Love, The Drawing Power Of God

So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Luke 10:27 NKJV).

Often, these words of great inner transformation are being ignored by Christians because most think that the Lord was just making a statement. To understand and apply this message into our lives we need to deliberate, meditate and internalise this message. In other words, we should bring this message closer to our hearts and own it so that the effect of this command should take root and possess our inner being by releasing the energy of this love in our hearts.

What is Love and Where Does it Originate?

Briefly, love is being defined as a variety of different feelings of strong attraction to someone or something. Therein is trust, peace and security with a comfort that this force of love has no end. As we know, love in any relationship often starts with a promise of lasting endurance, but as a relationship matures our promise of long lasting faithfulness changes into a conditional love, which we base on the promise, actions, and commitment of the other party, and often with selfish and unrealistic demands.

Unfortunately, love is not without ‘eyes’ and it was never meant to operate blindly. Biblically, love has built-in values which should manifest spontaneously when duty calls. The Bible gives us in the book of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 some distinct characteristics of love and any absence of any of these creates an imbalance leading to an incomplete love. In this context, I find no distinction that love should be departmentalized to apply differently to God, family or our neighbours. If it would, we would not be operating on the full force of love as Scripturally defined (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). In our giving of love to others, we sow and a return is guaranteed (Galatians 6:7; Luke 6:38). Like we said in the Good Manners article, love works in co-operation with respect and some of the values we discussed.

Brethren, we cannot emphasise enough that the Christian faith is meaningless unless we prove it through love and the outworking of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22). The Lord likens Christians to a tree which attracts people by the good fruit it bears and a bad tree is for the fire (Matthew 7: 16-20). A good and ideal Christian finds his or her fruits from the Vine, which is Christ (John 15:1-4). In contrast an abrasive, rude and an unkind Christian dwells in the parched land and away from the fruitfulness and nourishment found in Christ alone (Jeremiah 17:6). In Christ love dwells and in a Christian love should blossom as an attractive force of peace and comfort (Philippians 4:7). As we mention in the Experiencing True Peace article, where there is no peace, there is no love because these two fruits co-exist (Galatians 5:22). The Bible says God is love (1 John 4:16). Therefore, with God being love who lives in us, why are we allowing hateful feelings, slander and deceitful living to control us? Are we desiring good and bad to walk with us (Matthew 6:24)? If that is our position, the fullness of God’s Goodness will give way, for light have no companionship with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:15-16).

Identifying the Dark Patches that Clouds our Souls

We are warned in the Bible not associate with sexually immoral Christians (1 Corinthians 5:9-11), those who have a form godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5), and bad company which corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 NASB). Otherwise, are we always trying to avoid the company of someone we know? If yes, why? I’m sure you have the answer for that. Whatever our reasons, can we truly say that we are loving God and showing love to that person? The full force of love, which has been packaged by God to resist unlovingness, has built-in values and will always defy human reason and feelings in its quest to fulfil its destiny. What I mean is when love compels against the danger of rejection, reason cease and love fulfils (2 Corinthians 5:14). This tells us that love is not selfish and it NEVER FAILS! It fulfils. In addition, when we operate by our will to decide on love, we give conditionally; but when we give by the will of the Holy Spirit, our lower nature suffers and the Spirit fulfils. This is beautifully summed up by what the Apostle Paul when he said, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:12-14 NIV). If ‘we have an obligation’, the Holy Spirit is supposed to control us and when He controls, why do we give love short?

The Bible says that fear is an obstruction to love (1 John 4:18); that is why some people are afraid to love. They reason that others might take advantage of them. Are we not sometimes taking advantage of the Lord’s great love for us when we sin or disobey wilfully? Yes, we do! Are we not sacrificing love, a continuing debt we owe (Romans 13:8), which is our obligation and fulfilling fear, which is our distraction? Our will must serve the requirements of Scripture (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Furthermore, are you always trying to be right and never wrong and rejecting correction while self-serving? Do you pursue quarrels and always in a self-pity mood? By examining yourself, you might find that you don’t have love in yourself because you are taking and not giving. Brethren, while this is not a good rebuke to share but for the benefit of everybody, the Lord rebuked a sister sharply for her lack of love, saying that “My daughter Dawn (not real name) does not have love in herself”. This was a deep rebuke that exposed the patches of anger, hatefulness, selfishness and rejection of the Holy Spirit, who equals love, God and Christ (Romans 8:9-10). In the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ also showed that rejecting Him and seeking glory and recognition from men while failing to seek glory from God displays that a Christian is lacking the word of God and love within themselves (John 5:37-44).

Where to Find and Grow Love

We have all been naturally endowed with basic love to show care to our children and immediate families. However, love to serve others and to treat others with dignity as brethren is found in God alone. By serving and asking God we grow love as He prunes it to develop fully. This is also evident in the animal realm and their love is observed by the care and protection they give to their young (Job 39:1-3; Matthew 23:37). In some occasions in the Bible, animals even show love for God and care for human beings (Numbers 22:21-30; 1 Kings 17:2-6; Jonah 1:17; 2:10). Unlike animals, humans love is dynamic, transitional and incomplete. Our love has a Source, God through Christ (1 John 4:8; John 3:16) and Biblically if we have no union with Christ, there is no God and no Spirit no love (1 John 4:8; Romans 8:9; John 13:20). This truly sets Christianity apart from other religions who are founded on cultural values. We know culture yields laws and if violated punishment, but in Christ, however, we are commanded to love and love covers over a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8).

The Lord’s love is real and having been a loveless person myself through my past life of hateful feelings and violence, I gave up my old life to follow the Lord’s ways. In being a Christian, I learned that my love was growing as I walked closer with the Lord. Therefore, the more we spend time in God’s Presence through prayer, worship, church services and Bible reading, the more we generate love (James 4:8). By Word reading, we develop the reality and discernment regarding what love really should be. Human love is interest driven and being fickle we are always looking for the gratification of our ever increasing desires for more and these serve as distractions. God purposely allowed the various distractions (Matthew 13:29) to test our endurance as He refines the dross from the pure gold (1 Peter 1:7). Like we said, operating from two or more personalities stifles the Holy Spirit, which hinders our walk and giving strength to our lower nature to dominate us (Romans 8:13-14). Love is the Golden Key to Heaven and we MUST possess it in abundance. As the love of many is growing cold in these last days (and indeed this is evident everywhere around the world) we encourage you to have love in yourself to give and attract the lost to Christ. Love is the greatest Cause, the single unifier of the human race. All people can identify with the force of love, for it is the only remedy known to man that calms the storms of life in the troubled human soul. This love, is God's gift to us that brought us peace (Romans 5:8; Isaiah 53:5).

In conclusion, have you been failing to seek God daily and remain in the Lord Jesus Christ, the true vine, that you may bear good fruit (Galatians 5:22; John 15:1-5)? Have you been skipping your personal time with the Lord and yielding bad fruit and cold love (Jeremiah 17:6; John 15:6)? If so, seek the Lord in repentance while loving Him and others as yourself (Luke 10:27).

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

Blessed love in fear of God,

Brother Glenn and Preparing for the Kingdom Ministry Team.

Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

The above Scriptural warning is vastly overlooked and ignored by countless Christians who think that this and other Scriptures does not apply to them. Well, we have testimony and personal experience on the danger of ignoring Scriptural admonitions which are meant to protect and safeguard our salvation. However, before we share those experiences, let us briefly examine Scriptural teaching on this important matter. As always, we encourage all our readers to carefully examine the referenced Scripture verses as they augment and qualify our message.

God’s Message to Christians in Managing Relations with Unbelievers and Doubters

Essentially, human relationships are built on the premise of interaction with others, and this joins us together into a group or community that shares common interests. As a group, we influence or are being influenced by others into accepting ideas, behaviours and attitudes (Exodus 23:32-33). Right at the beginning of establishing a relationship with the children of Israel, the Lord gave them His Word to influence their lifestyle and to separate them from the rest of the other peoples around them (Leviticus 18:30; Deuteronomy 18:9-13). Thus the hatred, ridicule and rejection Christians are experiencing today is largely due by this call by the Lord to "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE" says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you." And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17-18 NASB).

