Deception – The Power of Satan

When our Lord Jesus Christ was being tempted by Satan, He could discern the Devil’s duplicity and He resisted Satan’s advances (Matthew 4:3-10). The Lord overcame Satan by providing him with the TRUTH. As much as our Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of God and had Holy Spirit without measure (Matthew 3:16-17), He knew the TRUTH (John 8:32) and He was set free from the power of deception.

This week, the Lord has instructed me to write about deception. This topic is seldom preached and if Christians were fully armed with truth, they would be better prepared to disarm Satan and walk victoriously and to the Glory of God. Incidentally, the world as we know it is filled with deceptions of all kinds and man is free to choose what is pleasing to him/her. Kindly allow me to mention this, freedom of choice is as old as man himself (Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 11:6-9). As it is, freedom is not a recently recognised right, but is as ancient as man. God, however, has limited human freedom through rules/commandments to be observed and for the well-being of man (Genesis 11:9).

According to the Bible, when humanity was for the first time confronted by choices provided by God and the devil (Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:4-5), the Lord God provided limitations; while Satan said “No! You will not die”, simply saying there are NO Limitations! This started the conflict which man has within him, good and evil (Genesis 3:5 Holman CSB). This deception, initiated by Satan, became the dominant force to rule humans and human society (1 John 5:19).

Furthermore, the Bible explains that through the deception that Adam and Eve yielded to, sin possessed and permeated mankind (Romans 5:12). Through this experience, we became slaves to our bodies working to appease its appetites (James 4:14-15). In addition, the inward working of iniquity discharges its fruit through the body (Matthew 15:18-20). This gives us a threefold operation of corruption or sin, it has a spirit source Satan (John 8:44), Satan works through our desires (to show us to the benefit) to facilitate a favourable decision (Genesis 3:6) and a body to reap what was sown within (Matthew 15:18-20).

Consequently, we became enemies of God (Romans 5:10) through our disobedience, fuelled by ‘the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient’ (Ephesians 2:2 NRSV). Naturally, mankind is rebellious and we are prone to follow our desires as pointed out in the above scriptures. Because desires work so deeply within people it knows no limit and yet it is never satisfied (Genesis 11:6; Ecclesiastes 1:8; 2:10), God ordered restraint through adoption in Christ by commanding holy living through obedience (Ephesians 4: 4-14). Our acceptance of God’s salvation through Christ broke Satan’s power of deception that led to rebelliousness in us (Ephesians 2:2-5). This, however, does not mean that we are free from committing sin or mistakes. The working of evil is ever present to deceive us into wrong doing to gratify what is pleasing to our nature (Galatians 5:19-21). Later on we will look at ways of deception the enemy uses as bait to trap us. We will also look at possible spiritual weapons we can employ to overcome our ever combatant and persistent enemy. Satan will not give up on our souls for he desires our destruction (John 10:10). Neither should we give up fighting for the crown of life through acts of disobedience (Matthew 24:13)!

How Are We Being Deceived?

We should remember that deception is like lying. Our enemy Satan is skilful in displaying deception. This is evident given to the current condition of the world. The Holy Scripture clearly identifies Satan as the deceiver of mankind (Revelations 20:7). Unfortunately, many people are duped into believing that Satan does not exist. Being a smooth operator and master of deceit, we are giving him more power to control and force us into wrong doing. The Lord told us that the devil is working rebelliousness in us against Him, but we must discern his operations through truthful conduct.

When we grew up as children, we put our trust in our parents and some people we know. This reminds me of an experience I had in my childhood. Three of my friends and I were playing when we were approached by a man, a total stranger to us. He was decently dressed in a suit. He asked if we are interested to work in a prominent city here in South Africa and we unanimously answered “Yes!” He promised to pay us well and he asked how much money we had so that he could use it as transport. Some of my friends had cash on them and gave this man. He then escorted us to a remote house a few miles away from our area of residence and told us to wait there as he would go get transport. We waited that entire afternoon and our hopes started fading when it became dark. The people he left us with were friendly and they provided us with food and accommodation for that evening. The following morning we got up took our bags and headed the long road home. The man disappeared with all the dreams we had. We were deceived because we were led by worldly desires.

