Monday, May 24, 2021

Serving God Passionately

Brethren, we are re-sharing this message which we shared during 2019, as a family, we are still praying and meditating on the love of God for us after He brought our beloved daughter Claudia back from death as we shared in our last article. Thus, by the grace of our Heavenly Father we will work on a new article in the next week, God willing. Thus be blessed as you read in Jesus' name.

Vision to Charis 11 October 2019 (Muslims Are Faithful and some Christians are greedy)

I had a vision about a Christian man who was helping a homeless girl. This Christian father was not kind towards this girl. He was treating her not like his own children with love and respect but harshly. I then saw the girl asking for help from members of the Muslim community who were eager to help her with a place to live and with food. I heard a Muslim man explaining to his wife saying, "As Muslims, we need to help those in need. Because we are obligated by Allah". At first she was not eager to help but after the explanation above she seemed to have understood the bases of their teaching.

After seeing this, I heard the LORD saying, "Christians are very greedy when they do something for other people they show off and when they do things for others they should do it from their hearts and for Me (1 Corinthians 10:31; Matthew 25:40).  Muslims are worshiping another god and yet they are faithful. When they help people they do it from their hearts and for their god". END!

Are You God Conscious? 

Well, before answering that question it would be wise to first evaluate your relationship with God and the test is simple. Are you born again, having repented of your sins and living a holy life? (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23) Do you read your Bible every day as God commanded? (Joshua 1:8) Do you have a love for the Word of God, above all other reading materials or visual programs (TV, Internet, etc.)? (Psalm 119:20; 119:97). Do you often spend time praying or are you too busy with life? (Daniel 6:10). Are you about our Heavenly Father’s business by witnessing and winning souls or are you indulging in lustful and worldly pleasures? Is your company pleasing to you or to God (Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Luke 2:49; Proverbs 11:30). Answers to these questions are a basic foundation to our relationship with the Lord, and being so involved with Him will lead people to say “…these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NIV).

If we are consistently passionate, doing all of the above daily to please God, our attitude would be less abrasive and people would notice the hope in us (1 Peter 3:15-16). We would not take offense to people’s hurtful opinions; we would instead forgive them (Matthew 6:14-15). Therefore this kind of consciousness can best be described as living in God and God in us (John 17:23; Acts 17:28). Undoubtedly, the reason why so many of us have such bad attitudes is due to excessive self-consciousness.

Causes of Lost Passion

The Lord told us that most ministries fail because they have lost their passion or first love for Him, and as a result many people consider His work to be burdensome (Revelation 2:4). Jesus Himself invites us with a bold declaration: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Furthermore, loss of faith in Christ is also largely due to a lack of passion for the Lord Jesus. When we walk out on our family and fellowship group in Christ, we have lost our passion and our love has grown cold and the danger of cold love yields hatred and grudges.

In the early 90’s, I lost my passion for Christ, with the principal cause being sin. I started spending more time in the night club than in church. Instead of turning to the Bible and the Lord for answers to my pressing problems, I turned to ungodly people, books and magazines. In addition, the company of the unsaved became more accommodating because their "innocence" to my hurting conscience served as a mask. Once our passion for the Lord has faded we adopt a new passion, which is often some kind of an addiction, as a replacement for our lost love to God. As it is, in this backsliding state the latter part of our lives becomes worse than it was before we knew The Lord (Luke 11:26).

Equally dangerous is when people who lose their love for Christ turn to idols, false religions, and worldly living (2 Timothy 4:10). As history has shown us, historically, most of the men who founded sects within Christianity lost their passion for Christ and pinned their hopes on the observance of certain doctrinal positions. The Lord made it abundantly clear when He said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

The word "hate" in this context from the Strong’s Greek concordance simply means ‘miséō, i.e. to love someone or something less than someone (something) else, or to to renounce one choice in favor of another, which denotes a moral choice. It does not refer to a literal hatred as in ‘misos’ (to hate). In other words, we should love The Lord more than anything or anyone else.  Therefore, we cannot love our lives, churches, pastors, parents, wives or anything more than Christ; if we do that, then we have lost our passion for Him (Luke 9:24). Our Lord Jesus Christ is a Real Living Person (and to the unbelieving I have seen Him) and our passion for Him must be above everyone or thing. He should be the reason, purpose and cause why we go to church and engage in various ministry work. Our love for church and the people in the church people should be secondary to our love and passion for Christ. If we are ashamed of Him and afraid to witness, don’t we show a lack of passion?

