Lean on God Alone

God Alone Is Sufficient

The Word of God exhorts us to trust in God and not to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). There is also another very powerful and familiar portion of Scripture that is often and widely quoted on the same topic:

“This is what the Lord says: The man who trusts in mankind, who makes human flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8 HCSB).

Encouragement to Depend on God

We intend to be brief in this article and to share some real experiences on this subject for your encouragement. The Lord Jesus Christ is aware of the many sufferings that Christians who just don’t have enough faith to receive help from Him are undergoing (Hebrews 4:15). Their suffering stems from panic and fear, leading them to be dependent on men instead of on the Lord (Genesis 3:10). If we will literally denounce our dependence on the arm of flesh and choose to trust in the Lord, He is true to His promises to "… never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 HCSB). Furthermore, if you have a solid faith in God and are not shaken by fear and panic, you are guaranteed deliverance, provisions, and protection (Psalm 125:1). The Bible clearly states: “I have been young, and now am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). Brethren, we must recall that the Christian journey is based on faith and the ‘evidence’ or proof of our faith in God’s response in the natural to our prayer requests (2 Corinthians 5:7; Mark 11:24). Let us examine a few Scriptures about some people who literally trusted in God for protection and provisions.

Godly Counsel in Needy Times

When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave an urgent order to execute the wise men, Daniel did not panic in fear; instead, he and his companions trusted and sought God to provide a way out (Daniel 2:14-19).

When King Hezekiah was threatened by Sennacherib, he did not go and make a treaty with some foreign army like King Asa did (2 Chronicles 16:7-9). Instead, he went to the Lord in prayer and the Lord was faithful to help him (2 Kings 19:1-7).

When the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab, the Bible says "They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers because they trusted in him" (1 Chronicle 5:18-21).

Furthermore, King David, when he was fleeing from Saul, did not take matters into his own hand to fight Saul; he sought Godly counsel in prayer and followed God’s plan and fled (1 Samuel 23:12; Proverbs 15:22).

Likewise, our Lord Jesus when He was being arrested by the Roman soldiers did not depend on the swords of His disciples, but He trusted in God (Matthew 26:50-53).

Dependence on Men and Ourselves Yields Cursing

You may have heard someone make one of these popular statements: "Believe in yourself" or "Trust in yourself". These statements, while they may sound encouraging, are not true. God has not called us to believe in ourselves but to believe in Jesus Christ (John 6:29). Likewise, God has not called us to trust in ourselves or man, but only in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 17:5). Jesus said: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63). We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13 NKJV).

People in the Bible who trusted in themselves and ungodly ideas of men received curses rather than blessings. When King Rehoboam chose to take the bad advice of his young friends, Israel rebelled against Him (2 Chronicles 10:10-19). When Nabal chose to return evil for good by not acting in kindness to King David, the Lord struck Him down and he died (1 Samuel 25:5-38). When King Ahab chose to listen to his wife Jezebel’s wicked advice to kill Naboth and take his vineyard, he was promised disaster for his family (1 Kings 21: 17-24). Likewise, when King David relied on his own power and authority to get rid of Uriah the Hittite and take his wife Bathsheba, the Lord promised to raise evil against him from his own household (2 Samuel 12:7-12). Therefore, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).

The reason we should not just trust in ourselves is clear: It is because "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure" (Jeremiah 17:9). Truth can only be found in Jesus (John 14:6), not-self.

Dependence on the Flesh Yields Frustration

Having been very weak in my faith and walk with the Lord after my conversion in 1990, like most new Christians when the reality of the test appeared I was quick to blame the Lord, saying “this is not working!” and “God is not answering my prayers!”. As I matured in my faith, I only realized later that I sounded rather demanding; I lacked humility and faith according to Scripture which says “And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Brethren, such a position could prove to be very dangerous as it could lead us to abandon our faith based on ignorance and wrong perceptions. As it is, over the years I have learned to employ faith, patience, and humility to win God’s favor, for the Lord is not moved by our ‘quick, urgent’ demanding attitude (Isaiah 40:31). As we mentioned in the Patience: An Essential Fruit to Inherit God's Promises article, the fruit of patience slows us down and helps focus on God's salvation and deliverance, leading to God's blessings and a fulfillment of His promises (Hebrews 6:15). The joy of receiving an answer to prayer is best recalled when we consider the (scars) suffering and patient endurance. I tell you, consistent prayer might appear irksome, but it shows trust, endurance, and patient faith (Luke 18:1-8). It delights the Lord when we show faith and dependence on Him. In a message to me recently, I sensed the Lord’s joy when He appraised my faith and in His good pleasure, He granted my request. Hallelujah!

In 1991, when I got retrenched from my first formal job, I had my first taste of frustration as a Christian. I had no income and the pressure to pay rent led me to various decisions including failed attempts at finding a job. After experiencing a few months of frustrations and disappointments, a brother whom I truly regard as a faithful mentor in Christ advised me to go on a fast for a few days and stop my dependence on people, including some Christians who were reluctant to help. After a three-day fast, the Lord opened a door of employment for me, ending my dependence on men. Similarly, a friend told me that he failed his motor car driver's test twice because he was depending on the ‘mercy’ of the officer to overlook his mistakes. He failed twice, but on his third attempt he decided to fully trust in the Lord, after having gone on a fast, his prayer was answered and the Lord blessed him with his driver’s license.

Similarly, when I was unable to provide for my family and pay our mortgage, I relied on many people for help, including my former pastor. Their empty promises led to frustrations, even to the point of causing conflict at home.  In desperation, I decided to go on a fast for seven days, giving myself literally to God. After seeing my position of humility and helplessness, the faithful God answered my prayers and provided the means that I needed. Likewise, our ministry members have received many breakthroughs and answered prayers from the Lord in making tough choices or decisions, needing ideas, healing, jobs, finances, changed attitudes, deliverance from demonic spirits and tough situations, etc. as they looked to God for help by faithfully praying and fasting.

This is what the Bible says:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 Call on Me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” (Psalm 50:15)

Therefore, put your trust and faith in God’s hands, and He will not overlook your situation as many think He does. God knows your anxious thoughts and CARES FOR YOU (Psalm 139:2; 23; 1 Peter 5:7). The Word also says: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).

Finally, we must remember our attitude when asking; it must be submissive, and not demanding or basing our faith on some formulated dogma. I have known a Christian lady who, while laying on her sick bed, desired the prayers of her pastor and did not have faith in her own prayers for healing. She died, not receiving healing because her dependence was on the faith of her pastor and not on God’s ability and promises to heal her. This is the unfortunate situation of many Christians; their dependence is on man; they like piggybacking on others. Like we said in the article Prayer: The Key to All Problems, it is good to ask for prayers in agreement from others, but the Lord Jesus encourages us to trust Him and pray for ourselves. This is pleasing and builds our faith in Him.