Likewise, Satan is familiar with our shortcomings and things we desire and he used that to get entry. During the early 1990s, a friend a friend introduced me to a brother who was a pastor and a theology student at the time. I was a novice in the faith and I mainly read the Bible. This brother impressed us with his reasoning which was superior and at the same time intimidating. Once he saw we valued his opinion he started using manipulative tactics of guilt making us feel inferior and even making us doubt our own intellect. Honestly, we felt more secure being with him and as youngsters in our early twenties and we tried our best to gain his approval. While this was going on, I had a vision from the Lord one night as He appeared to me He said: “Be careful not to believe anything anybody else tells you, just believe the Bible”. This message from the Lord came to me when the seeds of deception were already planted. Sometime later we decided to go and eat at a fast food restaurant and each one of us ordered food while he ordered some wine for himself as well. We questioned him on this and he used Scripture to justify his decision. This came as a big surprise and it somewhat eased our conscience so we joined him in drinking. This became a habit and soon we graduated to social drinking. Gone was our innocence; this brother, myself and another friend became habitual drinkers and smokers.

Firstly, we were duped because of our lack of Biblical knowledge and faith. If we knew the Scriptures we would have resisted these temptations. Also, our downfall was largely due to our ignorance of the Bible (Hosea 4:6). Today, many believers are deceived because they do not read the Word of God for themselves and they live their Christian lives of every preaching of their pastors. I am not asserting that it is wrong to listen to preachers; I strongly encourage you to read and study the scriptures for yourself while testing what they preach (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We have many sects within Christianity today and this in itself is confusing to many people, especially the uninformed; they simply don’t know which group or sect to follow. Like my brother above, his superior scriptural knowledge influenced us so we believed him and followed him. This too is the case with most people; they are drawn with a few Scriptures, like Satan tried on the Lord (Matthew 4:3-11). The Lord knew the Scriptures and He knew truth, so the devil retreated. This is our challenge to you: study the scriptures for yourself faithfully from Genesis to Revelation, praying and asking the Lord through the Holy Spirit to give you the interpretation of the scriptures. In doing this, forget what you have been taught previously and just allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you as you read. The result should lead you to see the many errors and deceptions plaguing the body of Christ today. When we speak out against the errors we observe in the body of Christ, we do so to correct and to save souls. If you seek the truth faithfully, the Lord of TRUTH Himself is faithful; He will reveal the truth to you.

Persecution of the Truth is From Satan

We have learned above how Satan works in man to subvert truth and lead people into believing half-truths just like he tried on the Lord. The Enemy’s ultimate aim is not to encourage or correct, but to mislead us and lead us into rebelliousness. This past Friday, the 22nd of March, Jaydeen one of my daughters, was shown a vision. In this vision the Lord showed her a woman we know accepting the Lord with her two sons. Her husband is a Muslim. She was shown how this woman listened and sang to worship gospel music when her husband suddenly entered the house. His face turned very ugly and he tore up the papers containing three of her prayers, saying ‘what is this nonsense?’. While he was ranting and raving, she saw the Lord coming down from above in dazzling white clothes and His face covered in a cloud and the Lord told her. “The devil is inside this man and the devil is standing next to this man”. Those who persecute the truth and the gospel have the devil inside them and he is commanding them to do his will (John 13:27). He worked anger and hatred against Stephen and the apostle Paul because they proclaimed Christ, they preached holiness and righteousness (Acts 7; 21).