How to Keep the Passion Alive

When the Lord commanded my wife to start a women's prayer group, some of the sisters who had started praying with her came up with various excuses and did not show up. There came a time when my wife was just with one person, and her passion turned into discouragement. However, The Lord being faithful encouraged her and said that one person can pray for a thousand (1000) people. It's been more than four years now, and that same passion to see people saved and delivered is still driving them. The question is: which passion is driving you? The one you follow or the things you are most passionate about shows what you treasure! (Matthew 6:21).

Passion for The Lord is fueled by our abiding in His Presence without ceasing (John 15:7). We abide in The Lord’s Presence through worship, praying, fasting, Bible reading, being involved in ministry work, and fellowship in The Lord with those who call on Him (2 Timothy 2:22; Luke 2:37; Psalm 27:4; Deuteronomy 17:18-19). It is not just good to have a Bible; we must read it daily and obey it, so that our love may remain hot for Christ (Matthew 24:12). It serves as firewood, burning away all lusts and worldliness (Jeremiah 23:29), anchoring us in truth, and keeping us free from deception and slavery (John 8:32; John 17:17). As it is, Christ being the author and finisher of our faith commands us to set Him above doctrine, church and family (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 3:15). Furthermore, some of us go to great lengths to pursue a doctrine of faith or a religious belief like some sects in Christianity; such an attitude shows no passion for Christ, but only passion for the doctrine, denomination or position of faith. Remember to  "keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you" (1 Timothy 4:16 NLT).

Finally, fellow believers in the Lord Jesus, "...walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want (Galatians 5:16-17).

Vision of a Lukewarm Church

I received a short vision from The Lord this morning (December 8, 2014) just before I woke up. It was a vision within a vision. I saw myself walking into a beautiful building, and while walking I saw another vision behind me. Although I was looking ahead of me, I could still see the scene of the vision. I saw a large group of people whose faces were blurred in a church.

There was someone who was preaching to these people, urging them to worship The Lord. The person was trying to kind of "revive" the people through his urging and encouragement, but they were just standing there cold in their hearts towards the Lord (I was allowed to feel that their hearts were far from The Lord). I saw The Lord dressed in white light in their midst, without them even being aware He was Present. As I was about to climb a stairway, I heard a voice of someone who was standing there saying loudly: "I LOVE THE LORD WITH MY WHOLE HEART!" This was the end of the vision.

Interpretation:

The Lord explained to me that He is faithful to all His promises and that He is present where two or three gather in His name just like it was in this lukewarm church (Matthew 18:20). However, people's hearts are far away from Him since they are focusing on or thinking or of their lustful pleasures. The people in the vision reflect today's situation in the church, with people showing no passion or love for Him in His Presence. People lack enthusiasm and excitement in the church, and that is why the pastor or worship leader was trying his best to "revive" or "wake up" the people with encouragement. Brethren, let us show passion in the Lord's Presence as an expression of our love to Him, like the voice of The Lord's witness said. The Bible indeed encourages us to "...love The Lord your God with all your heart..." (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27), and praise/thank Him likewise with our whole heart (Psalm 9:1).

So, have you forsaken the love you had for Jesus Christ at first? Have you been spending more time with people, teachings, and activities that don’t encourage passion for Christ in your heart? If so, please repent. If you would like to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and start a life full of love for God, here is a Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Grace to you in Jesus’ name,
Brother Glenn.

Monday, May 17, 2021

We Thank God For Our Lives

Thanksgiving to God should be our Ultimate Sacrifice

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20 NKJV)

Brief Testimony:

Last night (16/05/2021) has just been extremely traumatic. Our beloved daughter Claudia who also started receiving messages from the Lord recently died but came back to life in JESUS POWERFUL NAME! We did report in the past that she has not been well healthwise. Now since Wednesday last week (12/05/2021), she has not been feeling well with her heartbeat being abnormal. While my wife and other children were in the room talking, and I being in another room, I just heard them screaming in panic 'Claudia', Claudia, daddy please come help!' 

Knowing her condition, the first thing that came to my mind was my beloved daughter is leaving us. I rushed to the room and there she was convulsing violently turning pale and purple around her mouth and hands with no pulse and life while laying there on the bed lifeless. While Charis and Cailin were screaming in panic, My wife and I wasted no time and we only know JESUS CHRIST, we rebuked death and Satan in JESUS NAME, praying in tongues until she came back, HALLELUJAH! This is NO LIE BUT GOD's TRUTH! As parents and God-fearing people, we encourage you to hold on to the LORD. Had we not known Him and serving Him we would have both lost Cailin (this is a testimony we shared in our book 1 and on this site) and Claudia. 

