Worldly Behaviour Displeases God

“Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy” (James 4:4 HCSB).


THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE TOMORROW (10 MARCH 2026) ON OUR LATEST VISIONS SECTION!

Rapture Vision (Brother Glenn) This can also be found in our visions page.

I received a vision from the Lord during the very early morning hours of Saturday (22/02/2020). In the vision, my family and I were together at home sleeping, it appeared to be very late at night (Matthew 25:6). I heard a loud voice and I just knew it was the LORD speaking and He called each one of us using the same words just using our names saying, "Cailin, My good and faithful (Matthew 25:23) servant come forth" (John 11:43). And immediately, I saw Cailin (our seven year old daughter) being transformed into a body of light flying through the roof and the sky and standing at the Lord's right hand side and the rest of us were called too and standing in the sequence we were called (Matthew 25:34). as I looked around I saw multitudes of other people also on the Lord's right hand side. end of vision!

Brief explanation

Brethren, the Lord is again warning us and exciting us to be ready and prepared for this great event the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Let us keep up the good work and continue doing the will of God. After this vision, I asked the Lord why Cailin (our 7 year old daughter) was being good and faithful since she never labored the Lord said, her obedience to us as her parents, her praying, bible reading and her participating in our ministry worship services and family devotional times makes her faithful in His eyes. Therefore, no brother or sister young or old should consider any contribution in terms of doing God's will as trivial. The Lord rewards every act of obedience that is done in His name and that brings Glory and honor to Him (1 Corinthians 10:31; Hebrews 6:10).

Brethren, this message is from God and it is serious. Don’t take it lightly; it is a warning! In previous articles (specifically Worldly Dressing, Appreciating the Way You Look, and Women in Pants and External Adornments), we have shared with you from the Lord that makeup and worldly dressing is worldly and goes against the Christian way of life, which is holiness and non-conformation to worldliness (Romans 12:1-2). Our message is a word of correction from the Lord.

This article on worldliness is a reminder from the Lord to Christians to stop embracing worldly principles and practices and to live as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).This article is being presented to show that some things that Christians consider as normal are indeed worldly. We will therefore use Scriptural evidence to lead our convictions as well as some warnings we received from the Lord regarding worldly behaviour.

Satan, the god of this World

In order for us to understand Satan’s role in this world, we must acknowledge what the Bible says regarding him. Unfortunately, some people don’t believe in Satan’s existence and as the god of this sinful world (1 Corinthians 1:28). This rests entirely upon their faith as it requires faith to accept the Bible’s evidence and testimony about the devil. In this brief study, we will examine a few scriptures to satisfy ourselves with truth relating to Satan’s being and behaviour. The Bible says: “Regarding them: the god of this age (World) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31).

From the above Scriptures, Satan is seen to be blinding people spiritually, so that they ignore the gospel of salvation. He is also the one using the various resource of the world to tempt and make us submissive to him (Matthew 4:8-9; Job 1:7). He is always at work in this world to destroy both the believing and unbelieving (1 Peter 5:8-9), again only faith and obedience in Christ alone gives us victory against his war for our souls (James 4:7). He is in the world not to make life easy for the human race, but to kill and destroy us (John 10:10), which reflects the current situation in the world today (Romans 1:20-32) He is a master deceiver and skillful in spreading lies and divisions between God and man (Genesis 3:1-5; Revelation 12:9).

Furthermore, Satan claims victory over those he controls and the end result is death (John 8:44-45; Ephesians 2:2; Romans 6:23). The ways of this world are sinfulness and the gratification of our carnal nature (Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 8:6-7). As it is, victory over Satan and sin is only through Christ Jesus, by faith in His redemptive work (Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 4:4; Revelation 12:11). We can only be more than conquerors if we don’t follow the ways of the world, which the above Scriptures declare as chasing after fleshly desires (Romans 8:37). Brethren, though some of our labour here is for the flesh, are we using the things here to control us or are we also working for The Lord and giving Him the glory (Luke 19:13-26)?

Remember, Satan operates through the spirit of lust, greed, selfishness and hatred, leading people in opposition to one another. To prove this, just read today’s sports headlines and business ads, "We are the best! We have more". Frankly, this is worldliness at best and this same spirit has made its way into the church. Christians and churches are now divided and are at war with one another for money and souls in order to attract more people and attention to themselves (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). This is not Christ’s way and command to the Church. His will is to unify and build the body up in perfect love and fruitful labour for the glory of God (Ephesians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 2:14-18).

Are You Friends With the World?

Broadly speaking, friendship with the world involves following the ways of the world through a continuous appetite for more and more worldly things (1 John 2:15-16). In addition, Christians have become very comfortable with many worldly activities and some of these activities are being celebrated in the Church today. In these celebrations, the Church practices being seen as ‘seasonal’, using relevant Scriptures to highlight such events. The point is: do such events promote obedience to Christ Jesus, or do they make the Church conform to the world and become relevant to the overall goal of the world leaders?