In conclusion, make today a turning point in your faith and put your full dependence on the Lord. If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please get started by praying this suggested Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed grace,

Brother Glenn 

Being Faithful In Everything

Leaning On God's Grace

While we patiently await that most BLESSED DAY, let us continue in obedience and faithful service to the Lord. We as a ministry would like to express our greatest love to all our brethren who faithfully support us in prayer and in everything else that helps to keep this work stay afloat. In humble gratitude, if you did not return your love for us by praying, supporting, and reading the work we publish here, we would have no joy in our work. The Lord gives us great comfort and joy, and He has blessed us with you and your fellowship, even if it is through this platform. 

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The Word of God exhorts us to trust in God and not to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). There is also another very powerful and familiar portion of Scripture, which is often quoted on the same topic:

“This is what the Lord says: The man who trusts in mankind, who makes human flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8 HCSB).

Encouragement to Depend on God

As Christians and believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be depending on God. We will be sharing some real experiences from the Lord on this subject for your encouragement. It is worth mentioning that the Lord Jesus Christ is aware of our every suffering and the challenges we face (Hebrews 4:15). Evidently, some of our sufferings stem from panic and fear, forcing us to become dependent on man instead of depending on the Lord (Genesis 3:10). If we will literally denounce our dependence on the arm of flesh and choose to trust in the Lord, the Lord in His power, love, and might will move the heart of whomever else He pleases to use or supernaturally meet our need. He is true to His promises to "… never leave you or forsake (abandon) you" (Hebrews 13:5). Furthermore, if we have a solid faith in God and are not being shaken by fear and panic, we are guaranteed deliverance, provisions, and protection (Psalm 125:1). The Bible also assures us: “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children (descendants) begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). Furthermore, as we know, our Christian journey is based on faith and the ‘evidence’ or proof of our faith in God’s response in the natural to our prayer requests (Mark 11:24; 2 Corinthians 5:7).

Godly Counsel in Needy Times

With the Scriptures being our guide to truth and encouragement, below we examine some Scriptural references about real people who literally trusted in God for protection and provision.

• When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave an urgent order to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel did not panic in fear; instead, he and his companions trusted God and sought Him to provide a way out of the situation (Daniel 2:14-19).
• Similarly, when Sennacherib King of Assyria threatened King Hezekiah, he did not go and make a treaty with some foreign army like King Asa did (2 Chronicles 16:7-9). Instead, he went to the Lord, the Shield of Abraham, in prayer and the Lord was faithful and help him (2 Kings 19:1-7).
• When the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab, we read in the Bible that, "They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers because they trusted in him" (1 Chronicle 5:18-21).
• King David, when he was fleeing from Saul, did not take matters into his own hand to fight Saul; he sought Godly counsel in prayer and followed God’s plan and fled (1 Samuel 23:12; Proverbs 15:22).
• Likewise, when our Lord Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers, He did not depend on the swords of His disciples for protection but trusted in the LORD God Almighty (Matthew 26:50-53).

Dependence on Men and Ourselves Yields Cursing

We often hear these popular statements: "Believe in yourself!" or “Trust in yourself!” While these statements may sound quite encouraging and uplifting, as Christians we know in whose strength our faith must truly rest (1 Corinthians 2:5). God has not called us to believe in our own abilities, (2 Corinthians 10:17), but to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for in Him we have given up our rights and surrender to Him in full (John 6:29). Thus, we can do all things through Christ (not through ourselves) who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). If it is by our own strength, then we glory in the flesh (Judges 7:2).

As it is, there were some people in the Bible who trusted in themselves and even followed ungodly ideas of men and in return, they received curses rather than blessings:

• When King Rehoboam chose to take the bad advice of his young friends, Israel rebelled against Him (2 Chronicles 10:10-19).
• When Nabal chose to return evil for good by not acting in kindness to King David, the Lord struck Him down and he died (1 Samuel 25:5-38).
• When King Ahab chose to listen to his wife Jezebel’s wicked advice to kill Naboth and steal his vineyard, the Lord promised punishment and disaster for Ahab's family (1 Kings 21: 17-24; 22:37-38).
• Likewise, when King David relied on his own power and authority to get rid of Uriah the Hittite and took his wife Bathsheba, the Lord promised to raise evil against him from his own household (2 Samuel 12:7-12).

Therefore, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).

We should not be Giving Orders to God

After my conversion in 1990 and being born again, like most new Christians, I was quick to blame the Lord when the reality of the test appeared, crying, “this is not working!” and “God is not answering my prayers!” I panicked in fear as Peter did (Matthew 14:30). However, as I matured in my faith, I learned that I should not demand God to act as if I am ordering a servant. It is true that most Christians have this perception that we can simply order the Lord around when we face steep challenges. One of the most popular but false teachings advocated by prosperity teachers is that Christians have a right or entitlement to God’s blessings and should, therefore, “name it and claim it”, demanding of the Lord to give us whatever material wealth or health we desire. In humility and truth, we are to be patient and steadfast in the midst of our situation, and the Lord will grant deliverance as He wills (Daniel 3:18). Over the years, I have since learned to employ faith, patience, and humility to win God’s favor, because the Lord is not moved by our ‘quick and urgent’ and demanding attitudes (Isaiah 40:31). God responds to a humble request in faith (James 4:6). In one of our previous articles (please refer to Patience: An Essential Fruit to Inherit God's Promises) we mentioned that the fruit of patience slows us down and it helps us focus on God's salvation and deliverance. From my own experiences, consistent prayer might appear arduous, tedious, and wearisome, but it brings forth trust, endurance, and a patient faith (Luke 18:1-8). I can tell you, it pleases the Lord when we show our faith and dependence on Him. In a message to me recently, I sensed the Lord’s joy when He appraised my faith and in His good pleasure, He granted my request. Hallelujah!

In 1991, when I was retrenched from my first formal job, I had my first taste of frustration as a Christian. I had no income to pay my monthly rental, and after experiencing a few months of frustrations and disappointments of not finding a job, a brother whom I truly regard as a faithful mentor in Christ advised me to go on a fast for a few days and stop my dependence on people. I willingly followed the brother’s counsel and I went on my first ever fasting experience as a Christian, which was a three-day fast. On the last day of my fast, the Lord spoke to me through the Bible and said that He had opened a door of employment for me (Revelation 3:7-8). As confirmation, and what made this verse so shockingly true, was that those words of ‘an open door’ were similar to the wording in my page of prayer request, and back then I was not aware that such a verse of open-door existed in the Bible. A few days after my fasting, I had a dream from the Lord in which I saw a man coming to me with a job offer. About a week after this dream, a man who lived in the same block of flats as I did, came and told me that the company he works for was looking for people. I was suitably qualified and when I went to the interview I was offered the job. In His faithfulness, the Lord honored my faith and granted my request.

In a similar experience, a brother in the Lord recently told me that he had failed his motor car driver’s test twice because he was depending on the ‘mercy’ of the officer to overlook his mistakes and give him a pass to obtain his driver’s license. However, after realizing that he had made man his dependence, he repented and went on a one-day fast, and on his third attempt, the Lord fulfilled a promise He had made to him a few months earlier in a dream that He would receive his driver’s license.

