deny ourselves the experience and honor of giving and showing appreciative love to others.

Surviving the Moods and Temperament of Difficult People

Being in this life is not a guarantee that we will be ever trouble-free as we’ve all come to know. Given the various factors we alluded to above, our attitudes get affected and we voluntarily respond defensively and often with retributive vitriolicism or malice. Brethren, such actions render us guilty before the Lord and we are denied peace with others. Remember the Lord commands us to be at peace with men and to love another (Romans 12:19; 13:8). Being guilty of sin is a bondage which hinders our relationship with the Lord and denies us His peace (1 John 1:9). Brethren, have you ever offended someone and after some time you were bothered by a guilty conscience, and you realized your guilt and ask the Lord for forgiveness? Instead of owning up to your shame, are you sometimes too lofty to submit yourself and apologize to your brother or sister? Such pride and arrogance are the very things that turn us into difficult people to live with, causing shame that destroys our love for others and the truth.

In the Bible, we learn that King Saul became a very difficult and unreasonable man after being influenced by an evil spirit (1 Samuel 20:30-32). He despised the law of God that commands us to love our neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). Even though he was being vilified and pursued, King David responded to King Saul’s anger in kindness and not in a retaliatory way and out of malice (1 Samuel 24:8-20). Also, when being cursed by Shimei, King David kept his composure and temperament and endured humiliating insults (2 Samuel 16:5-13). In many of his trials, including the wicked schemes of his son Absalom, King David did not demand an apology to forgive; he allowed God to judge his offenders so that he might receive grace (2 Samuel 16:12). Whether the other person asks for forgiveness or not, we should always be ready and willing to forgive them for our soul's sake (Matthew 6:14; Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32).

Under the new covenant (Hebrews 12:24) and in the New Testament, the Lord commands to "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:38-48 NKJV). In practice, when our Lord Jesus Christ was being falsely accused, insulted, humiliated and mocked, He did not offer threats or hateful feelings, but He forgave unconditionally while allowing God to judge (1 Peter 2:22-23). Responding in submission to such humiliation and insults defies human understanding. One thing was clear: love was complete in Christ and it could not be shaken!

Appreciating Experience to Endure Difficult People

A few years ago, a good friend of mine related to me how he failed the test of enduring insults by the proverbial mark. He told me that he dished out the same kind of insult to his opponent and this caused his fall in the Lord. He related to me after this experience how he had to learn humility, tolerance, and submission to insults. If we respond out of our feelings and emotions to hurtful words, we will end up exposing our own weaknesses, and for that there is only one reward – our shame! The Lord has also rebuked many of us in this ministry and commanded us to pursue peace by being submissive to those who intend hurting us. A few years, ago a sister who just could not get over the insults of her ex-boyfriend vengefully retaliated at him, thereby making herself guilty before the Lord while exposing her vulnerabilities and weaknesses. The Lord encouraged her in a rebuke to simply forgive her offender and allow the Lord to deal with him. She obeyed at first, but later allowed her weaknesses to take over, and this led her into sin and eventually away from the Lord. Brethren, we must guard against hateful feelings!

The Bible says: “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness” (Proverbs 15:1-2 NKJV). I would encourage you, dear brethren, if you find yourselves in the crossfire of insults, remember that silence is golden (Matthew 27:14). We must remember the offending party will always portray his or her victim(s) as very lousy and often with malicious intent fabricated with lies and exaggerations (Mark 15:3). Mark this: a person with an insulting and offending spirit speaks from a hateful heart, his intent is malice and inflicting emotional pain.

In conclusion, let us love, and submit to insults to avoid quarrels, hateful feelings to gain peace! To receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please start by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed love in Christ’s service,

Brother Glenn.

The Sanctity Of Our Christian Faith

“These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7 NIV).

