Guarding Our Hearts

Our Hearts The Epicenter Of Desire And Intent

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

Brethren as we all know, there are numerous scriptural references which points us to the importance of our hearts in all we do or say. I (Brother Glenn) can recall a conversation I recently had with someone I never met before. From our discussion and the choice of words we used clearly displayed the respect and well meant intent we had for each other as friends who shares a common faith. In contrast, if  there were any perceptions we formed based on historical differences our attitudes and choice of words would have included some prejudices and suspicions.

 Having said this, I'm being reminded by a bitter division involving two sincere brothers in the Lord who simply chose to embrace strong feelings of dislike and hatred of each other tossing the love they had for one another away as if it was used or washed up. In my experiences with God Almighty I (Brother Glenn) have discovered that His love is a basic easily discernible commonly recognisable ever durable non-extinguishable ever-present and an always freely available self-renewing positive energy.  Thus what we mean is that love operates on truth, being forever faithful it has the courage to discern and confront the wrong and discard it without it being discomposed (2 Timothy 2:13).

That is why once we forgive our offenders and pray for them, we release ourselves and are also set free by Jesus.Our sins are forgiven as we confess them and run to God for our mistakes, the Lord like our sincerity so let us be honest and continually praying.It is not because you are free that you can stay free, we need to continuing praying, ' Lord take more of me giving me more of you ’this enable us to become like Jesus in our faith while we are meditating on the scriptures for our spiritual life.

Are we to judge others? NO! The Bible says that before we came to Christ we were full-blown sinner and did even worse things than the people we are judging today. Being washed from the blindness of our sins we judge as if God made us better then others. Conditionally, our position in Christ is better only by virtue of His gift (Ephesians 2:8) not considering our own best efforts (Isaiah 64:6). Instead, what we ought to do is to  lead them to Jesus and be like Him as a light in this world (Matthew 5:14) as we are praying for them blessing them delivering them exhorting them( telling them the truth in love) encouraging them in Jesus, knowing that Jesus can do the impossible.

In the Bible we read "But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things" (Galatians 5:22-23 ERV). 

From the above scripture reference, we can see clearly read how the children of light should behave. In contrast, the children of darkness utters bad words, curses, bad behaviour, hatred and violence. I am totally convinced that when we enter God’s glory (those who are worthy) will experience an immediate and powerful glory within themselves. I (Brother Patrice) have once experienced this, in one of my trials approximately 15 years ago as I went through a trauma, one night as I went to bed the Spirit of the Lord came so strongly upon me, I then experienced a very intense joy and glorious love than no human being can experience between two people on a natural basis. As it is, this experience lasted only for a few times. When I had this experience I realised that the Lord wanted to give me a clue how much love he has for me and all of His creation. Is this not amazing to know that Someone from whom love originates cares? If so, as Christians we are encouraged to extend such love with everyone who is struggling by encouraging them and lead them to Christ who has their deliverance at heart.

As we know,God never push people to do bad toward others, it is satan's work (James 1:13)." LOVE "MUST BE EVER PRESENT WITHIN THE CHURCH SO WHY NOT LISTENING TO JESUS?BECAUSE THOSE WHO DOES NOT LISTEN TO HIM AND DO NOT KEEP HIS TEACHING AND ARGUE WITH OTHERS AND JUDGE ARE SATAN'S WORKERS they need to repent and follow Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, we would like to share Psalm 32 with you kindly read it yourself.

Blessed Grace
Brother Patrice and Brother Glenn

Being Persecuted For Being A Servant Of Christ

IF YOU WERE ACCUSED OF BEING A CHRISTIAN, WOULD YOU BE FOUND GUILTY?

Dear brethren, this brief message was prepared for us by Charis, please be blessed as you read it as we have been. Let us continue to pray for one another, times like these requires prayers, some faith, steadfastness, and humble perseverance. 

now as for today's message, I was watching something on the news a few days ago and this very question came up. It really got me thinking about my own Spiritual walk with God.

Today I want us to ask ourselves this question, as we analyze ourselves:

·        Am I reading my bible faithfully? And if so am I doing so because I have to or for God’s glory (1^st Corinthians 10:31: Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God’s glory.)?

·        Am I praying only because I have to (Philippians 4:6 and James 5:16)?

·        Do I share my faith with others or am I shy of criticism (Mark 16:15-16)?

·        Do I offer the other cheek when being insulted or do I act in defence in order to protect my feelings by insulting back (Matthew 5:38-40)?