In another test, in January of 2010, I was unable to provide for my family and pay our mortgage. I had relied on many people to help me find a job and to give us whatever money or groceries they had. In my desperation, I even approached my pastor, who had many contacts, for possible jobs but her promises did not yield anything. To add insult to injury, someone even told me: “You are praying so much, but God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers for a job!” I was hurt by those words, and I regard them as mocking to the Lord. My family’s suffering and frustrations drove sharp arrows of conflict at home, dividing the family. In another desperate act, I humbly went to God who had helped me previously; I fasted for seven days, giving myself literally to God (you may read my full testimony in our Preparing for The Kingdom Book 1, under the chapter on “Prayer is the Key to Solving All Problems – Part I”). After seeing my position of humility and helplessness, the faithful God took mercy on me, answered my prayers, and provided the financial means that we needed.

This is what the Bible says to encourage us:

• I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).
• Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• Call on Me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” (Psalm 50:15)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, put your trust and faith in God’s hands, and He will not overlook your situation as many think He does. God knows your anxious thoughts and CARES FOR YOU (Psalm 139:2; 23; 1 Peter 5:7). The Word also says: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).

As we conclude this message, we must consider our attitude when asking for help from the Lord. From our experience, we have learned that we must be submissive to God and not have a demanding attitude. We should also not base our faith on some formulated prayers or dogma, or look to a certain preacher for answers. Our hope and trust must be in the Lord alone to help through any trying situation we may face.

A few years ago, I learned from someone about a Christian woman who, while lying on her sickbed, earnestly desired her pastor to pray for her healing. Due to his busy schedule, the pastor could not make it to her bedside to pray for her. This led her to think that her pastor didn’t care about her. In her desperation for her pastor’s prayers, this precious sister did not value the worth and power of her own prayers and that of other believers. If we would only turn with desperation to the Lord, He who sees everything is READY to take over our situation. As it is, after a few weeks the young woman died without receiving healing, because her dependence and faith rested on her pastor’s prayers and not on God’s ability and promises to heal her. This is the unfortunate situation of many Christians: their dependence, hope, and confidence are in man and they like piggybacking on others. This should not be the case, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15 NKJV)

We encourage you to read further on how prayer releases God’s blessings and deliverance by studying your Bibles. You may also reference our articles on Prayer: The Key to All Problems - Parts I and Part II. To accept the Lord 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.

Have a blessed new year trusting in God alone, and may your year be filled with Jesus’ love!

Brother Glenn .

Don't Give Up Your Calling

 Being True To Your Ministry

"The Lord also called to the man of God. He said, “This is what the Lord says: You rebelled against the words from the Lord’s mouth and didn’t obey the command that the Lord your God gave you" (1 Kings 13:21).

NOTICE: Our online Ministry would be celebrating 10 years on the 20th of October 2022. It's been faithful service and great support from all of you. May the Almighty God continue to bless our work and those precious, precious brethren who have been faithfully and tirelessly supporting us through their prayers, financially, and emotionally to continue the Lord's work. Like the Apostle Paul, we also publicly acknowledge those who stayed the course with us. A special thanks to Mr. Ryan Bird and his precious family, Sister Erika and her supporting family, Brother Andrew, and our own Sister Thandazo, and the encouragement from our Brother Patrice (Romans 16:1-16). You are the men and women who encouraged and carried us to achieve this milestone, may God Almighty greatly bless and honor you for your faithful service and show you grace and salvation in your hour of need and testing, for when we experienced ridicule and insults you lifted us up and believed in our work and calling.

 A few years ago, we were approached by a brother who asked us to inquire from the Lord if he may join another ministry and abandon the work he was called for. The Lord gently answered him and said, "I did not call my son Saul (not real name) to do ministry work there, the ministry work he is doing now is as important as that of the other minister". 

Often, when some Christians see how well a servant of the Lord is doing in the work the Lord called him or her to do, they consider the work they were called to do as inferior and desire to join or do the work another minister is ordained and anointed for. God is not an author of confusion, people should not think that ministry work is a means to draw attention to us or a means to show our importance in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:15-26). The key to a successful ministry is obedience and humble service (1 Samuel 15:22; Mark 10:43). Being a minister of the gospel, requires you to be bold, courageous, and fearless. The Pharisees in the Lord's time, did their best to try and intimidate our Lord Jesus Christ, but His boldness, courage, and fearlessness caused His message to echo unhindered into the hearts of His listeners (John 7:25-26). 

Brethren, let me emphasize a shy or 'introverted' Christian has NO excuse! I've been shy and afraid of people so has Moses (Exodus 4:10), but the Word of God must be spoken through you because you have been changed to tell (2 Corinthians 4:13). 

Finally, the only difference in ministry work is the greater the anointing the greater the accountability (Luke 12:48). We cannot neglect nor hide behind our short-comings, the Lord wants to use us, step out and proclaim your faith, endure insults, acquire the scares of your testimony and inherit the Kingdom as an overcome and a soul-winner!

Blessed Regards

Brother Glenn and family

Prophetic Updates

 URGENT MESSAGES

Blessed and Eternal Greetings to you all Brethren. As you may have noticed, there are not regular weekly articles being posted online. We have written over 300 articles on this blog and we will provide more articles as the LORD leads. 

However, we have created a "NEW UPDATES" TAB which you need to check out daily {As the LORD provides} as we will be sharing whatever URGENT or Prophetic messages there on any DAY. There will be an UPDATE SOON!

The Church Being The Pillar Of Truth

 Truth Endures Always

"if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).

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There can be no doubt that the Church, being the Bride of Christ should stand for the truth (John 14:6) and we know when the Lord gave Peter the keys of the Kingdom, which pillars and foundations are found on truth, it was the same key the Lord gave to all who would believe (Matthew 16:19). Similarly, the Lord declared that we shall know the truth and that the truth shall set us free (John 8:32) and such truth is that we know the Lord and that He is that Truth. 

Now, over the years that the Lord spoke to us, He repeatedly warned many of us to speak the truth and that liars will not inherit His kingdom which has truth as its foundation. Furthermore, this ministry through the Lord's guidance has exposed many false witnesses and ministers of the gospel for preaching lies in the name of the Lord. This is a true gospel fact, the Lord does not need any thread or shade of lie to promote the truthfulness of the gospel, however, some of us mix the truth of God's word with lies to convince people to act or believe, when we do so, are we not laying a false foundation which will be exposed by the fire of truth? (1 Corinthians 3:13). 

Being Pretentious Promotes Falsehood

Therefore, as disciples of Christ, we ought to strive to witness faithfully and in truth bearing in mind that falsehood would not stand up under the mighty weight of truth. The Lord thus forbid that we use lies or any form of falsehood to advance the gospel and some do so to promote themselves for popularity and money and those who practice such are trapped by the enemy (Luke 6:26). Also, if we imitate a man or woman of God by being impostors we would be acting out of falsehood for each man will receive a reward for the things he or she did in the body (Romans 2:6).

 We have had a very zealous brother (let's call him Jones) who fellowshipped with us for a short while and he asked us to inquire for him from the Lord if he could start a ministry and go house to house to preach 'repentance and holiness'. 