Let me be bold here: if you find yourself listening to a preacher or teaching that promotes bodily desires, including occasional wine drinking, smoking or worldly music, get out of there where worldliness is encouraged; you are being deceived (1 John 2:15). If you hear a church congregation or denomination promoting themselves instead of the Lord Jesus Christ (for example, boasting that it is best church or the only church that does this or that), get out of there as well. You are an individual member of the universal and invisible body of Christ and you should identify yourself with the truth (Matthew 7:16). This is a true encouragement; only the truth through the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifests true Godliness. If it is sectarian, it seeks its own survival more than others and we know the Lord is Lord of all and He admonishes us to care about others (1 Corinthians 10:24).

The Lord’s Coming

The Lord’s second coming is another hotbed of deception. If you are a seasonal Christian, you are in danger of missing the rapture! I say this because the Lord has revealed to us that many Christians are deceived in thinking that they will make their lives right with the Lord when certain ‘signs’ take place. They are information seekers who ‘repent’ and if the ‘sign’ was a false alarm they return to their former ways. That is why the Lord has warned us in January this year not to predict falsely and point to signs that only He knows when to bring about. Also, the coming of the Lord is near and we have been told by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that He is coming soon. We are in the end-times, but beware, the Lord says no one knows the day, nor has He given anyone the wisdom to unravel the times and accurately point to a specific sign like He did through the wise man and the teachers of the law (Matthew 2:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). Don’t be deceived by those who offer certain signs; just stay focused and ready at all times. In conclusion, I encourage you with words that the Lord Jesus gave us: “Don’t worry; just believe and be faithful. I am coming soon”.

What we have shared above is not a presentation on the coming of the Lord, but a warning to those who follow signs and hope to repent when they see these signs. The Lord told me that they will be caught off guard!

So, are you busy promoting a church or certain “men/women of God” instead of exalting the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you trying to have the “best of both worlds,” enjoying the passing pleasures of the world while claiming to have a personal relationship with Jesus? Are you a seasonal Christian who is waiting to repent and feverishly serve the Lord when you start hearing/reading of visions or signs of what you perceive as His imminent coming? Here is a Prayer of Sincere of Repentance, and for any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Holy Peace to You in Christ,

Your Brother, Glenn.

The Unfaithful Believer

“But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to Me, O house of Israel”  and “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 3:20, 22 NIV).

PS: We have updated a few visions under the Dreams and Visions section for your edification. Be blessed and freely share with others.

Purpose of Messages from The Lord

Back then in 1991 I was asked by brethren to preach and prepare a message for our next meeting. This was the first time I preached, and neither did I know how to present my message. I was both shy and my command of English was quite poor with a limited vocabulary. I nevertheless took up the challenge and I sought the Lord in prayer over many days to help me with a word to preach and Scriptures to validate my message. Miraculously, as I prayed, the Holy Spirit referred me to passages I read and the impact these Scriptures had on me turned into a message. With this in mind, this is how the Lord made His messages known to me through a deep intuitive discourse only known by faith in Him. Many faith driven-believers call this experience the “small still voice” speaking within, which is the way the Lord communicates to us through the Holy Spirit (John 10:27). The purpose of asking the Lord for a message to deliver to others is based on His knowledge of our short comings and our spiritual needs. Lately, I have been given messages to preach or present in writing through my daughter Charis, who hears His Voice and sees His form. I am not claiming any superiority over any of my brethren; we are your humble servants sent to give you your food on the proper time (Matthew 24:45-46). We are your servants in the Lord and we love you and we say: “This message is for you, for you, FOR YOU!

Unfaithfulness, the Human Nature of Old Self

As it is, the Lord has given us a message on unfaithfulness for this week’s article. Many of us consider unfaithfulness in the light of a marital commitment which is correct in some respects and the Lord God almighty used it metaphorically to depict His intimacy through His covenant with the children of Israel (Hosea 3:1-3, 6:1-11).