Given the above  Bible references, don’t you think that the Lord foretold our hardship and persecution when He said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword…”? (Matthew 10:34-36 NIV). As it is, these Scriptures concern the value of our relationships with others. In other words, would we value our relationship with others whether friend or relative by conforming to the way of life they follow more than what Christ called us to? (Matthew 10:37-39).

Therefore, it is abundantly clear from Scripture that our choice of company must always be pleasing to God. Exactly why? The answer is twofold. First is to protect us from being corrupted through temptations leading to lusts and from evil desires coming through the company we keep (2 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Peter 2:7-10). Being a holy priesthood, we should proclaim His praises, holy living must be uncompromising for this is our only guarantee to Heaven (1 Peter 2:9-12; Hebrews 12:14). On the day of reckoning, many Christians will discover that their slothful and disobedient worldly living resulted in a Christ-less eternity. The second reason is to set us apart (being holy) as belonging to God for His glory and as objects of His mercy (Romans 9:22; Deuteronomy 10:8-9). Scripturally, from the earlier times we see God accepting people into a relationship with Him based on their choice of obedience (Genesis 4:4-7). As we know, The Lord God gave each person freedom to choose and He desired that we choose to follow His will. He says: “… I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live…” (Ezekiel 33:11). If we remain obedient, He sets us apart for His glory (Romans 8:30).

Should We Vilify Those Outside of Our Fellowship?

Truly, vilifying those who are not in our fellowship group is not a directive we received from the Lord. In contrast, He commanded us to pray and love those who persecute us (Luke 6:28; Matthew 5:44). Furthermore, our works of service and our attitude of obedience towards the Lord should serve as an encouragement to unbelievers leading them to salvation (1 Peter 3:15-17). Evidently, as Christians it’s inevitable that we have to work with people who are not Christians in all spheres of life. Being a light shining in the darkness, we cannot hide our light from non-Christians; we will have to face and show them what we’ve got (Ephesians 5:8-11).

Often, Christians don’t know how to behave in the company of non-Christians. Some have reportedly said that they feel strange, unwelcomed, and rejected by lukewarm Christians and unbelievers because of their faith in the Lord. Brethren, we must remember that it is not us they have a problem with! They dislike the new life of obedience to the Lord that we follow. Inasmuch as it is tormenting to share a company with non-committed Christians because of their sometimes unwelcoming insults to our faith, this is a test to our faith where we should not allow offensive insults to weaken our confidence in Christ (Hebrews 10:35-36). In terms of interaction, keep the company to achieve shared objectives, especially work or community-related things, but without compromising your faith. Where necessary, give reasons for your refusal to comply, especially when it concerns things that go against the Lord’s will (Exodus 23:2). We must not imitate evil, even if we are pressured to sin (3 John 1:11). As Christians, our association in sharing a company with the unsaved is to reveal Christ by sharing our testimony, and to display through our behaviour the lifestyle He called us to (1 Peter 2:12; Colossians 4:5-6).

Lone Christians

Naturally, all human life is made up of community and through birth, individual members are entering this community resulting in social cohesion. Through this, we learn and develop certain social skills to help us live better and peacefully with others (Genesis 11:1-6). Therefore, God intended that we have social company, but according to His choice for our well-being (2 Corinthians 6:14; Hebrews 10:25). This ministry is not encouraging "lone ranger Christianity"! In essence Scripturally, when we do meet, we get the opportunity to benefit from the gifts for our edification and growth in the Lord (1 Peter 4:10). In joining a Christian grouping, we need discernment from the Holy Spirit to help us identify like-minded believers (Philippians 2:2-4; 1 Peter 3:8), regardless of their social class or standing in society (Romans 12:16).

A brother, who was in the habit of always excluding himself from fellow Christians, was rebuked by the  Lord  for dissociating himself from the brotherhood. Sadly, and with love, this brother was in the habit of always rejecting calls by fellow Christian brethren to join them in sharing the gospel and his testimony. This habit grieved the Lord and He gave us a message to encourage the brother to make use of opportunities to meet and benefit from the gifts from others while seizing the opportunity to preach the gospel. We should share whether we like it or not; our command is to preach in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2).

Brief Testimony on The Influence of Worldly Company on Christians

A few months ago, we wrote extensively and by a command from the Lord on the negative influences of some social networking activity (refer to Social Media: Godliness or Worldliness? article).In this message, we pointed out how some Christians and non-Christians use this technology platform as a tool to work for Satan by gossiping, flirting resulting in adultery, fornication, and avoiding fellowship with God through prayer and Bible reading. Brethren, the testimony we are sharing below is not to expose, or slander but the Lord permitted that we share it to show other Christians the dangers of our disobedience and stubbornness in going against Scriptural warnings. When we fail to heed Scriptural warnings, we will have to live with the consequences of our bad choices. After all, bad company does corrupt good habits!

Having said this, we had a sister in our fellowship who served the Lord very faithfully and this was echoed by the Lord Himself through messages He let us give her. In her faithfulness, she never skipped our fellowships as commanded by the Lord. However, she loved the company of her worldly friends who shared their lustful appetite with her, eventually influencing her to have similar desires. She did her best to stay up very late in social networking sites. Upon discovering, as a ministry who loves her, we cautioned her on the dangers of such activity and the resulting consequences. Sadly, these were ignored! The Lord issued her several messages warning her that Satan was using unsaved people to destroy her life (Proverbs 13:20). Yes, these were the exact words of the Lord. Through subsequent messages from the Lord, He warned her and through these messages we could understand that she was involved in a relationship with an unsaved man, which later developed into a sexual affair. As it is, we lovingly confronted her, showing how this had ruined her relationship with the Lord and that she should repent and serve faithfully. Brethren, this sin of infidelity that the sister committed against the Lord hurt Him very much, for Charis could feel His pain when He gave her a message for this sister saying, “My daughter Joyce has hurt this ministry, her children and herself and she lost her innocence before Me, and I will punish her for this”. As a result of this message from the Lord, we were equally hurt as members of this ministry. In our concern that this might affect others, and after providing Godly counsel to this sister which she rejected, she decided to quit our ministry. Beloved, I can tell you this ministry has suffered the leaving of many people, who could not endure living holy. For when the Lord exposes our sinful living, it is for us to choose either to repent and secure eternal life in Heaven, or continue sinning eventually resulting in His judgements (Hebrews 12:6). I choose the Lord’s discipline!

Similarly, the Lord warned a young man against lustful behaviour and worldly ways. This man kept his worldly friends and social networking habits alive while serving the Lord. This led him to question the Lord’s teaching on separation from worldliness, including worldly music. My wife and I counseled him briefly, explaining to him the will of the Lord and the things He warned us against. In his anger with us and the Lord for correcting him, he walked out on us, choosing worldliness. In a prophetic vision and before we knew he would quit, the Lord showed Charis how this young man was angry, wrinkled and untidily dressed (signifying his spiritual condition and deterioration through sin), saying, “Behold, the worldly man!”.

In conclusion, I would like to share a brief testimony. Dear brethren, please bear in mind that I am not sharing this to elevate myself or portray myself better than you, but to encourage you -- especially those of you who feel weak in faith and need courage. Earlier on in my walk with the Lord, about 24 years ago, I suffered many insults and abuse at the hands of both colleagues and friends, for choosing to avoid their company after they tried to win me back into sinful fellowship with them. In their quest to humiliate me, when they would see me I would hear some of my colleagues laughing loudly while looking at me. However, with God’s help I kept sincerity to my faith and showed love despite their ridicule. I once overheard a conversation one of them was having with some of the others where they were comparing religions and the conduct of some ‘Christians’ in relation to others. To my surprise, I was blessed to hear him saying in agreement that my faith was real and my obedience matched what the Bible teaches. After all, through the humiliating experience I had endured, they recognised the Lord Jesus in me and they also seemed to have changed their perception about me. From then on, I enjoyed peace and respect from them. The Lord knows how to use our obedience to draw people to Him to save (Proverbs 16:7).