Upon His reply, the Lord is not weak in His reply nor does He holds back when He teaches us His truth. He told the brother that He did not call him (Brother Jones) to preach holiness and repentance and the brother thought that the Lord was restricting him and preventing him from doing what he wanted to do. Yes, the Lord did restrict him because when we serve Christ, He is the One mandating, calling, and baptizing us not any human being or ourselves (Acts 13:2; Matthew 3:11). As a result, we thus encourage you to stop your pretense and walk in truth, being honest in all you do in Jesus' name. 

It is a fact that some Christians easily abandon the truth when they are being tested or put under pressure (Luke 22:57), are we not acting falsely and denying the Lord by betraying Him and our values of truth? We say this because when the one world religion would be introduced to the world it would be based on falsehood and human philosophies where the scriptures would be used only when it does not contradicts its 'founding statement'. As Christians, we know all of the Scriptures are inspired by God and it is useful in training us into all godliness and godly living (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

In conclusion, as a ministry, we repeat that the things we wrote and testified about on this platform have NOT been fabricated nor did we ever promote lies here but only the truth as the Lord revealed for therein is our reward(s) secure. Let us thus live the truth and act in accordance with the truth that sets us free, it is what God expects of us anyway (John 8:32). 

Blessed Truth

Brother Glenn

Associate With People Of Low Position

 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited" (Romans 12:16 NIV).

It is common practice that most us avoid close association with poor and ill-mannered people and many of us are quick to use this portion of scripture “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Equally, this portion of scripture does not suggest we shouldn't associate with unbelievers, instead it says we should not be unequally yoked in their mannerism and practices. How did the Lord win over people if He did not associate with them, and how about the earlier Apostles and missionaries? They all lived and worked amongst those they changed and convicted.

Scripturally, we can recall that our Lord Jesus Christ said He came for sinners and those who needs salvation (Luke 5:32). How do we change and influence people with the gospel of truth if we don't associate with them? Did the Apostle Paul not work and lived among the gentiles to win them for the Lord? (1 Corinthians 9:20-22). 

In other words, we win people over to the Lord when we live amongst, work amongst them while they are seeing and copying our Christ-like practices. Please allow me to share some experiences with you, there was a brother whom the Lord used mightily with open visions which he shared with believers online. 

However, when he stopped having these visions he also ceased sharing his faith and the gospel as if those visions were his only motivation to share the gospel. Subsequently, the Lord revealed to us that given to the brother's gifts, he declined invitations from other brethren to share his testimony and experiences with the Lord, as a result the Lord gave him a message through this ministry encouraging him to accept invitations to share the gospel for the edification of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:12; Ephesians 4:12). As it was, this rebuke did not sit well with the brother, he rejected the Lord's message and dissociated himself with us. As Christians, we should never grow disobedient or weary to labour for the benefit of God's Kingdom, our calling is a life-time commitment.

some years ago when I was in my early 20's and before I joined the formal ministry, I lived and work amongst unbelievers and at the time I considered myself then to be the only truly born again amongst them. It was a tough assignment and the ridicule and persecution I faced almost derailed my faith and the Lord graciously guided me out of that and my faith survived till this day to share with you.

In addition, during my early walk with the Lord I was influenced to look down to people who belonged to a labour trade union and not to associate with them. As we know, the labour movements are generally political in nature and some industrial action may turn somewhat violent and that made me reluctant to be a member as it may also cause me to stumble in my faith. However, as I matured in my faith, I asked the Lord if it would be right for me to join a trade and expecting the Lord to say NO! Instead He said, "Your father may join any trade union of his choice" with the addition of the above scripture "...but be willing to associate with people of low position" (Romans 12:16). Similarly, we should consider what the Apostle James also said "But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?.." (James 2:6 ESV). 

Now, given to our positions in life and in the work place let us not look down on those who occupy low positions, their minimal or maximum contributions yield results too (Matthew 20:1-16). We know that the above scripture is making reference to the gift of eternal life, however, Christian business leaders should not be driven by greed and profit and they should keep their lives free from the love of money. 

In conclusion, let us therefore endeavor to associate with people of low position and share the joy of seeing how the Lord is transforming their lives. Kindly allow me to share yet another short testimony, while I faced strong persecution in the places where I worked some people took note of my walk in the Lord and some even knew my former ways and they made a comparison between my God and the gods of the other 'believers' and that brought them closer to the Lord through the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 1:24).

Blessed Grace

Brother Glenn 

 

 

Stumbling Blocks

“Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea that that he should cause one of these little ones to sin” (Luke 17:1-2 ESV).

Also, “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9 ESV).

Biblically, the term stumbling block literally is a “behaviour or attitude that leads another to sin.” Our Lord calls it “temptation.” Temptation gets its sting from the sinful nature, and the sinful nature has an appetite for unwanted needs. These needs are unwanted because we have enough, but desire more through greed and selfishness. The Word of God categorically admonishes us “… and be content with what you have…” (Hebrews: 13:5 NRSV). As it is, there are stumbling blocks we create through selfish desires (James 4:2-3) and there are stumbling blocks coming from outside as our Lord pointed out above. Therefore, if we make ourselves unhappy by desiring things that are not really needed, we are being a stumbling block to ourselves.

What is the Purpose, and What are the Consequences of Stumbling Blocks?

For Christians, we know the drive behind a stumbling block is to hinder our walk with God. These hindrances can have a three-way effect: to derail our relationship with the Lord; or if we are vigilant we will use Satan’s plan of destroying us as an opportunity to glorify the Lord through our obedience; and this obedience leads to growth in our faith and in the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Therefore, every opportunity to do right or wrong-doing is dependent on our choice to obey or disobey the word of God. Like we mentioned in some of our past articles, the Word of God acts as a custodian to our conscience. The Bible addresses and lists the various stumbling blocks and in this way our conscience has a guide, and when we have a guide we must accept accountability too.

In the account of the fall of man, Adam and Eve were given the command to obey [The Word](Genesis 2:16-17), but the spirit of desire entered Eve, leading to the temptation (Genesis 3:6). Consequently, this led to the judgement of man and the tempter (Genesis 3:14-19). If they had obeyed, this would have resulted in a struggle-free life. The judgement handed down by God, as is evident from the above Scripture, was added to make us earn our living after we rejected through disobedience the free offer of eternal life. While the man and his wife offered excuses, this did not deter the Lord from executing His Judgements. This leads me to ask this question: do we allow others to make wrong choices on our behalf that lead to bad consequences? The serpent acted as a stumbling block to Eve, and in turn she became a stumbling block her husband; is this how we allow others to deceive us? This could be our wives, husbands, friends, pastors, or close family members; the consequences will be borne by us.

Furthermore, in our article titled Ignorant People, we alluded to the fact that when we are brought to account for wrong behaviour we often plead ignorance and as the Scripture says we cannot cheat God in this way (Galatians 6:7). I have another question: do we use ignorance as a stumbling block to our salvation? What a costly consequence! Remember, brethren, we must use stumbling blocks as an occasion to glorify God and to display the fruit of obedience.