·        Do I judge people who openly sin and apply my own sinful standards whilst I’m sinning in the dark (John 8:1-8)? Often, some weak-willed Christians are being discouraged by those who pretend to 'better' than others by pointing finger at the sins of others. We know the Bible says we must rebuke others in a gentle spirit and with love and not in a hateful and 'better than thou attitude' (Galatians 6:1) often the one who judges others is the one who will himself be excluded from God's Kingdom (Luke 18:12-14).

                           Would we be found guilty or walk free?

Brother and Sisters, today we would like to encourage you to get in touch with God in a solemn and dedicated way and this we do by really calling upon him for that priceless relationship. We read in Jeremiah 33:3 where God tells us to call on him and he will answer us, he will show us great and mighty things that we know not of. Also in 1Peter 1, we are called upon to live a Holy life.

Furthermore, 1Peter 2:12 we are told: “Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognise your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.”

 Blessed Love and A Blessed Merry Christmas to all God's dearly loved Children

Brother Glenn and Charis

Being Delivered To Forgive

Forgiveness Is A Gift

Important Notice: Brethren, please pray for Charis as you know the Lord has been speaking to her and she still hears from God, however, being human she also is subjected to tests and trials so that her faith may be proven genuine. After months of prayer and fasting, the Lord came through for Charis and she got a job opportunity in the USA where she had to endure these trials she is sharing below from her heart.

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you beg God to help you to 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 is flowing 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

Breakthroughs Are Hindered By Sin And Doubting

Word Teaching from the Lord Jesus

‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.’ (1 John 5:14-15 NIV).

Given to some experiences and teachings we received from the Lord, I would like to highlight some important things, why some Christians fail to receive a breakthrough in their lives. The points we consider below might not be an exhaustive list, but it will open your spiritual senses so that you may  concentrate on the most frequent things the Lord emphasized and taught us. Having said that, the Lord said that every word of encouragement marks a change in a Christians walk with Him, and it is our every intention to contribute Christ-like in your life. Also we would like to keep the articles concise and to the point to allow for maximum digestion. We have also noticed that there is much activity on this website, and this is very pleasing to the Lord! Some people here have a true hunger for God’s Word, and we are equally encouraged to serve you with the Word of God, and so we pray that the well or fountain of grace refreshes you so that we provide you with a well-watered Word experience.

For your interest, the Lord’s many messages to us are and were short, the longest being about a five to six sentence message. We can assure you, He used no unnecessary words. But He always expressed His messages with excellent phrasing. By drawing importance to something, the Lord will pronounce a word loudly and in a Thunderous voice. The effect thereof, Charis would feel the Lord’s mood. Whether, the Lord sounded sad, angry, disappointed, compassionate, encouraging or excited (Ephesians 4:30; Jeremiah 32:41; Matthew 9:36).

Seeking a Quiet Time with God

We cannot emphasize enough that every Word of the Lord was uttered with creative force and intend to accomplish God’s will (Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 4:12). Therefore, no teaching in the Word of God was or will ever be wasteful. The intent of the scriptures is to give an understanding of the will of God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe, and man as His subject has an obligation to fear and obey Him. Therefore, self-will must be made subject to God’s will Christian or non-Christian (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10).

Now, our Lord Jesus said, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6 NIV). This particular verse points to a separation and a quiet time with our Heavenly Father. We may recall that our Lord Jesus Christ often separated Himself from the crowd and went praying in some private and quiet places away from any disturbances (Luke 5:16). In like manner, Daniel and David knew the value of quiet time with the Lord (Daniel 6:10; Psalm 23:1-3). I would like to emphasize, that the conception of the beautiful prayer, Psalm 23 was prayed and composed in a quiet and stress-free atmosphere. In a place where God’s love and peace were present. This is clearly evident from David’s appreciation. By the tone of the prayer, we do not notice any pressure or the demand of man nor the confusions of his mind, but the touch of God’s Holy Spirit lifted his soul.

Equally, Paul and Silas decided to forget about their wounds and sufferings, so with hearts of worship and adoration during the quiet moments of the night they cried out to God in prayer and worship (Acts 16:25). Guess what? God heard them, for they forgave their attackers and God displayed an acceptance of their prayers in power (Acts 16:26). From this experience of Paul and Silas, we learn that complaining is fruitless in trying times. The secret is, we should quietly and confidently accept the cup of suffering, for the power of God is displayed therein, and the breakthrough was given (Luke 22:42; Daniel 3:16-26).