Finally, have you been allowing yourself to hang out with and be wrongly influenced by bad company? Have you failed to be a light in obedience to Christ by showing good behaviour, bearing good fruit, and serving as an encouragement so others can be saved (1 Peter 3:15-17)? Remember, we are in the world but not of the world and therefore we must not do as they do. The Bible says, Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:1-3).

If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please begin by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed Grace in Peaceful Company,

Brother Glenn.

Being Ungrateful Displeases The Lord

Expectations For Cravings Not Need

“But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 HCSB).

We will be very brief with our message this week. The Lord commanded that we share with you this message because in His sight, many people ask and work for things they don’t really need; they just want to have "stuff" because they envy what others have (1 Samuel 8:4-5; Ecclesiastes 4:4). From what is known today, the prosperity teachers encourage envy, greed, laziness, and a demand for more material things from God. They tell people to dream up worldly things and "name it, claim it and receive it!" Unfortunately, they are encouraging a destructive lifestyle that uses God for worldly gain, instead of preparing the saints for a life of worship, holiness and reverent service to God (Ephesians 4:12; 2 Peter 1:5-11). Naturally, we are all ungrateful grumblers! aren't we? Yes, we are never happy about the weather and what we have (Philippians 4:11-13). If I may recall, there were people how asked us to inquire a message for them from the Lord and after hearing the Lord's message they simply remark, 'Is that all He said' or 'I expected Him to say so and so!'.

Personal Ambitions Is Self-Driven

Having experienced first hand the Lord's blessings, while we may have some great expectations in order to stress our faith, the Lord would release an initial blessing first (Genesis 39:22) before unveiling and releasing the ultimate blessings (Genesis 41:41). We need to point out that personal ambitions does not feature in God's plans, He blesses us in accordance with His purpose (Philippians 2:3). When I asked God for a job He did not give me what I expected but I accepted and expressed my thankfulness and a humble attitude He accepts which might lead to a refreshing supply of more blessings. We encourage you dear brethren, the least you have be content for God measures your attitude and hearts condition in trying times (1 Chronicles 29:17; Jeremiah 17:10). Scripturally, we know that personal cravings comes not from an actual need but from a demanding spirit (Numbers 11:4). However, disobedience and faithlessness robs us of God's blessings (2 Chronicles 24:20; Mark 11:24).

Furthermore, the worldly lifestyles many Christians are living today have become the acceptable norm. Brethren, I have news for you: The Lord cannot be forced by man into encouraging a lustful lifestyle and giving us what is unnecessary. Having said this, I am not encouraging or advocating deprivation among Christians, neither does the Lord; He promised to give us our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), meet ALL our needs (Philippians 4:19), and enrich us in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion resulting in thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11). Truthfully, the increase of earthly possessions brings anxiety and the fear of losing it. Additionally, most people nowadays have not learned to acknowledge or believe that the Lord has provided them enough (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12).

Many brethren might not agree with me here, but I must share what the Lord revealed to us. The Lord said that the business principles employed by the world are based on greed, because their aim is to "maximize profit or gain". This is said to be stimulating "growth"; which is true indeed, but to the benefit of the few (investors, shareholders and business executives), while it impoverishes the masses. If you have studied business in college, you are probably familiar with the words "wealth maximization" or "profit maximization", which describe the prime objective of businesses. As it is, this solid rule is being applied blindly even by Christian institutions without questions of conscience. A few people in the church hierarchy (such as senior pastors) usually benefit from business transactions while the lay believers are left used, abused and confused, without any benefits. Biblically, trade among Christians should not be for selfish gain, but to help one another and the needy; we should not be greedy but content (Deuteronomy 23:19, 24-25).

Every person born into this world thinks that they deserve, or are entitled to, everything that is available.  Because of this kind of attitude, we complain, slander and envy (Numbers 11:4). An ungrateful person is driven by a spirit of greed, discontentment and rebelliousness (Numbers 11:4-6). From experience, my brethren, I can tell you that The Lord turns a deaf ear to such an attitude.

In sharp contrast, I have witnessed that the truly humble and grateful inherits blessing, peace and freedom from discontentment. In the Bible, Ruth is one of person who was abundantly blessed for her humility and gratitude. Not only did she leave her family to follow her mother-in-law, but she also humbled herself by picking up leftover grain from the fields. She ended up gleaning in Boaz's field and found favor in his eyes (Ruth 2: 1-14). Through her obedience, she eventually became his wife (Ruth 4:9-12) and was blessed to be an ancestor of Israel’s kings, including The King of Kings --Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1:1, 5-6). Moses also humbled himself by abandoning his royal privileges to be a shepherd in Midian for 40 years (Exodus 3:1). However, the Lord blessed him with a great calling to go to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10; 6:10) and he found favor in God's eyes.

Greedy Christians

In most of our articles we address Christians, and the Lord has called this ministry to challenge, encourage, rebuke and correct the brethren. Those outside our community of faith have no appreciation for our message; if they did, they would obey the Lord and His teachings (John 10:27; Matthew 7:24-27).

Naturally, as human beings we always have very high expectations from God, and when we ask Him something we expect that He will provide according to our will. Again, in our experience with the Lord, He does not succumb to the human will or pressure; He provides in accordance with our faith, need and for His glory (Philippians 4:19). It is known that human expectations are self-centered and we will always overvalue or overestimate what we really need, and this is a proven fact throughout human history (Exodus 16:18). In the same breath, ungratefulness has led many people to change their physical appearances, jobs, marital partners, ministry calling, and other things in order to match the expectations of others. Therefore, when the need is supplied we develop a need for more; meaning greed takes over; why? The fear of too little troubles us, so greed steps in and controls us. Admittedly, often when the Lord promised me something (and He would use the term "something"), this would always run up my expectations to wild imaginations of great things. When the blessing came it would only be what I needed, and though disappointed, I would accept with a good lesson of contentment.

A Word of Encouragement

Faith is not based on feelings, but on an attitude of trust in God’s ability. Our ever fluctuating emotions and feelings are not a measuring stick for faith; instead, our relationship to Jesus Christ proves our faith by our character. Therefore, the fruit of our faith personifies Christ’ indwelling and the values of society are challenged by a gentle, caring and kind conduct. A life richly lived in Christ by faith shows contentment in all situations (Philippians 4:11-14). Paul said “…..I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”( Philippians 4:11-13).  What we will need is simply just faith in acknowledgment and a grateful attitude to appreciate what was provided. How many of us simply want something because others have it? And how many of us when we have received something undeservingly give it up because it was not what we expected?

Remember our expectations are self-centered and The Lord, who is all-knowing, gives what is needed. Surely, we might get away with manipulating people to meet or match our expectations, but not so with God! Wherefore, a humble spirit is unfading, gentle, gratified and at peace. I would like to conclude with this Scripture: “…godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 HCSB). And remember the Lord said "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear" (Matthew 6:25-24); But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Honor Christ in your conduct and your faith would bear fruit and attraction to Christ!

Vision of God The Father

I had a vision this morning (December 1, 2014). I was outside in a big empty space when I saw a figure of a Man in pure white. His appearance was blurred but I immediately knew it was our Heavenly Father. When I recognized it was Him, I prayed saying, "Father please keep me from
falling!" He did not answer and the vision changed giving me a 3D view. I then saw The Father standing far away, yet close enough, but with His appearance blurred. "Glenn!", He called me by my name in a gentle whispering voice, while looking at me pleasingly. The vision then ended.

I am overwhelmed by His love and gracious care. I did not expect this vision! I love the LORD with all my heart. The LORD knows our future and things that might hinder our walk with Him.  He came to show me what I needed to do, and His answer to my prayer was His presence and reassurance of His love. This same love is available to you as well! (John 3:16-17) All the Lord wants of us is to repent and turn away from our sins, wholeheartedly seek Him and obey His Word. Aren't you grateful for what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us, redeeming us with His precious blood and paying the price for our salvation? I am eternally grateful.

Have you been complaining and expressing a lack of gratitude for your life and the things God has done for or given you? Are you waiting until you “have more” before you can love and be obedient to Christ? If so, please repent. Let us accept and be thankful for the things God has provided, however few we may perceive these; then we will be even more thankful for the many things God will provide (Matthew 25:23) in this life and moreso in heaven. If you would like to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and begin the journey of freedom and contentment, 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.