The Lord Protects the Little Ones

I will share two short visions the Lord gave Charis recently and this morning (September 16, 2013) as warnings. These visions relate to temptations used by the devil as stumbling blocks. The Bible says, “Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone he can devour. Resist him…” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Kindly allow me to share a testimony with you: more than three years ago, the Lord gave us names of people to pray for. As a family, we have been praying diligently every day for these people. A week ago, one of these people, a young man, came to us saying he would like to make right with God, and he asked us if we could pray for him. Glory to God! We prayed for him and led him to the Lord and he instantly received deliverance from destructive habits. He immediately joined our group for fellowship and service in our ministry. This young man, Basil (not real name), went about sharing his joy with his former friends and many other people by handing out salvation tracts. The devil assigned one young lady to be a stumbling block to him. This is how The Lord exposed the devil and this young woman through this short vision by Charis:

“I was shown in a vision this morning (September 15, 2013) and saw Jenny (not real name) talking to Basil as they were standing on our kitchen stoop. In the vision, I perceived the Lord was angry with one of our ministry members, so I asked the Lord who that was, and He said,“This is just a warning for My son Basil from temptation”. The scene changed and I saw them both standing outside our gate leading to the street talking and smiling. I then saw a HAND; the Lord’s hand was pointing at Jenny repeatedly. They did not see or notice the HAND pointing and the vision ended”.

This was an actual incident witnessed by people and the Lord replayed it as evidence to show the young man, Basil, and this young woman that He is all seeing. This was a warning to Basil against temptation and to Jenny of consequences if she causes someone to stumble in the Lord. Do you know of Christians causing others to stumble in their faith? Do they know their actions hurt the Lord by leading others into disobedience? Well, the Lord’s finger is pointing at them in judgement!

Before I share the follow-up vision, Jenny responded to our message and accepted the Lord about two years ago; she attended our services and the Lord started giving her messages of rebuke and correction through Charis. After a few attendances she joined another group and bad-mouthed our ministry, and doubted saying the Lord was not speaking to Charis. Without us knowing of her malice and slander, the Lord gave her a message with a stunning rebuke exposing her wrong doings, yet calling her back to Him in love. This past Saturday, she called my wife asking if she may come to pray with us. Although she could not come due to some commitment on her side, the Lord knew her motive was not to come and pray, but to serve as a snare to Basil. The Lord revealed in a short vision this morning to Charis (September 16, 2013) her motives:

“In a vision this morning, I saw the Lord Jesus in His usual attire and Brightness, sitting on a chair in our living room. I heard Him weeping, and I asked the Lord Jesus “why is the Lord crying?” He spoke up and said, “My daughter Jenny did not actually want to come and pray on Saturday; she wanted to come for wrong things.” After the Lord said this, He disappeared and the vision ended.

In conclusion, the Lord protects all His children from the vicious attack of the enemy who preys on our ignorance of his schemes and our desire for pleasure. Also, when we associate with worldly friends, against the counsel of the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14), are we not setting up a stumbling block for ourselves?

Let us build up one another in love and out of obedience to Christ, so that we may be found worthy to inherit eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

Your brother in Christ,Glenn K Van Rooyen.

The Foundational Message Of Salvation

The Importance Of Witnessing

Ukraine: We encourage all Brothers and Sisters around the world to please pray for the Ukrainian people. As you may recall a few years ago, the Lord did say that the Ukrainian Christians were not praying enough for their Country. However, as Christians, we are duty-bound to pray for peace and the well-being of all people everywhere (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

As it is, I am not writing this article to defend or promote our ministry, but rather our purpose is to share the Gospel truth. In a recent incident involving children physically attacking and verbally abusing two of the children in my family (Charis and Jaydeen), the Lord comforted us and said that we are not to turn a bad cheek when people insult or attack us unjustly. Despite their insults and actions, we must continue to love them. We should continue to love even those who hate us or persecute us because the Lord Jesus loves them too; He died for us that we may believe and hope in Him and be saved from hellfire (John 3:16).

Also, some time ago I read some disturbing remarks someone made against us, accusing us of being false while in all truthful conscience we obey the Lord by speaking the truth in love only. We do this whether in writing our articles or speaking to people when we witness to them. Brothers and sisters, I reiterate and I know that no matter how hard I try to convince you, some of you will not believe us. We are NOT LYING to you when we say that the Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary, sent us to share His visions and messages with you as a warning and for your edification.  We act in obedience to the Lord and are sharing this for your good.

Why Does Mankind Need Salvation?

Biblically, salvation means deliverance from sin and its consequences. This is attained through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; 2 Peter 3:9).  The Lord longs to save His children and gather them to Himself (Matthew 23:37) and His plan of salvation for humankind began at creation immediately when Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3:15).  God is merciful and gracious and longs for all His children to come to Him.  Contrary to what many people believe, God is a most loving and compassionate God:  The Lord is gracious and full of mercy towards us and does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). The Almighty God desires for us to repent and return to Him that we may be forgiven and redeemed (Isaiah 44:22; Zechariah 1:3-6; Joel 2:11-13).

In the New Testament, salvation deals with the substitutionary nature of our salvation (Hebrews 9:26; Ephesians 1:7). It came about as a result of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:3-7). This grace must be understood against the background that no human effort, however noble, could bring about salvation (Acts 4:12).

Furthermore, this salvation if accepted means deliverance from two evils: sin and spiritual death which is Hell (Galatians 1:4; Romans 5:6; John 3:16-18). Some time ago I received an email from a brother in the Netherlands. He questioned me asking why I always emphasized hell punishment and why the Lord rebukes in my articles. I told him quite frankly, that correction from the Lord means salvation and escaping God's judgments (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6).

When John the Baptist started his ministry, he said, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near!" (Matthew 3:2).  From the Scriptures we know very well that John the Baptist was sent by God ahead of the Lord to introduce Him to the world (John 1:6-7). As a witness of God, John encouraged repentance and forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4).  At the same time he warned his listeners that if their repentance is fruitless there would be consequences (Matthew 3:7-10).

While we find many religions in the world offering various ways of salvation, our salvation is rooted in the completed work of Christ on the cross (1 Timothy 1:15; John 3:17; 12:47). The Bible uses many different ways to explain and portray the salvation we received; this is to help us understand what God has done.

How We Received Salvation

In the first instance, God the Judge declares believers in Christ righteous and He finds them not guilty (Romans 3:26; 8:33).

Another instance is our deliverance from the slavery of sin. God has freed us from the bondage of sin (1 Peter 1:18-19). Through this salvation in Christ Jesus we received adoption as sons of God (Romans 8:15). Having been God's enemies through sin, through our salvation in Christ we are now His friends (Romans 5:10-11; John 15:15). We are awaiting the fulfillment of our salvation at either our physical death (2 Corinthians 5:8) or at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5). For further understanding on this important teaching, kindly refer to our 'How To Be Saved from Hell’ article. In that article, we boldly point out that the reason we preach Christ is to prepare man for the hereafter judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

True Salvation

While it is good to attend church to fellowship with believers in the Presence of the Lord, church attendance should not be construed as salvation. Often times while witnessing, we meet people who say they are Christian and go to church but not born again. Salvation is not belonging to some church or body, neither is salvation merely our participation in church programs or taking of holy communion.  The Bible says we must be born again in order to enter heaven and escape God wrath (John 3:3; John 3:36). With true repentance from our sins and acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become children of God (John 1:12-13). We become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In this we also receive a new heart and a new Spirit leading us to obey the Lord’s commands (Ezekiel 36:25-32). Salvation came through Christ and it is made secure only in relation to our obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:12-13; Matthew 7:21).