The Unseen Value of The Christian Faith

Our faith being more precious than gold or any worldly treasure, is the substance we need to hear, understand and respond to God’s message (Hebrews 11:1). Additionally, it is also by faith that we will be considered righteous although a righteousness through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the hallmark of our faith, knowing God (Jeremiah 9:24) and obeying Him. Therefore, knowing God and obeying Him gives fulfilment to our faith since the gift of faith came from God (1 John 5:4; Ephesians 2:8). In other words, our faith sees God, it understands God, and it responds to God. By having this faith, we are clothed with holiness because our faith identifies with Him who is Holy (Jude 1:20). Being so priceless, the goal of our faith means an escape from worldly corruption and the redemption of our souls which translates into immortality (John 3:16).

Philosophically, the world has changed as a result of the increase of human knowledge and scientific advancements (Daniel 12:4), and this has equally increased scepticism in the existence of God. Truthfully, as knowledge increases so does the interest of people which are fuelled by the pleasure thereof. I have read that some have even said that the things about God are outdated and metaphysical. They reckoned that God does not exist, and people must find answers to lives problems rationally and logically. In other words, the ready availability of information has increased interest in things other than God. While this is a threat to our faith, our hearts should be set to please and live for the Lord, and the dominant spirit of faithlessness should not move us into conformity (Romans 12:2).

Furthermore, we often heard the expression, ‘seeing is believing’ and even the Pharisees of old demanded to see God’s work first before believing (Matthew 27:42). Now demanding to hear or to see things about God is not an expression of interest in God, but a motivation to test God based on curiosity (Matthew 16:4). Knowing the intentions of people, God is much smarter than humans, and He never satisfies human curiosity (Job 38:2; Luke 23:8), and neither is He in the business of showing off His Might to please a man (Romans 2:11). Thus, God’s testimony of Himself as revealed through the Scriptures is sufficient, and He has successfully used it as a basis to save those who believed in every generation (Romans 10:18). Therefore, the Lord will continue to save and reveal His love and purpose into the hearts of those who hear and see Him by faith (Hebrews 11:1). Thus, people's knowledge may increase and invent new ways to indulge in sin but this does not diminish the power of God's word and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.

Faith Bankruptcy of Our Times

While I don’t have time to refer to specific sources, it has been reported that the Christian faith was on the decline. Whether true or false, this should not discourage believers; it is a common trend that the ‘worries for pleasures and riches chokes’ the word and render some people faithless (Luke 8:14). Such people’s faith were never really rooted in Christ as their interest were only on the things they needed from God, and if God made them wait on Him they quote. Some time ago, the Lord showed me in a vision that the truly faithful believers would never be shaken or moved by the mass discouragement and faithlessness that is seasoned to test faithfulness. The Lord showed me when He provided test; He sifts the shaft from the wheat (Matthew 3:12) the faithful would be unshaken like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:18). Also, when God provided a test of faith and allowed a spirit of apostasy in the Land of Israel during the time of the prophet Elijah, He reserved for Himself 7000 men and women (1 Kings 19:18).

Additionally, when a mass rebellion and an exodus from the faith occurred at Kadesh, in the Desert of Paran Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb stood their ground and remained unshaken (Numbers 14:5-9), but the faithless perished (Numbers 14:29-30).

Likewise, when faithlessness struck most of the Lord’s disciples (John 6:60-66), Peter and the other 11 disciples embraced the Lord’s Words and teachings and these men, besides Judas Iscariot, changed the World as they proclaimed the Christian faith (Acts 1:8). Equally, we are encouraging you dear brethren not to allow the mass faithlessness around you and the non-interest in Christianity to drain your faith. You are a light God (Ephesians 5:8) is using to illuminate the space where your faith is operating. As a ministry, we were also hit by mass faithlessness from all around, and it felt as if our message and the Lord's rebukes had an effect on some of the brethren. However, it was as if the Lord stripped us of everybody we depended on for support and encouragement in our work. On one   occasion the Lord saw our discouragement and He said, "You mother and Father must not be discouraged, they must remain steadfast and faithful". Let this be known to every faithful Christian; you will face betrayal and rejection which results from people’s lack of faith and their interest in things other than Christ (3 John 1:9-10). Remain steadfast and remember that the apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus were also deserted in their time of trials but they remained faithful (2 Timothy 4:16-17; Matthew 26:31).