Blessed truth and peace,
Brother Glenn.

Are These The Times...

The Kingdom Of God Is Near

He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near (Luke 21:29-31 NIV).

 Since the Lord first told us back in 2010, that His coming was near, we took it literally as the Apostles did in their time (Revelation 22:12; 2 Timothy 3:1-4) and why would we doubt when the LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself said that to us. Thus, throughout the years, we endured ridicule and scorn from some believers who even labeled us as false. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we endured while we continue to warn, encourage and pray for the brotherhood to look at the times. For nothing is as fulfilling for any Christian as to be filled with the JOY of finally meeting and seeing our Lord and Saviour. Again, the Scripture warns 'that only those who endure until the end shall be saved' (Matthew 24:13).

In addition, if there is anybody both Christian and non-Christian who doubts that our present times are peculiar to what we were used to then they are operating without discernment, and they need prayer! 

Now, the Lord has stirred the spirit of the aggressor, the King of the North (of Israel) Russia to move towards the fulfillment of the Scriptures (Jeremiah 50:41-42) and this already has had a global effect in terms of the energy crisis and food shortages. In addition, and as I predicted and mentioned some time ago, the current United Nations has failed to bring peace to the world and this body will be replaced by the ten kings (Revelation 17:12; Daniel 7:11-22), and the ten kings will make the beast the super-ruler). Therefore, mark my words, the world will never return to the pre-COVID-19 era nor normalcy with Russia and the Western countries. It will NOT HAPPEN! As a factual gospel truth, things will continue to deteriorate economically until the Rapture and beyond. You may consider me as a 'doom prophet', but we heard the Lord say, the coming months will not be easy...those who don't know Him must repent! and those who are still not taking their salvation seriously will not make it. 

In conclusion, we encourage you all dear brethren to continue praying and seeking the Lord, there is just NO more time to cling to worldly things and desires the KING is NEAR! We will continue to warn as the Lord provides guidance.

Blessed Grace

Brother Glenn

Are We On The Cusp Of Rapture?

The Earth Is Ripe For Harvest

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her" (Luke 21:20-21 NKJV).

Being a Christian author, and a pastor, we hold no political affiliations, and the aim of our articles is to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters to remain ready for the Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now, as it is, our aim is to win souls for the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:22-24). 

Furthermore, as you may have noticed we did not add new articles, due to my (Brother Glenn) other commitments, and some four (4) weeks ago the Lord spoke to me in a dream that I should return to work to preach and encourage my brethren.  

As for today's message, every truly born-again Christian knows in his or her spirit and by confirmation from the Holy Spirit that the end of all things is near. It is like the countdown to the Lord's coming, let us consider the COVID-19 pandemic and the more than 6 million estimated lives it claimed. In addition, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the deadly natural disasters, which are attributed to global warming, and now the Israel - Hamas conflict. "...War will continue until the end and desolations have been decreed" (Daniel 9:26 NIV). 

We are under no illusion, and we know the Coming of the Lord will be preceded by the revelation of the man of sin, the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). Now here, the Lord is saying Israel will be attacked when they are living in safety, meaning in peacetime Israel will be attacked. While we do know that the end is near, World War III will precipitate the physical appearance of Christ when Israel is surrounded by armies to be destroyed and the Lord Himself will fight for Israel (Ezekiel 38:14-16). 

In conclusion, as a ministry, the Lord has given us a promise that THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE and then the people will be forced to take the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17). In our next article, we will add more detail on some things.

Be therefore encouraged and stay strong in prayer, our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28).

Blessed Grace

Brother Glenn

Discerning of Prophecies and Prophets

Testing The Spirits By Faith

“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

This brief article is simply a deliberate work to draw attention to the reality of false prophets and prophecies. From the onset, the Lord revealed to me that many Christians would be overlooking this message, but the kind-hearted would be filled with peace and wisdom (Daniel 12:3). Regarding our message for this week, the time in which we are living has produced a lot of false prophets who uses social media and other platforms to deceive. From our observations, some people are unable to discern the error in some teachings because some scriptural references are being used to justify a doctrinal position. However, in their desperation for riches, the motives of some are clearly evident. On some occasions, we have seen some ministers being ‘financial’ advisors to the flock and having an ‘anointing’ to operate in such an office. Because of greed, here in South Africa, we have seen the mushrooming of so-called investment schemes, ego-centric self-promotion, and offering of quick fix solutions to problems. Now, we may have written a similar message in the past, however, let this not escape your attention that as the future unfolds and the DAY of the Lord draws near more false prophets would enter the scene (Matthew 24:11). I understood from the Lord that Satan would be using the activities of false prophets to sow confusion and to deepen deceit (Matthew 24:24).

Briefly, like you, we honestly don’t know the DAY of the Lord and neither does the angels and the Lord (Matthew 24:36). The coming of the Lord and the Rapture have been a subject of intense discussion over the centuries, and this blessed hope has kept the hearts of countless Christians focused on the Lord. In other words, despite the troubles of the day, the hopeless challenges the brethren of old were comforted by the promises of the Lord and His coming (Hebrews 11:13-16). What a living faith these brethren had!

In contrast, some Christians today when they hear or read about a prophetic message regarding the Lord’s coming they expect it to happen immediately, and if it does not happen immediately the messenger is labeled as false. While we should test the spirits (1 John 4:1), we are encouraged to hold on to the good (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and encouragement in the name of the Lord is meant to edify. It is thus not prudent to label an unfulfilled word of encouragement as false. Also, a message from the Lord which is intended to encourage or to warn us is meant to edify and ready us for Christian service (Luke 12:35). Unless a brother or sister went ahead of him or herself by tendering a specific date for the Lord’s coming, a Christian should not turn to mocking a prophetic message. A few months ago, I had a conversation with a brother who told me that he was mocked by a fellow Christian when he shared a vision from the Lord regarding His coming. The tone of His message sounded urgent as if the Lord would come at that very moment but he did not set a specific date. He merely conveyed his conviction. Let us therefore not become mockers, remember we ought to be for the encouragement of the brethren and not be seen as the opposition (2 Peter 3:3; Luke 9:50).

Discerning False and True Prophets

True, some prophetic utterance may require some discernment, and there are repeated offenders who are in the habit of delivering false prophecies, and in our day there are many notable false prophets. The Bible says that false prophets are known by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-20), and some of these fruits include the evidence of their message(s) which would turn out to be false (Deuteronomy 18:22). Often, and despite evidence of some false predictions to the contrary, some Christians who lacks discernment would still follow the false man of God.

How do we discern a false prophet? Firstly, a false prophet will defend his false prediction by offering an alternative interpretation by adding further falsifications. Biblically, a prophecy from God should always be 100% accurate (1 Samuel 3:19).

Secondly, a false prophet like attention and they often try to draw attention to themselves more than to God (1 Kings 22:12 and verse 24). In other words, their egos are always crying out saying, ‘look at me and what I have, follow me.' However, a true prophet of God is always clothed with honesty, humility, and truthfulness, always pleased to serve others more than his or her needs (Deuteronomy 9:18-20). Thirdly, false prophets have a spirit of false humility and a spirit of greed and dishonesty (2 Corinthians 8:9). They love and enjoy the luxurious worldly lifestyle, and in their greed, they charge and set a price on their preaching engagements (Matthew 10:8). Kindly allow me to add, the Lord do provide for His children’s needs, and it often comes through others the Lord commanded, and it would often be in the quantity that we need (1 Kings 17:4 and verse 9; 2 Corinthians 8:14-15). Additionally, we may add some other characteristics of false prophets like their deceitful behavior, false promising, lying and their appetite for recognition. Since the devil operates in the background, hidden from people, his identity is easily recognizable through falsehood. God willing, we will devote an entire article on the identity of Satan shortly. The Lord has revealed a great deal of his personality to us over a period of more than five years.