The free online dictionary defines unfaithful in a broader sense as “Not adhering to promises, obligations, or allegiances; disloyal.” We will look at unfaithfulness in terms of our relationship with the Lord of our salvation, Christ Jesus. The sin of unfaithfulness towards the Lord is a common practice among Christians. We behave unfaithfully when we are alone, thinking no-one is watching us, while we know that the Lord is surely watching us (Proverbs 15:11; Hebrews 4:13). In Scripture, notably Galatians 5:22 we are told that faithfulness is a Godly virtue and a Fruit of the Holy Spirit, while unfaithfulness is a human disposition of sinful self- interest. In reality, the world is filled with unfaithfulness among people and even the faithful yield to various circumstances and forces thus allowing the spirit of unfaithfulness to overpower and ultimately possess them. This spirit of unfaithfulness will manifest when we are confronted by the desires of the human nature. We easily choose to become unfaithful; why? Because it is less troublesome and conveniently acceptable to our human nature. We place the demand of circumstances above the Lord (Matthew 26:69-74). Let us have a look at some Biblical examples of unfaithfulness and the Lord’s response to such behaviour. This should serve as examples to spur us on to faithfulness. We will also briefly look at moments of faithfulness the Lord displayed to those who honoured Him, despite the odds against them.

Biblical Examples of Unfaithful Behaviour

While I do not intend dwelling much on this, it is worthwhile to learn from the mistakes of these Bible characters. King Saul was sent by God to attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belonged to them (1 Samuel 15:1-3). We know that King Saul failed to fully execute God’s command because he was afraid of man more than God, for he said: “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them” (1 Samuel 15:24b NIV). He rejected the command and the word of the Lord and he was found to be unfaithful and unfit to stand in God’s service (1 Chronicles 10:13). The Lord rejected Saul and the Holy Spirit left him and King Saul was given to an evil spirit that troubled him (1 Samuel 15:26; 1 Samuel 19:9). This was the price Saul paid for being disobedient!

Likewise, the apostle Peter acted unfaithfully when he betrayed the Lord (Matthew 26: 69-74). The people of Judah and Israel were unfaithful to God so He sent them into exile (1 Chronicles 9:1).

These examples and many other passages of Scripture shows us that God instituted punitive measures against disobedience resulting in unfaithful behaviour. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) in terms of salvation, but accepted for salvation through our obedience and faithfulness to God (John 12:47-48). We are not here to argue, but many Christian people live in sin and quote the above Scripture to justify their behaviour, saying that works will not save us. I agree that indeed it is true! Works do not save because salvation was given before we did work (Romans 5:8). However, even after we are born-again, we are encouraged to honour and obey the Lord through our works (Matthew 7:24; 1 Samuel 15:22-23; James 1:22). These works express our faithfulness to the Lord.

Similarly, in a marriage situation the husband or wife shows commitment and faithfulness through proper conduct; this is the evidence of our commitment. If we are unfaithful, we show discontentment to our situation. We break trust and dishonour the next party. An unfaithful person is driven by his own selfishness. The born-again experience demands a full surrender to Christ in every aspect of our life’s (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are slaves to righteousness, meaning we do as the Word of the Lord commands through the leading of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:18).

God’s Faithful Dealings with the Obedient Believers

Nowhere in Scripture do we see God condoning sinful and disobedient behaviour. He rebuked sinful and rebellious actions, and where necessary executes judgement (See 2 Samuel 12:1-29). On the other hand, God highly exalted His humble, obedient and faithful servants (Genesis 22:15-18).

Also, the prophet Daniel was obedient and faithful in service to the Lord so the Lord gave him honour in the sight of man (Daniel 2:48, 6:10). Joshua son of Nun walked faithfully and fearfully before the Lord, so he was honoured by God (Joshua 4:14). Our Lord Jesus Christ was exalted above all for His faithful and submissive service to God (Philippians 2:6-11). Does the Lord commend wickedness? No! Instead, He rebukes wicked behaviour and calls the sinner to repentance and obedience (Ezekiel 18: 21-23). The Lord is going to judge and punish the selfish and unfaithful Christians (Revelation 21:8). This includes those who ignore calls to witness to others, the worldly and greedy.