Allow me to share this with you: Recently, a brother in the Lord asked us to inquire for him from the Lord if he is going to make it to Heaven.  The Lord answered and said: "My son J will only enter Heaven if he is obedient". The Lord went on to tell us that obedience is the key to Heaven and that our salvation is made secure through us obeying Him (Matthew 7:24-27). Like we acknowledged in our last article titled Developing Self-Discipline, salvation is God's free gift, but obedience is the key to enter Heaven.

Vision of Judgment Against Disobedience

Finally, I will share a very short vision Charis received from the Lord recently. This is therefore worth sharing as it might help save you. In this vision, she saw the Lord sitting on His Throne as Judge and dressed in dazzling white attire. She was allowed to hear how the Lord was delivering judgment on my wife and our 7 year old daughter. She heard the Lord saying to my wife that she was repeatedly warned not to be partial in her treatment of her children, and her disobedience has resulted in a punishment for her. She was warned to obey the Lord in order to avoid further severe punishment. After addressing my wife, the Lord turned to my daughter and told her that in this year (2014) she would turn 8 and that it is time for her to follow the ways of Charis and Jaydeen, by reading the Bible and living obediently and disciplined (Titus 1:6; Joshua 1:8).  Partiality in this case is taking sides with or favoring one child, while ignoring the correction another child gave by reporting the wrong.

The Lord told me to share this vision with you so that you must educate and prepare your children (including those who have turned 8, thus attaining the age of accountability) to do His will (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Deuteronomy 32:46; Genesis 18:19). I mention this as a reminder because in a separate message the Lord told us that children age 8 and above are hell ready. This might sound absurd to you, and again we are not here to convince you to believe the revelations the Lord gives us; we point you to the word of God. The Lord said that He gave parents the responsibility to teach their children His word (Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4). I therefore encourage you to live your life in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ to complete your salvation.

Blessed Grace,
Brother Glenn

Be Always Ready And Blameless To Enter Heaven

The Bible admonishes us to be blameless and spotless, stating: “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to have the Lord find you at peace and without spot or fault” (2 Peter 3:14). Furthermore, “He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).

Resist Sinful Appetites

Warning: Brethren, the Lord recently reminded us that Christians should be blameless to enter Heaven. Some might ask but we all sin and make mistakes daily. Point taken! The Lord means that we should have no sin yes. We are supposed to have no unconfessed sin in our lives. Equally, the Lord warned that those who sin deliberately will also not escape his Judgments because such a Christian is disobedient! Just this past Saturday morning (20 June 2020) the Lord said that unless He keeps us holy we will not be ready to enter His Kingdom and for that, we must continuously pray daily to remain and stay ready! (Luke 21:36). 

RAPTURE SEASON!

This is RAPTURE SEASON! We recently saw reports online (YOUTUBE) that the Pope was advocating for a plural path to God in contrast to Scripture, see Acts 4:12; John 14:6 and John 10:1-27. Please read these verses carefully and avoid the deception that all religions leads to the One and ONLY God of Israel. From the preceding Scriptures, there is ONLY ONE WAY!  As He laid down His life for us, when persecution strikes as per my last vision of Christian persecution so we will have to lay down our lives to enter His Kingdom (Mark 8:35).

Now, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we face daily struggles against sin and evil, which desire to make us gratify our fleshly appetites and stumble, rebelling against God (Hebrews 12:4). We call it a struggle because sin presents itself to us in many forms, overtly or covertly, and we are faced with the inevitable task of choosing either to yield to its demands or to steadfastly resist and continue in righteous living.

In previous articles, we repeatedly alluded to opportunities that Satan presents to Christians, making sin look natural and appealing, while at the same time deceiving us to do evil and disobey The Lord. While we are not encouraging any severe or harsh religious practices, a true mark of a truly born-again Christian is his daily victory against the demands of sin (1 John 5:3-5).

Similarly, we also mentioned that the worldly Christians are leading a compromised Christian life; such people live only to please themselves and others, and not Christ Jesus our blessed Lord (1 John 3:7-10; Philippians 2:21). This is how we can know that we are not fully committed to Christ: when we show bad fruit, including a wicked hateful attitude; when we have a constant appetite for worldly things and power; and when we concern ourselves more with things to please man rather than Christ. If we should test our conduct against this Scripture: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:14-15), would we rate ourselves as blameless? Truthful living in Christ is real freedom from guilt.

If we are loaded with the Word of God and heed the warnings coming from the Holy Spirit, we would be discouraged from exercising wickedness (John 10:27). We sin in many ways: through our mouths (James 3:6; Psalm 34:13; Proverbs 10:19); sin is also seen by the condition of our hearts, which is laid bare through our attitudes (Matthew 12:34); and our motives are assessed by our conduct, which issues from our hearts. A healthy Christian attitude, however, issues forth love, obedience to Christ, and hate of evil (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Romans 12:9-21).

Wicked Christians

While the principle of “freedom” has been around since man’s presence in this world, this pursuit of freedom and rights has become more visible through legislative works by our governments. Increasingly, legislation in various parts of the world is being used to promote or defend behaviour that would have been regarded as shameful, detestable, or wicked in the past; turning sin into an acceptable way of life (Isaiah 5:20; 2 Timothy 3:1-5). The secret power of evil makes itself acceptable in human society through deceit, hinging on the principle of ‘freedom’ to corrupt and destroy values based on the Christian truth of peaceful co-existence (2 Thessalonians 2:7). When the church warns the world of the presence of Satan and evil (Revelation 2:9; Matthew 6:13), the secular ‘wise’ men and women repudiate this message as unscientific, outdated and dictating. Admittedly, modern legislation “frees” the conscience of man, and those who have an appetite for wickedness embrace it.

Furthermore, we do acknowledge the presence of evil in our world (1 John 5:19) and the institution of government which God uses to enforce rules to peaceful and just living in human society (Romans 13:1). However, through the collective interest of individuals with self-serving interest in our society, many governments are ‘forced’ to acknowledge the appetites of lobbying groups, leading to widespread acceptance of destructive behaviour, which ultimately eats away our conscience and our fear for God, and the end result is corruption.

People, I would like to boldly confess and declare that the only safe escape from evil is Christ Jesus! Wherefore let us pray for our countries and governments, and abide to the laws promoting equity, peaceful co-existence, and righteousness. However, let us also oppose laws that corrupt society and promote rebellion against God (Acts 5:29). Our Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, is going to judge us based on our obedience to Him, not obedience to man (2 Corinthians 5:10).

As it is, countless Christians have accepted the worldly definition of liberty and adopted it as a standard in their relations with others. As a result, some Christians exhibit behaviour that is more widely accepted by the world (or “professional”) in their conduct with others, in the process muting true Christian character and not following the commands of the Lord to love (John 13:34) and be a light in the world (Matthew 5:14). Their primary focus is care for themselves and others in order to impress society, with half-devotion to Christ. Also, the appetite for material goods and services outweighs the need for holy and obedient living. So then, we must ask ourselves: on what or on whom is your primary focus? Is it on Christ and what pleases Him, or is it on your needs as emphasized by prosperity teachers and the world?