Like we shared in a previous article, the Lord considers every wrong thing we do as worldliness. Biblically, wrong things involves all things that goes against the Scriptures (James 4:17). Therefore, worldliness is anything that encourages us away from the Lord and leads us into some form of idolatry and habitual sinful desires (Colossians 3:5; 1 Peter 4:3).

We will consider some corrections on worldly behaviour from the Lord to us as a ministry and to others. Some few years ago, I was due to attend a meeting with my former pastor, so we asked the Lord what message I should take with me to the pastor. The Lord said that I should tell the pastor what things are permitted in the church and what should not be permitted. The Lord was referring to some incidents of worldly dancing and worldly music that were being performed in the church. There were also some plays that highlighted violence, drugs, and sexual lust. These scenes are all worldly and increase the appetite of the flesh.

While we understand that this message is intended to warn us against such behaviour, involving the perceptive senses to hear and visualize such events also brings desire. As it is, we make our message acceptable to the youth by depicting real life situations, when they already see all that on television and movies. Furthermore, worldly events like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Spring Day, Halloween, etc. are all designed to take attention from Christ and the cross, but bring focus to the celebration and idolizing of nature and persons. This also applies to worldly excursions, vacations to worldly places and beaches, or cruises which promote lust. Oftentimes, Christians who go on these journeys or vacations have little to no time for Bible reading and prayers. It ends up being a vacation from the Lord, while the Bible says that we should meditate on the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:97) and “Pray without Ceasing” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17). I challenge every Christian: how do these events bring glory to Christ? And how do they benefit you spiritually to stop sinning? You might say that it draws attention to our church or message; yes it does, but was Jesus Christ really seen and glorified in this? (Matthew 5:14-16).

Worldliness in the Church

Moreover, there are many pastors who don’t find it worldly to sing worldly songs from the pulpit, or worldly songs masked as Christian songs. Not only are they doing that to become popular especially with the younger generation, but they also encourage their church members that it is not wrong and that such music does not interfere with our salvation. In truth, it does interfere with our salvation; anything that gives pleasure to the sinful nature is not from faith, and it is therefore sin (Romans 14:23). The God of the Bible, the One speaking to us, has warned several Christians against listening to worldly music, watching secular television and movies, and attending ungodly parties, indicating that doing these activities is being worldly. Surely, you know these appeal to the senses, leading to desire; this is an indulgence to the gratification of the flesh, isn't it? In this, does it show the nature of Christ in us or does it encouragement us to sin, for desire leads to fulfillment?

Finally, leading a worldly lifestyle is not acceptable to God. I have heard many pastors sharing dreams of luxury cars, magnificent buildings, and other worldly things this they believe will draw people to God because people will see how God has blessed them and "prospered" them, so they can desire the same things. Their sermons often manipulate Scripture to only focus on what "itching" ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3), such as God's "blessings" and "grace" for us to just live happy here on earth and have the best life here (John 16:33); they rarely mention living holy (1 Peter 1:13-16), Christ's soon return (Revelation 22:12), or God's judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10). This clearly portrays God wrongly! God's message of holy living and obedience is being exchanged for worldly things to show off; we cannot serve both God and material wealth (Matthew 6:24). While it is good to show how God blessed us with things, it should never be the motive to draw us to Him. This is exactly the ‘bait’ that the prosperity teachers are using (1 Timothy 6:10). They are pulling the masses to gain fame and enrich themselves through the tithes and offerings, all these being done at the expense of their member's salvation!

In conclusion, being friends with the world is accepting Satan as your ruler and father. If we make friends with people to just socialize with them on worldly terms, and not to fellowship in Christ, our union with them is benefiting our (and their) sensual needs for the "feeling good" of our nature like lust or desire. In Christ, however, we feed on what builds us up in Him (Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:1-2; John 14:15) in our daily quest to crucify the sinful nature. Choose your friends for the good of the gospel and their salvation.

So, have you been focusing on being friends with the world, or would you like to be a true friend of Jesus Christ? If you desire to be friends with The Lord, please pray this Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started in this beautiful journey. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed Love,
Brother Glenn.

Desiring Good and Bad Things

IMPORTANT NOTICE: WE WILL BE POSTING A NEW ARTICLE LATER THIS WEEK...PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE!

According to the online dictionary, desire is defined as ‘a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen’. An evil desire, therefore, is a craving to fulfil or satisfy a God-forbidden want. This may be for things we have, but we lust after the things of others. This subject will be presented from a Biblical point of view and how as Christians we should control our desires. In this article, we will look at good and bad desires, and what God desires of us.