People are Not Your Enemies

Brethren, by unmasking these workers of deceit we are not implying that they are our enemies and that we should harbor ill-feelings against them. Scripturally, when two of the Lord’s disciples expressed disgust at some residents of a Samaritan village, who opposed the Lord’s message, He rebuked them. Why, because we are commanded to love and to pray for those who persecute us (Luke 9:54; Matthew 5:44) Humans are special in the sight of the Lord, and He came to save us (Genesis 1:27; John 3:16-17). Additionally, we are scripturally charged that our wrestle is not against flesh and blood, but against demonic powers (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, our aim as the body of Christ is to expose the identity of Satan behind some people he is using. Our prayers are that those who finds themselves under his ‘cloud of deceit’ should be able to recognize his schemes, one of which is the spirit of greedy. Biblically, Satan is known to use material prosperity to reward those who submit and obey him (Matthew 4:8-9; Mark 4:19; 1 Timothy 6:8-10).

We repeat, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). We know that he is loaded with every trick of deceit! Finally, do you want to be able to discern false prophets and prophecies? Well, your Source to help you identify falsehood is the Holy Spirit. He is not our servant but our helper (John 14:26), and since He is our helper we need to allow Him to teach us the Scriptures to discern the truth (John 16:13), and falsehood would be laid bare. We ought to spend time in God’s Presence through prayer, Bible reading, and worship sessions. We also further need to give the Lord our undivided commitment.

Finally, 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 come follow the Lord (Matthew 4:19). You may also contact us for any questions or comments about this article or our ministry.

Yours truthfully

Brother Glenn

The Malicious Gossip spirit

Why Christians should Not engage in Gossip

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). Also

“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends” (Proverbs 17:9 NIV). Again, "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much" (Proverbs 20:19 NIV). Also, "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends" (Proverbs 16:28 NIV).

Division Through Gossip

 In the early 1990s, I shared an apartment with about five friends who were born again. Since we were all Christians, it was not hard to get along. Our love for the Lord and the scriptures helped us maintain a caring attitude for each other. The brotherly love we exchanged for one another was genuine and uncompromising. How beautiful the innocence of those days!

This strong brotherly bond and the unity of those days were greatly envied by the devil so he ‘planted’ a gossip amongst us (Matthew 13:25). It is common practice, to infiltrate the opposing camp one needs to learn the ways and practices of the opposing side, and being unaware of this scheme, we welcomed a messenger of Satan who knew our language. Let me qualify this statement, although the Lord loved and died for all people, some through their works are children of the devil (1 John 3:9-10). With people being easy ‘prey’ and a soft target for the devil, he makes his works and personality known through people, and to identify him; there would always be an element of evil (John 8:44).

As it was, the ‘brother’ who joined our fellowship brought with him a poisoned tongue heavily filled with malicious words of slander and gossip and within a week or so, our brotherly unity and relationship greatly deteriorated with the result that we could not bear being in the same company. By being in that state, the seeds of conflict and hateful feelings had its roots in us, and this ate away whatever love and trust we had for one another. Through this experience, I learned that the unfortunate position why there are so much hatred, gossip, and slander amongst Christian, it happens because love for others became cold in us. As a result of this condition, it serves to deepen bitter rivalries and divisions amongst us.

Rebukes from the Lord to Gossipers

I don’t think there is a ministry without a gossip. There were gossips in the Old Testament (Numbers 12:1), and the Apostle’s Paul and John equally struggled and rebuked gossips (3 John 9-10; 1 Timothy 5:13). For being kind to rebuke and correct some brethren we too had slanderers and gossips amongst us. On some occasions, the Lord exposed and strongly rebuked those went around spreading malicious gossip.

Often, the Lord revealed, that the motive of the gossiper is to transfer a spirit of dislike and hate for others, with the result being that people act loveless towards the victim(s) of gossip. The intention of a gossiper is to influence another to join in to belittle and hate another person. There were specific instances, where the Lord revealed the exact scene and words said to Charis to shame the gossiper and to warn and discourage others from being a gossip.

Also, in our witchcraft article, the Lord exposed both the identity of Satan and the spirit behind the gossiping attack against our ministry. Therefore, this wave of malice, which manifests through gossip is best defeated through prayer and by ignoring it, like Daniel showed (Daniel 6:10). We are commanded to love and pray for those who persecute us through gossip (Matthew 5:44). Additionally, some would say, ‘why did you mention the names of same people in your articles, is that not gossip’? No! They were identified by the Lord to warn you against the deceitful teachings they proclaim.

Furthermore, below we will be sharing with you how malice drove some folk to succeed in a campaign of gossip. As an ingredient, gossips only needed to be motivated by a spirit of jealousy, a desire to oppress others, the pursuit of self-interest and harboring a grudge that issued from hateful feelings.

How Gossip and Slander Destroy Peace and Brotherly Unity

· When Adam and Eve dwelt peacefully in the Garden of Eden, the devil, who is the father of gossipers, he planted a seed of gossip against God’s command which led to the fall of man (Genesis 3: 3-5).

· We further see how King David’s kingdom was threatened by a spirit of gossip through Absalom, for his famous words, "… If only I were appointed a judge in the land...” led to a widespread and negative campaign of gossip against David (2 Samuel 15:4). Although Absalom’s rebellion was from God, (2 Samuel 12:11) we must understand that God withdrew His hand of protection from King David with Satan, through Absalom and others seizing the opportunity to cause division (2 Samuel 15:13; Job 1:9-10). This same spirit later possessed Sheba son of Bicri, and this threatened the stability of David’s Kingdom (2 Samuel 20:1-2).

· Likewise, Daniel’s colleagues, who were jealous of him embarked on a gossip campaign to destroy his life and career (Daniel 6:3-9). Because Daniel feared God, He would not allow such evil destroy Daniel. Instead of fighting fire with fire, Daniel did not try to defend himself; he prayed, and God rescued him and consequently punished the wicked (Daniel 6:10; 24).

· Diotrephes, a disciple who was driven by self-interest, gossiped maliciously about some of the early Apostles to draw the crowd to himself (3 John 9-10). Undoubtedly, this has become a common practice of many Christians who allowed negative feelings to ‘eat’ away love from their hearts for their fellow brethren.

Why some Christians Go from one Church to another?

I will only provide a narrow explanation based on some answers from the Lord on the above question. We have about three large books of about 188 pages with messages and visions which we received from the Lord through Charis. Additionally, we have just over 70 voice recorded visions and conversations Charis had with the Lord. Together, this makes an invaluable teaching available for the body, which we have shared and continue to share on this platform.

Now for our question above, in some of the conversations in a brief summary, the Lord said some Christians appoints themselves as leaders to control others. The Lord is not particularly pleased when Christian’s move from one Church to the other. The floor crossing to other ministries is a human factor and not from the Spirit (Ephesians 4:2-6). The Lord explained that some people feel insecure, others feel unloved, and others are attention seekers who love large gatherings to show off. Like the Pharisees, they like to pray and worship loud to draw attention to their devotion (Matthew 6:5). I am not saying making a joyful noise to the Lord is wrong (Psalm 98:4). The issue we are addressing is, is your joyful noise directed to God or to show off? Because emotionally, either motive is present. The only difference being is that God is the Judge of the real motive.

I would like to encourage those who are meeting as a small group of believers; small groups are more effective and people are often faithful in attendance and commitment. Also, having been part of small groups, I experienced that the fellowship of small groups delivers genuine and quality prayers, praises and worship to God. The move of the Spirit is evident and we often experiences the manifestation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is also true that smaller groups shows active participation and renders fruitful service. We should therefore, not underestimate the power the Lord has vested in small groups, for they listens to His voice and not the dominant voices of the masses (John 10:27). He only needed Abraham to bless the world (Genesis 22:18). The Lord Jesus only needed 12 men to change the world (Mark 3:14). We don’t have time to provide more biblical examples of the effectiveness of spiritual growth and faithful service to God by a small Christian group. We also shared at length in our Introduction and how this ministry started articles, how the Lord used our small group to reach countless people. We have since maintained our faithfulness.

In contrast, having been part of larger group meetings too. I heard the reasoning of some people why they prefer larger gatherings because some reported that they are motivated by the presence of others. This, I have noticed serves as security and people often feel good to be part of such large crowds. This false sense of security might be deceptive as many people from larger church groups copy the worldly behavior and habits of others (Exodus 23:2).