Judgment is Looming

I must remind you that Judgment is coming against those who practice evil and ignore the Gospel that truly sets us free from sinful corruption and God’s wrath (Romans 2:5-11; John 8:36). Let me remind you further: while love must be the one motivating us to good and peaceful behaviour, love can also be self-rewarding; we must also be driven by our fear and reverence for God our Creator (Hebrews 12:28). Like the Scripture says, riches, influence, friends and status will count nothing on the day of reckoning (Proverbs 11:4; Zephaniah 1:18).

Last week Monday, in a powerful vision, the Lord took Charis into a Heavenly Room as He entered into Judgment with each one of us in this ministry, including our children who have knowledge of right and wrong. This was a very serious discussion as she was allowed to hear the most common three (3) sins we each commit daily. After she shared with us, we shed tears and prayed in heartfelt repentance. If we in full-time service to God are judged often, how much more should those fear who are lukewarm and ungodly? (1 Peter 4:18).

I was also warned this past Saturday morning by the Lord in a dream when discouragement hardened my heart and led me to sin. I was awakened by my own voice and fear, in which I said, “God we are in the flames!” I got up and prayed confessing my sins, instead of allowing wickedness to overwhelm me and eat away at my faith and salvation. The Lord said that neither death nor His soon coming should find us with an unrepentant sinful heart (Revelation 2:10). This is evident by Charis’ rapture visions that we shared previously in July and August of this year.

In conclusion, this ministry has repeatedly warned people that Christ is coming and that He is near. We have been given no specific dates; however, let us live as if the Lord is coming today! (Revelation 3:11; 22:7, 12) The Lord has also recently given us, as a ministry and family, a great shake-up or awakening. Stay tuned and focused on Christ, and be always repentant and holy so that you may escape God’s judgments and be found worthy to enter heaven.

Are you living a blameless and holy life, walking in the fear of the Lord? Are you maintaining a repentant heart? If you desire a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus,  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.

Peace and Grace to You!

Brother Glenn.

Imitating Christ's Compassion

The Fruit of Our Faith is Obedience to God in Service to Others

Greetings Dear Brethren, as a Ministry we would like to wish all our loyal and prayer partners here a BLESSED CHRISTMAS and a Christ invited NEW YEAR! 

As we celebrate this season of giving, let's not forget those in need around us including some people in our fellowship groups. And as for those brethren who daily leads a giving lifestyle we encourage you, do not neglect the gift of God in your life knowing that the JOY (that you use in giving) is from the LORD which is operating in you and upon you (2 Corinthians 9:7; Psalm 28:7; Nehemiah 8:10). May our God Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ BLESS you all as we also extend our true love to you!

Caring can be defined as “showing kindness to others who are unable to care for themselves.” In this article, we would look at the practical application of caring and from a Scriptural perspective. There are many fine theories out there about caring. Sadly, most of the approaches are academic and they lack in many respects the emotional appeal. There is a vast difference between helping someone who comes to us for help and truly being caring proactively. In my understanding, caring conveys the emotional connection and we care for the well-being of others.

Personally the year 2009 was the most trying time for me and my family. As a father and breadwinner, I was unemployed for a full year. Our bond or mortgage repayments ran high and we lived on hand-outs and the care of others. During this time, we learned that human care is selective and always wants something back in return. I had God in my life, but things were going tough. We were members of a local church, but the help of the church was invisible even though they knew about our situation. Please note, I am not mentioning this to discredit any ministry; instead, I am using this to provoke you to action as an individual member of the body.

As it is, things became so bad that I even thought this was going to adversely affect my marriage and my children. I pondered many options including selling our house. I praise the Lord those sleepless nights made me pray continuously. Some people avoided us because of our problem and this made us determined not to go bother them for help. My father, my sisters and brethren in the Lord turned their backs on us. The Lord was showing us that reliance on the arm of flesh instead of Him was a curse: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:25); “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8).This led me to turn to God. My wife and I committed to fast for seven (7) days for a job for me. By the third day into our fasting, the Lord Jesus Christ not only blessed me with a job, but He blessed us with the best and greatest gift: His message through my daughter Charis. He opened her spiritual eyes so that she may see His form and then He took care of all our problems (1 Peter 5:7). I briefly mentioned our full testimony in an article, “Prayer: The Key to All Problems”. After our physical needs were met, He established this ministry as evidence of our testimony. In my experience with the Lord, if we show care to others, the Lord Himself will show care to us. As a Kingdom principle, God provides as we sow (Matthew 5:7).

In our recent article of helpfulness we pointed out that believers should practice open-handedness (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). This is a different Christian experience altogether; we sometimes help with little care, and sometimes to ease our guilt. This is not entirely wrong; remember helping is a Christian ministry to support the body and the needy around us (1 Corinthians 12:28). Caring mainly involves our emotional connection through some physical contact (Matthew 25:35-36; Luke 10:25-37). This is the Lord’s message of love to the person being cared for, if a believer acted from the heart. The recipient will feel it and give back love through appreciation, thanksgiving and praise to our Heavenly Father (2 Corinthians 9:11).

Caring: A Gift of God Through The Holy Spirit

The Lord once gave me a word through Charis to preach about the Holy Spirit. As I was preaching, I felt the fire on my tongue. I became totally controlled by the Holy Spirit as He spoke through me. During this sermon, the Lord revealed to me that His work is authenticated or proven truthful through the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ was identified as the Son of God with Power through the Holy Spirit (John 1:33; John 10:37). Therefore, if a gift is performed and it is from God, it has to be through the Holy Spirit and Christ must be glorified as God’s salvation to mankind (John 15:26). In addition, before the believers were sent out to preach, they were instructed to wait for the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

While this is not a complete teaching on the Holy Spirit, it is necessary to point to the Source of our ministry. The gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit is identified by those who have the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). Thus, caring being an outward manifestation of the fruit of kindness gives meaning to the Christian message. The receiver of our care would in return like to acknowledge the Giver through thanksgiving and praise (2 Corinthians 9:10-15). Our Lord Jesus Christ, pointed to God’s glory and character by saying: “If I am not doing My Father’s works, don’t believe Me. But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I in the Father” (John 10:37-38).

Having said so, our Lord was referring to the outward manifestation of God’s care for mankind. The evidence of God’s love was demonstrated through various miracles, caring and healing of people (Acts 10:38). It was easy for people to identify love and the Source of it. The disobedient believer does not care about others; he is blinded by his own selfishness and what he can get. The Lord Jesus pointed to the evidence of His message, His works coming from Someone – God. Does your work reflect the fruit of obedience or are you just a talker? Is there evidence of God’s message in you through your fruit [works?] (Galatians 5:22). Does your care originate from self-praise or are we able to identify the Source who sends you so that we may honour Him? (John 9:36-38).