Anxiety Affects Our Prayers

Briefly, anxiety is the thief of peace and often many Christians, and non-Christians fall prey to this spirit. If it were not so, the scriptures would not have warned us against the dangers and existence of this spirit (Philippians 4:6-7; Luke 12:24-34; Matthew 11:28-30). When we pray asking the Lord for something and yet have the slightest doubt, (anxiety drives doubt), we would have prayed having no peace and God would not answer our prayer(s). In other words, the condition of an anxious person’s heart is not right before God (James 1:6). Doubt yields no conviction but only confusion!

Let me share a short experience, one evening we met as a family to pray and read the bible before going off to bed. We discussed and agreed on something that Charis should ask the Lord on behalf of the family. That evening when the Lord appeared to her, she lacked conviction and did not in faith present our request to Him. The Lord knew what worried her and He said, “Your discouragement (anxiety) affected your faith” and we did not receive an answer.

For clarity, I am not trying to say that God is answering our prayers through the mediation of others. The Bible says we must have faith and confidence to approach the throne of grace ourselves (Hebrews 4:16). However, because Charis received the gift (1 Corinthians 12:10) of hearing and seeing the form of the Lord (discerning of spirits), He allowed us and others this grace as an encouragement. God has often spoken to the people through His prophets (Jeremiah 21:2; 2 Chronicles 34:21) and the revelations we received from the Lord is a testimony to the gift the Lord gave her.

Being Sinful and Not Praying Enough

In some of our previous articles, especially our Prayer I  and Prayer II we stressed the point that the Lord taught us to receive certain things and breakthroughs we would need to pray very hard and persistently until we receive our request (Luke 18:1-8). It is true, the Lord do provide an answer on certain things immediately for immediate needs (Matthew 6:11), however for some things, we are going to require a committed faith and we will have to remain in the pocket prayerfully (1 Samuel 1:7-12). Hannah, Samuel’s mother, prayed year after year, and her patient persistence was duly rewarded (1 Samuel 1:20).

Let me share a short testimony for the benefit of this heading. During 2012, we earnestly needed a prayer house since we had to leave our children in the care of others while we were busy praying. The late evening services was not working out well for our children. Since we had this need, in August of 2013, one of our neighbours moved out leaving her house vacant. I shared with my wife and our ministry people to trust the Lord with me to bless us with the house next door (our neighbours) since our local authorities put a moratorium on all land in our area. We prayed and trusted the Lord to bless us with this house and as a ministry, we went on a three day fast. After our fast, the Lord gave Charis, Jaydeen, my wife and myself individual messages through visions that He has heard our prayer and that He was going to bless us with the house next door. This was the Lord's promise to us, and as humans we thought it was going to be immediately, however the Lord had other plans. He took us through a three year test filled with every kind of delay and attacks from the devil. With our focus being on His promise, we considered Him Faithful and so we rallied and made the prayer house a daily prayer for more than three years. After a financial loss the devil inflicted on us and with some ministry members giving up and going back to their former ways, my family and I persisted until the Lord came through for us and in May 2016, an Angel of the Lord appeared to me during a one day fast we undertook and he told me in a vison while standing in the yard of the prayer house, "Glenn, the Lord has given you this place" (Acts 27:22). The next morning, I encouraged my family on the strength of this vision. On the day of acquiring the property, Satan blocked off all entrances out of our area through violent protest (We took pictures of these events on that day, which we hope to share when I expand in detail on this testimony in a future article). Anyway, every word and promise of the Lord was fulfilled on May 26, 2016 when we managed to find favour in His side and we received answer to our prayers. Glory to the Lord! The experience was not pleasant, but the Victory through Christ was humbling.

Now, since the launch of our online ministry some four years ago, we have received many emails from people around the world with the various request. In some instances, the Lord would give an answer to some brethren especially when He have seen their walk of obedience and purity before Him (Psalm 15:2; 119:1). And on some occasions, He would provide a rebuke and an encouragement saying that the person ‘does not pray hard (meaning persistently without ceasing) enough’. As a ministry, we have learned to employ the biblical tools of faith, prayer, submission and obedience to receive an answer to prayer and personal breakthroughs.

In conclusion, we would like to emphasize to you dear brethren, that the Lord will not give breakthrough if we have personal ambitions aimed at gratifying the desire of self (1 Corinthians 13:5; Romans 2:8). Instead, our breakthrough lies in us seeking His will (Matthew 6:10; 26:39; 1 John 5:14-15). Thus, human will always strife to represent needs of self, but God’s will in us will represents the good of others, and others will see God in our actions and give Him Glory!

We would like to extend an invitation to anyone who does not know the Lord Jesus yet or is not born again, to pray our suggested prayer in 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 love in fear of Christ

Brother Glenn