In conclusion, we encourage you brethren not to be easily intimidated when you hear or see some believers having abandoned their faith. The Lord promised ‘never to leave you, nor [to] forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5), and neither should you succumb to the fear of uncertainty for faith is absent and rendered ineffective when you allow it to be oppressed by worry. Instead, let us, therefore, consider the purity, innocence and rewarding aftermath of our faith. How best to sum up and conclude this message by saying, “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continued to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:9-12 NIV).

Now, don't miss this opportunity, we would like to extend an invitation to anyone who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ yet, or of you are not born again, to pray our suggested prayer on this link Prayer of Sincere Repentance by faith and follow the Lord (Matthew 4:19). You may also contact us for any questions or comments about this article or our ministry.

Blessed Faith in Christ

Brother Glenn

Blaming Others For Your Mistakes

Being Courages In Your Faith

“So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”(Philippians 2:12-16 HCSB).


From the preceding scripture reference, we cannot be kept responsible for the salvation of others especially after we ministered the word of God to them (Matthew 10:14; Acts 13:51). There are some people who simply don’t want to be reminded that they need to be saved from God’s coming Judgement (Isaiah 2:12; Matthew 10:15). In our experience during witnessing, when we reminded and warned people who sin without regard for God that they will be judged by the Lord if they do not make their lives right with the Lord they become angry and accusing us being judgmental (John 3:16-18).

Amongst Christians, when things are not going well with some Christians they are quick to blame the Lord and saying that life isn’t fair especially when they see how well others are coping with difficult situations (Proverbs 14:10). Additionally, and sadly though, some Christians depend on their pastor’s or ministers to pray for them. It is as if they are saying ‘fight my battles for me and I will be content to attend Church and make my contributions.' Wake up brethren! The Lord is warning such Christians, your walk in Christ would be fruitless and tainted with spiritual thorns which will ultimately result in a faith shipwreck if you do not personally take responsibility for your faith (1 Timothy 1:19).

A few years ago, my wife and I led our children to the Lord, and we showed and taught them how to walk with the Lord through constant reminders and encouragement. However today they know who to turn to when challenges manifest. Subsequently, our role as parents is restricted to prayer and encouragement while our daughters work out their own salvation.

Self-Pity

From what we know is that the spirit of self-pity has driven countless Christians from the Lord. You may ask exactly how? That is easy because they want the Lord to carry their cross (Luke 14:27). Scripturally, the Bible declares that the Lord will carry our burden of sin and worries (Matthew 11:28-29; 1 Peter 5:7). However, the pain of the cross is for us to bear and that is to keep us humble and dependent on the Lord (Mark 10:38; 1 Peter 4:12-13). Furthermore, exactly how do we know that we have a spirit of self-pity? Well, here it is right here! Do you have a complaining spirit? Do you like to make excuses and are you defensive? If you honestly answered yes then you would have identified the enemy to your spiritual progress.

Again, you may ask ‘how do I overcome self-pity,' simply take faith and courage with you and fear, worry, and hopelessness will be conquered and the Lord’s promise of keeping you will find meaning in you (Hebrews 13:5). In the account of the 12 spies that Moses sent out, just consider how the spirit of self-pity possessed the Israelite community after hearing the negative report of the ten spies (Numbers 13:31-33). The people’s faith in God faded, fear and despair set in and hope was abandoned, but Caleb and Joshua being faced by a sea of anger took up the shield of faith, courage, and hope and God’s promises were realized for them (Numbers 14:30). Thus, from this account, we learned that Caleb and Joshua stood out amongst the rest, took responsibility for their faith and subsequently inherited the Lord’s promises. In our lifetime, however, situations might be different, but God’s purpose remains the same, to save us and to provide for us a better place (John 14:3; Luke 19:10).

In conclusion, blame no one for your sins. Some might cause you to stumble, but you makes and implement decisions, are they faith-based and Christ-centered? Take ownership of your salvation by carrying your cross. A few years ago, a brother in the Lord committed an offense in which he blamed someone else for his actions. Consequently, the Lord was deeply displeased by the brother, and he was sharply rebuked, and the Lord told him never to blame others for the sins he commits. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV).

If you have a desire to start trusting the Lord today, here is a Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments about this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed Grace
Brother Glenn, Sister Desiree and Charis