Experiences of Caring

In the Bible, we read the account of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Great parable! It is often good to hear some heart-warming stories and experiences about others; but can others tell a story about us? Also, when our Lord considered His future return with rewards for the obedient and punishment for the wicked (Matthew 25:31-46), He pointed to our works as individuals. The Lord is being referred to as having compassion on the needy, sick and the forgotten outcast of society (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32; Luke 15:20, 7:13). He did not just have compassion, but He actually addressed their plight. Christ, being the Creator of man, (Colossians 1:15-19) knew that people need an emotional experience, which is evidence of love and care. When a message has long been preached, the emotional touch remains. This is what people hold on to, something that appealed to an inner need. This gives people great peace and comfort and life is being celebrated in thanksgiving to God.

I always become emotional when I read this account, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. BUT when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he SAW the WAGONS that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. Then Israel said, “ENOUGH! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.” (Genesis 45:26-28 Holman CSB).

Evidently, Jacob was moved emotionally when he said ‘Enough!’ He accepted the testimony of his sons concerning Joseph as truthful when he ‘SAW the WAGONS’ (witness to experience). In other words, Jacobs’s sons’ witness to their father that Joseph was alive and in testimony they produce evidence (works as witness). A question for you: when you bring your Christian message to people, do you bring something they can relate to emotionally?

Brethren, while I am aware that our message is filled with emotion to evoke guilt, compassion and care, I am referring to us giving ourselves over in service to others through our emotions in response to their situation. Similarly, we are aware that some people fake care through false emotions to fool and deceive. This can be easily recognised when we perceive that someone suddenly acts caring. They help because they have some personal interest and not the well-being of the cared person. When we care we give without expecting anything back in return, instead we carry the cost (Luke 10:35; Philemon 1:18). In a magnified way, Christ carried all our guilt at the cost of His life (John 10:15).

Does your work reflect the fruit of obedience or are you just a talker? Is there evidence of God’s message in you through your fruit [works?]. Does your care originate from self-praise or are we able to identify the Source? Who sends you so that we may honour Him? Here is a Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed Grace in His Care
Brother Glenn.

The Christian Spirit

 Being Childish In Attitude

"He called a little child to him and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:2-4).

We will be delivering a very brief but important article this week. Humility is not really an attitude that is innate to humans, the bible teaches us that it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). A brother in the Lord once shared with me that when he drove his daughter to school one morning, he gently corrected or rebuked his born-again daughter about something she did. Now according to the brother, his rebuke was not well received. While she (his daughter) didn't say anything to him, he could sense that she became angry, at that moment the Lord revealed to him that when a person gets upset or becomes angry for being corrected their attitudinal response is demonic (Galatians 5:20), but when a person's verbal or attitudinal response appears gentle they would have responded from the full conviction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 23:5).

How To Discern The Holy Spirit In a Believer

Often, it is very easy to observe the presence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life, not merely by what they say or their work in the ministry, but a humble attitude is easy to discern and God knows, the attitude of Christ shine through such a person (Philippians 2:5-11). Kindly allow me to share another testimony from a dear brother in Christ. Now, brother Joe shared with me a few years ago, how the Lord humbled which costs him his job after he elevated himself. 

The Penalty For Self-Importance

As it was, about a 10-minute telephone conversation got our brother Joe hot under the collar, which resulted in a yelling and insulting match with neither party willing to back down. Our brother Joe recalled how that conversation transformed him into comparing his elevated job position to the one his 'foe' had, and when he realized later that their conversation was not private our brother Joe felt very ashamed and humiliated because of his behavior and attitude that he decided to resign with immediate effect. As a result of this folly, our brother Joe was unemployed for about two years before the Lord opened another door of employment for him. During that time of being unemployed, our brother Joe was saturated in debt and almost lost his family home. What a price he paid for being self-conceited!

Brethren, it is a serious matter, a Christian should never elevate him or herself, especially when working with non-Christians. Biblically, Haman the Agagite, who considered himself untouchable and who suffered from an obsessive self-love was not just humiliated, he was hanged on a gallows he built (Esther 5:11-15; 6:5-6; 7:9-10). In other words, he fell on his own sword. As a friendly warning, the Lord is not pleased with Christians who think they are better than others and a Christian who gets offended after being corrected shows no submission to the Holy Spirit who imparts conviction and humility in us (Romans 8:14). The Bible says we grieve the Holy Spirit and our disobedience to His convictions is only inviting wrath from God and ultimately as we disobey so do we receive evil spirits which alter our attitudes (1 Samuel 6:14).

In conclusion, let us thus be careful and humble ourselves by accepting the redemptive guidance of the Holy Spirit who is God's seal upon our lives (Ephesians 1:13).

Blessed Grace

Brother Glenn

Rebellious Children

 The Peril Of Our Times

"...disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy"(2 Timothy 3:2 NIV).

Brethren, our times have witnessed an uprising of the rebelliousness of children even in the godliest homes. As a friendly reminder, this is an end-time peril don't fall prey to it, flee from it! A few years ago, we (and some members of our ministry) experienced how some of the children raised their voices to their parents and questioned their parent's authority and we took this matter in prayer to the Lord and this displeased Him greatly. As a result, the Lord gave Charis a vision in which He showed her on a television screen the content of this Scripture, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right, Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise" (Ephesians 6:1-2 NIV). With this scripture, the Lord reminded our children that despite the revelations He gave them, the authority and the supremacy of the scriptures must be submitted to if they want to enjoy God's blessings. As a further reminder, it is displeasing to the Lord if a child rebukes his or her parent(s), children are encouraged to appeal in humility to their parents or those who are older than them (1 Timothy 5:1).

The Price Of Disobedience And Rudeness

As a ministry, who has experienced both the Presence and guidance of the Lord personally, we have a duty to share the truth of God with you. We have witnessed how disobedient children fell from God's grace, they lost the gifts God gave them, and it was given to others who were obedient. In addition, some of the benefits the Lord afforded them were also taken from them as a punishment. Scripturally, God rewards obedience, not disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-6) Does this not remind you of our recent article in which we refuted the 'God allow' doctrine? How can we speak the Word of God when we fail to obey Him? 

Now, some parents have reported to us that as the result of their children's disobedience and being backslidden, their situation has become worse, some of them have become involved in drugs and some have developed mental problems it is as if a curse has fallen on them (Deuteronomy 27:16). The reward for their wickedness has brought about many struggles for them it is as if their progress has a backward result for them and their double-mindedness made them dependent on others, with a spirit of fear ruling over them (James 1:8).

Take Heed My Child

We thus encourage every God-fearing child to obey the prescribes of the Bible, by obeying it, it safe-guards your life and it serves for your good. I'm addressing you, dear children, you will thus have to follow the voice of your parents as they nurture your growth in life from the scriptures (Proverbs 22:6). My dear precious child, do not allow your friends or peers to persuade or force you to go against your parents' counsel. Shun evil and rebellious behaviour for God will bring all your secrets into judgement (Ecclesiastes 12:14) for eternal punishment!

In conclusion, if you have sinned and have a desire to reconcile to God and your parents, repent of your ways, ask your parents for forgiveness and focus on building your new life (1 John 1:9; Luke 15:18). Also, the Lord is near and we will soon be lifted from this world, be prepared, and be counted amongst the faithful and receive the most COVETED PRECIOUS CROWN OF LIFE (John 10:28).

With love

Brother Glenn