In our experience with the Lord He told us that an unfaithful Christian does not bear fruit and is useless for the Kingdom of Heaven. No unfaithful person will be saved! We got Words from the Lord for pastors and ‘prophets’ and the Lord pointed out their unfaithfulness not to shame them but to correct them. Some submitted in humble obedience giving glory to God for His Holiness, while others shy away in embarrassing pride. The Kingdom of Heaven is yours through faith, humility, obedience and faithfulness. We may desire and even display some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives, but the real fruit of Godliness shines through humility and faithfulness (Hebrews 3:5). This is a mark of a Godly character! The unfaithful breaks a trust, breaks promises, always giving false promises, too busy for prayer and bible reading thinking God will understand because I was doing this or that for Him. My brother if that is YOU, you are deceiving yourself.DO NOT neglect your salvation! Daniel had work, but he practiced his faith in obedience to God (Daniel 6:10).

Are you a faithful believer, or an unfaithful one? Do you desire to have a relationship with Jesus Christ as a faithful believrs? If so, you may start with this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed grace in faithful love,

Brother Glenn

The Love of God

The Great Love of Our Heavenly Father

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Vision Given to Charis on March 4, 2013:

“I was shown a vision this morning (March 4, 2013) of a man and his son about 5 years old walking down a less traveled and quiet road. The man was holding the boy’s hand as they walked, talking and smiling. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “This is how much a father loves his children”. The boy’s father then reached to his pocket and took out a silver coin and gave it to the boy. The boy then bought some snacks for himself along the road. Soon after, they arrived home and they sat at a table to have supper with the rest of the family – which included a mother and two daughters. On the table was a whole roasted leg of lamb, a bowl of vegetable soup, and bread (Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-23). After they ate, they had Holy Communion and then the father took out a Bible and read for his family. The children went to sleep. Suddenly I saw police officers come into the house and warn: “either the whole family have to die or one of you” (John 18:1-11). The father volunteered and said, ‘I will go’, and I saw the police officers arrest the father and handcuff him as the door closed behind them. I then saw the police officers taking the boy’s father into an empty room, where they hanged him and he died. Then I heard the Lord’s voice saying: “For our Heavenly loved His children so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). I then saw the mother, the boy and the two daughters kneeling down in prayer.”

This short vision describes the short account that led to our salvation. Please seek the Lord daily!!!

This is the love God demonstrated for us (Romans 5:8). Value Him, live in Him, have faith in Him and fear God by being obedient to His Word! In this short article, we will not say much but pose these few questions to you.

• How often do you read the Bible with your family and have Holy Communion as a family? (We suggest every night).
• As a father, and in the light of the above vision, do you read Bible stories to your children who are this boy’s age, to plant the seed of faith and obedience?
• Do you kneel down to pray every night with your family?
• Do you have a personal ministry of sharing the Word to your family, friends and neighbours?
• Do you desire to be like Daniel? If so, then DO as he did! Be humble and offer faithful obedience (Daniel 10:11).

If you are a devoted Christian then this is what you ought to do, transform your home into a church and enjoy God’s Sovereign Peace, love and JOY! For this, your reward would be your family’s salvation and unity, and gone will be conflict and divisions.

As a further warning, last week Friday (March 1, 2013), the Lord showed Charis in a vision how sin starts growing in a child. She was shown the heart of a six year old being filled with wickedness. The Word of God drives away evil and conveys fear for God (Proverbs 22:6).

If you desire to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you may start with a Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Peace to you in Christ, Brother Glenn.

PS: Because Charis and Jaydeen are both receiving visions quite frequently that reveal great truths, some of these visions (the ones that are not personal and for members of our ministry) will be posted frequently under Dreams and Visions without notification. We will however continue to post our weekly articles, so be patient and keep watching and praying!