The LORD is FOREVER GOOD and He GRACIOUSLY SAVED US MULTIPLE PAINS! We humbly urge you to continue praying for her (Claudia) and as a precaution, we rushed her to the hospital last night. After Claudia returned, she said she felt so peaceful and the next moment she saw that she was standing before beautiful gates and when she was just about to enter she heard me praying and saying in JESUS NAME LIFE RETURN and she just felt a warmth feeling enter her throat and she got back. GLORY TO GOD ALMIGHTY!!!

Furthermore, the LORD also revealed something through Claudia this past Friday (14/05/2021), before we will announce that as a family we are still praying about this and we will share it with you soon.  Since that Word from the Lord, I have learned to value and appreciate each day and regard it as precious for all purposes. We, therefore, urge you dear faithful children of God to continue praying for us and the work of God Almighty.

Through several messages to Charis, the Lord gave warnings to many brethren. Those who obeyed and changed their attitudes were blessed, while those who disregarded the Lord’s warnings had to face the consequences of their ungrateful attitudes. We, therefore, encourage you not to be greedy and keep yearning for more earthly things; that is being ungrateful. When you have a little, be content and show appreciation; you will always have enough even to share (Hebrews 13:5). God is well pleased with a person who has a thankful heart and such is a humble spirit!

I encourage you never to doubt an urgent, convicting message, especially when it pertains to the will of God. We must discern the voice of the Holy Spirit, act by faith, and be obedient. My wife once had a strong urge to preach a certain message to our home church members, but I discouraged her and instead urged her to "allow the Lord to give us a message," thinking that it may be different. To my surprise, the Lord confirmed through Charis the same message that my wife had in her heart. From this experience, I learned never to doubt and undermined a message coming by faith. If the message is about Christ, it is from the Holy Spirit and should be spoken from the conviction coming from faith (1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 14:22-23).

Why Should We Appreciate God and Give Thanks to Him?

Because giving thanks is an everyday practice, we often overlook the value of thanksgiving to God. Biblically, giving thanks to God is basically an expression of our deepest appreciation for something we never could do for our own good and convenience (Colossians 1:12-14; Matthew 5:45). Sadly though, today's culture has produced a lot of ungrateful people, where many simply don't even appreciate the way they look. The political correctness of our day has produced countless rebels who fight against the will of God and His order in human society (Romans 1:24-27). As it is, people have developed an attitude of entitlement, largely fueled by our legal rules, instead of having a humble heart of appreciation.

The Bible says that God has freely and unconditionally given the human race all things for our continued existence (Genesis 1:26-30), and we are still beneficiaries of this command today (2 Corinthians 9:11; Isaiah 55:10; Romans 8:32). It is an irrefutable fact: we cannot equal the Lord in giving nor can we give anything in exchange for something He did for us (Romans 11:35; Matthew 16:26). Therefore, our giving to the Lord is through thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). That is why it is such a humbling and God-pleasing gesture when people pray before meals and say thank the Lord for the food they have, the good health they enjoy, and the life God has given them. It further blesses the Lord when we show our appreciation to others when they have done or given us something. In this sense, both are giving thanks to God -- the receiver for the gift, and the giver for being able to give as a sacrifice to God (Psalm 50:23; Hebrews 13:16).

I must also emphasize that being ungrateful and demanding is displeasing and sinful to the Lord. Having such an attitude will result in God withholding good from us (Proverbs 11:24-25).

Additionally, it is to our benefit to receive godly correction; it is priceless when we receive a rebuke from God or a brother in the Lord with good intent (Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 3:12). We had a brother in our ministry who could not accept rebuke from the Lord and this greatly displeased the Lord. For his rejection of the Lord’s rebuke, the Lord told the brother that he did not appreciate the Lord’s messages, and He commanded the brother to repent and go on a 3-day fast. He subsequently humbled himself and obeyed the Lord, and soon after the Lord blessed him and answered most of his prayers. There were also some other brethren amongst us who did not appreciate the Lord’s rebukes and provisions, subsequently their ungrateful attitudes drove them from the Lord. As a result, many of these brethren descended into self-inflicted hardships.

Have you been forgetting to thank the Lord and others, thereby manifesting an ungrateful spirit? If so, please repent and return to the presence of the Lord (Psalm 100:4). Give thanks to Him because of His righteousness (Psalm 7:17) and because He is good; His love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV ). Let us give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love, His righteous laws which lead us to live, and for the great things He has done and will do for us (Psalm 107:21; Psalm 119:62; Psalm 119:105). He has answered our prayers and He is our salvation (Psalm 118:21; Romans 5:8).

Brothers and sisters, remember to always “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT).

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.

Blessedness to the Lord in thankfulness to you our dear brethren,

Brother Glenn and Preparing for the Kingdom Ministry Team.