Moreover, we are familiar with the influence a large crowd can have on an individual, we also know the saying, ‘All of us can’t be wrong’ (Daniel 3:7). True, but we need to be careful! The influence of a bigger crowd usually usurps and limits the individual’s decision making. Which often renders an individual the status of a follower (Acts 19:32).

In conclusion, we would like you to consider the following seven questions and look into your soul while examining yourself. Do you always feel a strong urge to speak badly about other people? Are you often irritated at others to the point of being openly impatient with them? Do you love to know what is going on in other’s private lives? Are you unable to resist a conversation that highlights negative things about other people and so you listen and nod in agreement? Do you find it easy to discuss others negatively? Are you in the habit of using the mistakes of people against them even when you said you forgave them? Do you often ask a lot of questions not out of interest but to evaluate the lives of others? If you answered yes, you might be suffering from a gossiping spirit, a hateful spirit towards others and a loveless heart for your neighbor.

For a solution, you need to repent and pursue deliverance. In our deliverance articles, we mentioned that people do not receive deliverance from a single prayer or confession, but some strongholds get broken through constant prayers, and there may be a need for fasting too (Matthew 17:21).

If you are not yet born again, please pray this Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

With Christ's love,
Brother Glenn.

Brother Glenn

Loving God With All Our Heart

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Short vision by Charis, (12/01/2020) Please read it here or read it right below!

Vision Of 7 Babies (12/01/2020)

Given to Charis

I had a vision from the Lord just before I got up on above date. In the vision, I saw that I had seven (7) babies on my lap and I picked up two (2) babies and held them up. While doing that I discovered that those two (2) babies died and I felt very sad and I heard the Lord saying, "Don't be sad for what you have lost, but be grateful for what you still have". 

Brief interpretation:

While it is human nature to lament the things we lost, the Lord is not pleased when we make a show of it and acting as if we lost everything. Therefore, when we have lost loved ones, earthly possessions or even some of our body parts due to injuries or sickness the Lord implores us to take courage in Him (1 Samuel 30:6) because only He is our TRUE TREASURE (Matthew 13:44). We strongly encourage you dear brethren to read the associated scriptures in the interpretation to this vision!

Our article for this week is a very brief encouragement. Brethren, before you say, "I have heard and read this before; I don't need not go through this again", let me assure you that you most definitely need this message! The Lord called us into humble obedience with a childlike attitude (Matthew 18:3). Also, the apostle Paul reiterated that a repetitive message is for our benefit, because the more exposure we have to the word of God, the better our chances of being fruitful and denying the devil an opportunity to influence us (Philippians 3:1). Therefore, constant reminder and exposure to the word of God increases God’s Presence upon us, resulting in peace and unity with Him (Galatians 5:16-17; John 6:63). The Lord Jesus Christ recently revealed to me that many Christians are doing their best to be accepted by others, but not by Him. Truth is, it is easy to make ourselves attractive to people because the benefits we reap are immediate, while the benefits of our faith are unseen; however, they are just as real (Hebrews 11:1).

How to Love God

It is fairly easy to say that we love the Lord with all our being. However, God Himself tests our love for Him (Genesis 22:1-19). Admittedly, tests from God are never easy because our whole being is involved -- mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically (Job 19:13-27) and such tests will result in either making us become more determined to trust God or causing us to give up all together (or relegating into lukewarm mode) (Matthew 10:22). Not too long ago, the Lord told me in a vision that a lukewarm Christian bears no fruit as they are not actively exercising their faith. Instead, He said, their focus is on avoiding trouble and building up their own solutions through worldly wealth and friendship with worldly people whom they are afraid to correct and witness to (John 15:18-19). As you may have experienced, having bad company corrupts good character and opens the door to deception (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Furthermore, Daniel the prophet was focused on his relationship and obedience to God more than having time to befriend people who had no interest or love for God. Therefore, as a result of his love towards God, he accepted unjust suffering and the God he loved expressed His own love for Daniel (Daniel 10:11, 19), and He rescued Daniel (Daniel 6:3-24). You may be assured that Daniel worked harder and with honesty. His dedication to his work exposed the laziness and dishonesty of the other supervisors, so they devised a plan to oust him (Daniel 6:3-6 NKJV) and their goal was to destroy his Source of joy and peace. They tried to put asunder Daniel’s love for God, and in their deadly attack, they found out that he was courageous to choose death and that his love for God was inseparable. His friends were also found to possess a similar spirit of commitment (Daniel 3:13-27), as were the seven thousand (7000) men who did not bow to Baal, but held onto their love for God (1 Kings 19:18).

While most of us live in cultures where human rights are widely protected and respected, it is unlikely that we would face similar circumstances and challenges like some folks in the Old Testament, unless we live in counties that hate Christ and where Christians are persecuted (John 15:18;Matthew 25:45). We must acknowledge though, that it is the same old devil who worked in people then that is at work even today. In our day, he simply applies new sophisticated weaponry -- the tongue accompanied by blatant insults, lies and slanderous accusations piercing the souls of believers with heavy blows of doubt and faith decay, resulting in backsliding and lukewarm Christians. Today, many Christians are afraid to witness because they would be accused of imposing their faith onto others and for trying to make people meet "our" expectations. This is not really true; we merely express our faith and love to God and for them by encouraging and warning them of pending judgement (John 14:23; Matthew 28:19). We must remember that the gospel message is essentially to save sinful man from God’s coming judgment (Romans 2:3-5).

God’s Encouraging Love

Brethren, as a saved sinner myself, when I accepted the love of God by faith through the born-again experience, I literally experienced His abiding and enduring love and every day I find it invigorating (Lamentations 3:23). When we become Christians, we are taught the basics of the gospel, like how we ought to live and to trust God for our needs; this is is good and acceptable. However, as tests and trials are set before Christians, not only will our faith, patience and endurance be tested, but our love for God too (Deuteronomy 13:3). As a believer who has been around and witnessed the Lord’s faithfulness through Him answering my prayers, I have learned that as we love and honour Him through our suffering because of our love for Him (1 Peter 4:16), He never abandons His faithfulness and love for us (2 Timothy 2:13). Instead, He suffers with us, feeling our pain (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15) while allowing us to display our full love for Him through our unwavering commitment.

In a beautiful and encouraging message to Charis recently (April 22, 2015), the Lord gave us an assurance that He has seen the heavy laden Satan placed on us and that He will lift it. We are undeserving of such great love and mercy from our Heavenly Father. He is returning in great abundance His true love to us by letting us know that NOTHING can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-39).

In my final encouragement to you, dear brethren, it pleases the Lord more when we are showing love and honour to Him more than just what we need from Him and in return through His blessings He confirms His love (Matthew 6:33). This is surely not an article to discourage you from asking the Lord to help you through your struggles! He wants to display His love to us by giving what we need, but we should show our love to Him through our commitment, like Jeremiah, Daniel and many other great warriors of our faith did.

In conclusion, we say that besides the foundation of our faith being Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11) and the heavy weapons to sustain our faith and salvation (Ephesians 6:10-18), we are not complete if we have no love for God and others as our opening Scripture commands (Matthew 22:39). As a final encouragement, remember the Lord told us that His Word and teaching carries equal weighting. In other words, God does not favour certain people, churches and denominations above others, nor does He favour one portion of Scripture above the other Scriptures. God has no partiality (Romans 2:11; Deuteronomy 10:17); all His Word is final and complete for our salvation. Those who lay a short-sighted view and emphasis on some doctrinal position on certain matters of faith are guilty of dishonouring the Lord and His Word. This position shows no love to God, is only for our own interest.

Have you been failing to love and obey God through tests and trials (John 14:15)? Have you been neglecting to exercise your faith by loving others as yourself and therefore finding yourself slipping into lukewarmness? If so, please repent and choose to stay strong and steadfast in the Lord (Mark 13:13). 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 grace,

Brother Glenn

Being Delivered To Forgive

Forgiveness Is A Gift

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you begged God to help you forgive someone? 

