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