Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The Terrible Consequences of BEING FORWARD

Understanding Our Messages


Brethren, as you know by now, our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to my daughter Charis every night. When He appears, her spirit leaves and she joins the Lord in our backyard to hear what He is going to say. We have no idea what the Lord is going to say unless He tells us the previous day what He is coming for. Previously, I used to pray about one week in advance what I was going to write about and then decide on a subject, until we committed this online ministry to the Lord. If we commit our work to the Lord, we relinquish all authority and control over that work (Proverbs 16:3; 3:5-6). Today, the Lord is providing messages every Monday morning on what we may share with you. This is extremely important for the life of this ministry and our messages. The Lord knows people’s hearts, and being our Judge, allowing Him to provide our messages is beneficial in every way to our walk with Him.

As for visions, this is also decided by the Lord. He gives visions but He also says which ones must be shared on the website. He reveals the visions as warnings and the messages as teachings so that we may do and bear fruit. Furthermore, the Lord has instructed that we take a Scriptural approach when presenting our messages. This is to align all messages to the Bible. We provide the Scriptural references so that your walk with God could be equated with a Biblical foundation. Also, the Lord is aware that there are brethren who visit this website only to read visions and dreams; this is not a mark of a humble and faithful Christian. A true Christian builds his life upon Word-based teachings and bears fruit. He will endure through faithfulness and obedience when the one who likes visions has long forgotten the visions. Our testimony and faith cannot be built on visions alone but the Word. The apostle Paul said the one speaking the Word is greater because he instructs others in right living (1 Corinthians 14:19). In conclusion to this matter, visions are great and awesomely inspiring when reading them, but WORD POWER is even GREATER and ENDURING! Let us desire both and the combination would be HEAVENLY!!!

Forward People in the Bible

The word "forward," as used in this article, refers to acting or doing something quickly and without thought or care. It can also mean being impulsive or rushing to do something without permission or authority.

Being forward is not a calling. When God calls us into His service it is first of all an honor, but most of all it is for God’s own glory and pleasure (Leviticus 8:12).

If we act forward we dishonour the Lord. Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire for being forward (Leviticus 10:1).

The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were brutally attacked by a demon possessed man for being forward and invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ without being right with God and authority from above (Acts 19:14).

The apostle Peter, being impetuous and forward, was granted mercy when the Lord prayed for him not to lose his faith after the betrayal incident (Luke 22:31-33).

“Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen had stumbled” (2 Samuel 6:8 Holman CSB). This particular incident had many people talking more especially theologians who argued why God struck a man who meant well when he tried to steady the ark. When the ark returned from the Philistines it needed no guide, the men of Beth-shemesh were struck by God for looking into the ark (1 Samuel 6). Like Uzzah, the folks were being forward and  duly unauthorized in terms of the levitical priestly office (1 Chronicles 15:2).

In another incident, Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Moses. These men took 250 prominent leaders and confronted Moses and Aaron. In their forwardness, they incited rebellion and division in the Israelite camp (Numbers 16). Their end was disastrous!

What We Experienced As a Ministry

When the Lord first started speaking to Charis, we did not tell anybody except a few close people. Gradually, the Lord told us to tell some people about our experience with Him. This is when I started sharing some visions and testimonies. If we had acted forward, people would not have believed our testimony. There had to be some Supernatural revelation to provide evidence, and this was proven when I shared the account on how I got a job (see “Why do you have your shoes on wrongly?” article). Biblically, when the Lord sent out Moses, He gave Him Supernatural signs to prove the message of the Sender (Genesis 4). 

Furthermore, we have had people who came to us and made various suggestions on how we are to conduct our services and even share the revelations coming from the Lord. The Lord tested us to see if we would do as we are being told or would we instead obey Him. These people as they persisted became frustrated and left our ministry. They were then allowed the opportunity to do as they advised and in their zeal they ended up failing like Korah and his followers (Numbers 16).

Some brethren, including myself, did not escape the Lord’s sharp rebuke for being forward. I was told point blank by the Lord, Your father must stop thinking he is the leader, and I AM the leader”. This rebuke stung me for many days, and as the wounds of these words healed I submitted myself to the Lord. I got this rebuke because I tried to change the children’s witnessing plan, going against the word of the Lord.

In another incident, a brother who was born again and delivered from demonic influences in this ministry, also tried to tell us how to conduct our services and spend the Lord’s money. When we asked the Lord on what he was suggesting the Lord replied exposing his greedy motives and he was subsequently expelled from the ministry. Although the Lord forgave him and allowed him back into the ministry, he decided not to return. This is the price of being forward. Additionally, another brother who contributed both financially and in terms of articles to this ministry was in a habit of dictating how we should do things in the ministry and for that He got rebuked by the Lord and that rebuke resulted in this article.

Finally, brethren I am not trying to elevate church authority here. When we become saved, we are placed into the care of experienced believers by the Lord. This is done so that we may grow in the Word and start bearing fruit for service. As we grow, we start seeing the mistakes of the church and the Lord wants to use us right there to correct the leadership (1 Samuel 3).This was done because sin was practiced and God was displeased. Do not try to be forward like Korah who used rebellion to promote self-gain. We act forward only when rebelliousness is being encouraged against God.

Similarly, there is a countless number of ministers of the gospel who attempted and still do, to reveal the mystery of the Lord’s coming. Some have given certain signs, while others set dates and explain certain political events as possible ‘signs of the times’. These forward speculators accredit themselves of being long time Biblical scholars. In their long service and influences from their peers they are still getting it wrong. Our encouragements to our forward brothers and sister is for them to concentrate on soul winning, and leave the Lord God to unlock the mysteries at His proper timing. “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority” (Acts 1:7 Holman CSB). If we act forward, we grieve the Holy Spirit, and like the examples above, we suffer the consequences.

The Lord bless you!

Brother Glenn.