That was my fate. I found myself in pain, asking God how someone else had the privilege of hurting me, and I had to be the one to put in the work. But that's where his Grace comes through. Believe it or, I had sleepless nights over this. My Father in Heaven forgives me every day, multiple times, and I needed to forgive once. Once.

There is no set instruction manual on how to forgive others. Like Faith, I believe forgiveness is a gift from God. No one can teach you how to forgive or help you. One doesn't even know the exact moment when forgiveness flows in your heart.

I moved to another country and was treated very badly on my third day here. I cried constantly, asking God to take me out of that situation. And he did. What I didn't know was the open wound that was left after I was taken out of that situation. I felt pain, guilt, anger, and more pain. I told my family how I felt. I vented to my friend that I can't seem to let go of these negative feelings towards the people who hurt me, and they couldn't help me. Yes, they gave me words of comfort, but I needed to be freed. 

See, these people were trapped in my heart. Every time I thought of them, I would cry. That's how much pain I felt. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me that I can't seek help from people. This is spiritual. Just like Physical pain needs Physical attention. My spiritual pain needed spiritual attention. (Matthew 18:21-22.)

In addition, we read in (Proverbs 17:9 NIV) "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends".

 

And it all leads to Love. Forgiveness is given by He who is Love. Only God can help us forgive and thus forgive our transgressions. (Ephesians 1:7-8.)

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins".

Blessed Regards

Charis Van Rooyen

Being Kingdom Minded

Are We Exercising Greed Or Faith

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1Peter 2:9-10 NIV).


IMPORTANT NOTICE: NEW MESSAGES FROM THE LORD CAN BE FOUND ON THE 'LATEST PROPHECIES" TAB. Brethren, please be informed that our 'Mark of the Beast' article will be updated as frequently as the Lord reveals something. Because of the importance of the mark of the beast message, we will create a separate tab so that you can easily access it. We did receive an update from the Lord which we shared below but update later on that article. 

Mark of the Beast Revealed Message given to Brother Glenn (July 8, 2020).

In a vision message,  the Lord drew my attention to a news article with the following heading, "The Anti-Christ denounces Christians". Indeed, if he will vilify the Lord and blasphemy the Prince of Peace, surely Christians will not escape his attacks! (Daniel 11:36). 

It is a fact, some Christians despise these types of articles and they don’t like to hear that hardship is looming! However, the true discerning will take heed and takes refuge in the Lord. Just on this website alone and besides what you may have heard or read elsewhere, Christians have been thoroughly warned about being worldly-minded. The Bible says that we should set our minds on things above where Christ is seated (Colossians 3:1) and through our conduct, lifestyles, and attitudes we are storing up treasures for eternity (Matthew 6:19-20). Brethren, let us truly take our salvation very seriously. If scripture regards us as pilgrims that are passing through this world (1 Peter 2:11-12), why are we still conforming to worldly standards in our conduct and appetite for riches? (Romans 12:2).

Are we being driven by greed or a lack of faith? By greed, we mean a desire for more than what we really need (Philippians 4:11-13) or by our lack of faith by not trusting God for our daily bread or provisions (Matthew 6:34). I need to stress though that we are not implying that a Christian should be a beggar, God forbids (Philippians 4:19) the point we are emphasizing here is to encourage Christians to guard against the spirit of greed and needless request. Thus, God will provide for our needs [if we have enough faith to trust Him] and not when we desire the things others have (Philippians 2:3).

Furthermore, the Lord Himself gave us some powerful visions exposing the false prosperity doctrine which has scriptural reference (1 John 2:15-17; Luke 8:14) and yet you still find Christians following those who promise them that God will make them millionaires. If you can identify with the above my dear brother or sister, then frankly your heart is set on the wrong treasure!

Useless Treasures

Additionally, throughout the Old Testament we read how King David, King Solomon and others poured treasures into the holy Temple of the Lord (2 Samuel 8:11; 1 Kings 7:48-51), as precious as gold is yet when the Israelites disobeyed the Lord those treasures became worthless and God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the temple and carry the temple treasures to Babylon (Jeremiah 52:13-19). What are we learning from this? The Israelites regarded the temple and its treasuries as the most precious and indeed it was since the glorious covenant box of the Almighty God dwelt in there. But were their hearts on the Presence of God? NO! They boasted about the temple and its treasuries (1 Kings 9:8). The Bible says, God is jealous and He does not tolerate rivalry (Exodus 34:14) and if worldly things causes such rivalry He will have it removed as we have seen above. We should also not fail to mention that stumbling blocks to our faith should be avoided because eternal life is more precious than anything this world could offer (Matthew 5:29).

Strive To Be Debt Free

Brethren, the Lord spoke to me a few weeks ago to warn Christians about the addiction of debt and its consequences. In emphasize and more especially the times we living in today, countless people will default unable to repay their debts and many will face foreclosures and repossession of things. Therefore, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ if you have a big house and you still owe years of bond or mortgage, consider to sell, settle your debt and buy a smaller property. Likewise, if you own an expensive car, consider downgrading to a cheaper and least expensive model use the other funds to settle debts this will save you the embarrassment and this crisis as we previously warned is leading us to the mark of the beast and those trapped in debt will not escape! The bible says “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 22:3).

In conclusion, the Bible says that we are pilgrims passing through this world (1 Peter 2:11-12) and if we have been elected to possess Heaven then we ought to be caring, sharing and Heavenly minded Christians who does not fear want, hunger or death (Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 11:13).

To accept 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 Regards

Brother Glenn

How To Make Godly Decisions

Decisions That Pleases God

Voice Message From The Lord To Claudia (30 December 2020)

We thought of sharing with you this since every Word of the Lord is precious and true! 

I heard the Lord's Voice this morning when I was just about to woke-up, the Lord said: "When you read Corinthians, it is not just talking to you it is teaching you". 

Brethren, as Christians we all aspire to be recognized for the good decisions we make. Let us endeavor to please the Lord by aligning our choices to His will. In this article which we are sharing again, the Lord led us to re-emphasize the importance of some of the choices we make as Christians. Also, as a ministry, we are constantly called upon to counsel some brethren who made some decisions they thought were in line with the will of the Lord. But sadly though, some only realized their bad choices when the consequences manifest and as a reward, they sit with regret. Without going into much detail, there are Christians who are unable to discern the Holy Spirit's guidance when they are faced with some tough choices. Basically, the Lord expects us to measure our choices against His will and not how our choices would always benefit us. What we should ask ourselves is, do our choices please the Lord more than ourselves? Below we share a vision highlighting choices and how the Holy Spirit is at work to help us in our choices.

Vision on Making Choices and Decisions

Vision Given to Brother Glenn on January 6, 2015

I had a vision from the Lord this morning just before I woke up. In this vision, I heard no words, but I was made to understand and feel what the conversation was about. I saw the LORD Jesus in pure white dress entering what looked like a fast-food store. I saw the Lord standing as if He was ready to talk to a young lady who was standing in a queue or line to place an order. I was made to feel that this lady was indecisive on her choice of food. Just then, the Lord approached her without saying any words. It was impressed upon me that He ‘imparted’(or placed) a solution in her conscience to help her make a decision. However, she resisted the Lord’s will, and I felt His sadness. This young lady seemed to have an attitude and was arguing with the Lord. She also had a big ego and was wise in her own eyes. When she was considering the Lord’s solution, I felt His joy, but when she resisted I felt His sadness. Despite her resistance, the Lord kept on offering help. However, she kept on ignoring the Lord’s help and eventually followed her own counsel, ending up with a regrettable decision.

Thereafter the vision changed, and I saw the Lord talking to a young man through his conscience. Again, I heard no actual words but I somehow understood the conversation through what I felt. I sensed the Lord was commanding this young man to do something for Him. He replied spontaneously with a great sense of joy and enthusiasm, and I sensed the Lord sharing this joy with him.

The vision changed again and I saw the Lord standing a few meters from another young woman. I sensed that she was clueless and doubtful in her choices; she kept on changing her mind, not knowing the best option to choose. Meanwhile, in the background, I saw the Lord ‘imparting’ in her conscience a gentle “NO” if the choice was wrong, and “YES” with a joyful smile of encouragement. This was the end of the vision.

Interpretation:

The Lord revealed to me through the same method of ‘imparting’ in my conscience. I just knew the answer to this vision parable. The vision of the young lady represents Christians who continuously rejects the Lord’s word and the guidance of His Holy Spirit. Now, these are Christians who choose to follow their own ways, which may appear rewarding to them, however,  for one's own choices we must bear the consequences thereof (Proverbs 3:5-7; 14:12).

As for the young man in the other part of the vision, the Lord revealed that there are people like this young man who are open to the Lord’s Word and who do His will by faith and without doubt or question. The Lord further indicated to me that the reward of such obedience is accompanied by an intense feeling of joy, which makes Him very happy and He shares such joy with us (Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 11:28).

For the last part of our vision, the Lord said that He is always at work helping those who strive to make the right decisions based on the truth of His Word (Philippians 2:13). If Christians slip in their choices, He corrects them and shares their joy to encourage them in obeying Him. The Lord says His help is always available for those who are willing to submit to His guidance in obedience to Him, even if they have little faith they must persevere (Romans 14:1; John 6:37; 1 Thessalonians 5:14).

Finally, we encourage you, brethren, to be truly God-fearing Christians, and to always base your choices in the light of God’s Word and your relationship with Him. When we first accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we pledged our faithfulness to Him and our decisions must both be pleasing to Him and bring honor to Him (Colossians 3:17). Undoubtedly, when we deliberately keep committing the same mistakes, we dishonor the Lord and we show Him that we cannot be trusted (Luke 16:10). Consequently, we would fail to receive answers to our prayers, which may lead us to make our own bad choices. After seeing the consequences of our ungodly choices, only then do we invite the Lord to help us out of our messy situation. Therefore, the fruit of our own decisions are less Godly and often worldly-focused, and such plans are directed to please us and others rather than God.

As always, we would like to extend an invitation to anyone who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ yet, or if 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 Truth in Christ,
Brother Glenn.

Wilful Sinning

Sinning Deliberately

When the Lord gave Charis this message on (May 4, 2014)  for us to write, she says His voice tone was very serious and firm. He was giving it as a warning! The Word of God says, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26 ESV).

Important Notice: Brethren, this ministry would like to apologize to all our faithful readers for not updating the articles as has been in the past. The moment Brother Glenn is freed from his obligations, he will do his regular contribution on this blog. In addition, the Lord has been giving us short prophetic messages which we shared locally and after prayer, the Lord said that we should create a tab on this blog and share those messages. In the next few weeks, we will be making a few changes and all new prophetic messages from the Lord will be shared under a new tab called "Prophecies". Please be on the outlook for it in the next few weeks.

I was recently asked by a God-fearing brother what a double life is; I responded by saying it is willful sinning and blatant disobedience. We should therefore not take the Lord’s warnings lightly; they are meant to keep us on course. We should also remember that the Lord is Judge and His warnings have eternal consequences. So then, when He warns us He is extending His love and grace, and the Lord is reaching out to us to repent (Ezekiel 18:31).

What Causes Us to Sin Willfully?

Recently (May 4, 2014), the Lord gave me the task to warn a person who is engaging in sinful behavior without regard for God. I took the Lord’s message to her, telling her that the Lord said He is seeing everything she is doing and that she must stop. As is common to human nature she lied and denied everything at first (Genesis 18:15). Only after I told her that it was the Lord saying she did those wrong things did she admit and confessed that the Lord was right and that she was battling to conquer some of her old habits.

The Apostle James said, “…but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (James 1:14). Similarly, Paul encouraged us to walk by the Holy Spirit so that we deny the flesh its sinful desires (Galatians 5:16). Like I alluded elsewhere, human nature requires a law or a rule to base our decisions on. If our decisions are unguarded, we would act only in our interest and often without regard for God and others (Proverbs 3:15-16). Self-interest, which is a powerful weapon that Satan is using to draw us away from the Lord, is one of the biggest enemies against our relationship with our Heavenly Father (Genesis 3:6). Because of human weakness, we often express self-pity and give others blame for our lack of self-control and disobedience (Genesis 3:12). However, whatever excuse(s) we offer will not make us guiltless; it might make us feel a little better, but the guilt remains and in God’s perfect Justice He requires an account or answer (Genesis 3:11). When we act contrary to our “guide” (God’s Word and Holy Spirit), there is a reprisal for our disobedience.

Furthermore, the Lord told us that it displeases Him when we sin deliberately as His children and that is showing contempt for His Word. He once told us whatever well-defined excuse we might offer, we are in violation of His Word and the excuses we offer are often an answer of a guilty conscience seeking His Justice. In other words, we are expecting His justice to justify or condemn us; that is why the Scripture says that “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26 ESV).

Salvation is Sacrificed in Willful Sinning

Someone in our ministry once decided to stop praying and attending services after being severely rebuked by the Lord; this was willful disobedience and rebelliousness. Like Paul he was “kicking against the pricks”(Acts 26:14). We cannot become bitter with the Lord; we stand no chance of being justified apart from Him! In fact the only remaining reality is “but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” (Hebrews 10:27). Knowing that a life outside the Lord bears fruit unto death (Romans 6:23), the brother confessed his wrong-doing, picked up his cross and followed the Lord once again.

Sadly, the Lord told us that many Christians who are living deliberately in sin will not see His face but His wrath for despising His Word (Hebrews 12:14). After a life of sadness and hopelessness in my heart, soon after my conversion and deliverance from wicked living, I went to almost all my worldly friends with the gospel. Some immediately praised the Lord for His grace while others asked for a few days. I boldly confessed to them my faith in Christ. I prayed for their deliverance and salvation often, but sadly, some of them died without being saved. The Lord once told Charis, “One of your father’s friends is going to die soon”, and He showed her in a vision two of my former friends’ photographs, but the photograph of the one who was going to die was made bolder. I approached the friend telling him about the Lord’s warning and that the Lord said he should repent. However, he did not heed the warning and later went back to his old way of living and he died suddenly without having the opportunity to make right with God.

Furthermore, a friend I had came to me shortly after my conversion some seven (7) years ago; he was encouraged and excited when he learned that the Lord saved me from my addictions. After sharing my experience with him, he expressed his desire to become saved too. A few weeks later, he paid me a visit sharing with me the good news of his conversion. Soon after his conversion, we decided to break bread daily; this was before the Lord started speaking to us. This brother was unemployed when he came to the Lord, but about a month after his conversion, he was blessed with a job and went back to his old ways of drinking and smoking. When he stopped visiting me for a few weeks, I suspected that he might have become unfaithful in his walk with the Lord. I paid him a surprise visit and he confessed that he had become weak. This confirmed an earlier dream I had about him that he had forsaken the Lord. He promised to make right with the Lord, but sadly He died about two years ago without doing so. The Lord also showed both Charis and I that he procrastinated his salvation. In a vision, Charis saw this brother having a conversation with someone, and he said that the Lord had warned him that he was going to die, but he did not heed this message. Charis said she could feel he regretted not taking the Lord's warning seriously.  Additionally, in a dream I had about him, he was swearing and he sent me to go speak to his family about the Lord.  Being driven by a strong conviction, I went to his wife and related the message to her.  However, from my observation, she showed very little interested in what I was saying.

As for those of us who are genuinely serving the Lord with a God-fearing conviction, if we make mistakes and sin accidentally, the Lord will forgive us (1 John 1:9). The Lord once said, “I like it when you ask for forgiveness after you realized you have made a mistake”. I cannot say to which extent we make mistakes, but the Lord judges our motives if it is driven by self-interest or if it is an innocent mistake. The Lord also warned us that many people who think their work for Him is justification for willful sinning are badly mistaken. There are people who are gambling and drinking wine or beer and getting drunk, while some think their many good deeds will count in their favor even while living willfully in sin. The Lord says their fate and destiny is already decided. The Bible admonishes us: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).

In conclusion, know this, brethren, that the Lord is not pleased when we sin deliberately; when we do so we are dishonoring Him and our confessional covenant with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Yours in submission to Christ,

Brother Glenn.