It is normal and natural to have desires, but the choice we exercise over these desires is what matters (Romans 8:5). When we listen to the voice of the flesh to satisfy its cravings over God’s will, we have decided to disobey Him. The spirit of desire is something that we can’t just wish away or get rid of. It is part of us, and we exercise a choice or our will to control it. While an evil desires might be sinful in and by itself, it produces death when we obey it (Galatians 5:16-17). As we have recognised, some desires are good and some are evil. As Christians, we are often faced and overwhelmed by strong unwanted feelings. Some of these desires are fed through our senses to satisfy a craving, while other desires are resident within us. The inner being desires God’s perfection (Romans 7:22, Psalm 40:8). Let us look at desiring good things.

What Are Bad Desires?

Brethren, the Scriptures are clear on evil desires. We are warned in the Bible not to live to obey the cravings of our evil desires (Romans 6:12). The Apostle Paul urged Timothy to "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22).

In the book of Galatians 5:19-21, we are warned against some bad desires which lead to sordid sinful behaviours that are completely prohibited and result in the loss of eternal life and earning punishment in Hell. We exercise a free will to either satisfy a desire or to flee from it, as Paul urged Timothy above. What the Apostle meant is that we must choose to flee from evil desires and choose to obey God by pursuing what He desires (Psalm 51:6). In the account of the fall of man, Eve had the commandment not to eat from the forbidden tree; she was however driven by the spirit of desire which she chose to obey, and this resulted in Judgement (Genesis 3:6).

Good Desires

In Scripture, we are urged to desire "truth in the inward parts" (Psalm 51:6) and to "earnestly desire the best gifts" of God (I Corinthians 12:31). These are considered good desires! I would just like to add something here; if we desire the good things from God, we must be able to live our lives pleasing to Him in word and in deed like Daniel and David (Daniel 10:11; 1 Samuel 13:14). I have met and personally know many Christian brothers and sisters who have great desires for the things of God. They want to do great things for God in what they say, but sadly, unlike David and Daniel, they lack loyalty towards God. Some of the things they desire, which are unscriptural, are a desire to have a big church, and while this shows ‘faith,” it is more based on being dominant and in charge. The purest desire is to desire God and to do His will like our Lord Jesus, Daniel and King David displayed in their humble and obedient attitudes (John 4:34, Philippians 2:5-9). Desiring to live in a way that is pleasing to God is to seek what is acceptable to Him (Romans 12:2), but desiring the pursuit of an ambition is to seek what we want more than what God has called us to (Matthew 6:33). We have been asked by many people to ask the Lord Jesus Christ what their calling was; in reply the Lord would point them to their relationship with Him (John 15:7). Often, He finds them being caught up in worldliness and lacking in Bible reading and praying.

We may desire the gifts as the Scripture rightfully urges us, but are we bearing the fruit to exude these gifts? The Lord Jesus Christ told me that the gifts of the Holy Spirit do not operate without His permission, and we must bear fruit of submission and obedience to Him (1 Corinthians 12:11; John 16:14). He says He does not give Christians power to show off and attract people to them, but that He might be seen alive in a fruit-bearing Christian.

Furthermore, good desires are born out of obedience to the Lord (John 6:38; Psalm 37:4). In obeying God, we choose to subject our will to God and sacrifice our appetites in obedience to His will. We desire well if our motive is to obey Him more than the wishes of man (Acts 5:29; John 12:43). People have expectations of us, but doing things to please man against the will of God is equally sinful. Simply put, the Lord wants you to desire Him and His will more than ANYTHING else (Matthew 12:30).

In addition, some people have a desire to be like someone else and to live and do the things that person did. However, the Bible encourages us to imitate those in the faith in terms of their walk with God, but not to be like them, as each one of us have received our own gift from God according to our faith (1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 4:10). Therefore, the desire to be like someone else, which the church is filled with today, is not of God, but from our own selfish ambitions (Matthew 7:21). In fact we are urged to be like Jesus; this is the purest desire (Colossians 3:1-17, 1 Peter 1:14-16, Ephesians 1:4).

What Does God Desire For Us?

God desires that we live just as this the Scripture declares, “Tell them: As I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent; repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?” (Ezekiel: 33:11 Holman CSB).

In conclusion, let us exercise the right choice – the choice to obey the Lord when we are confronted by our desires. The following Scripture should serve as a reminder to us to desire godly living: “God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:6-8)

Have you been making demands of God or having selfish desires that are not in line with His will? 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.

With love and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ,

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 judgment 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 to 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. With the rapid expansion of social media platforms, we make friends with just about anybody while expressing and sharing our experiences with strangers we have never met. This, too, is a grievous stumbling block. As it is, God's opinion about us matters because it is anchored in truth, faithfulness and unfettered grace.

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: A few years ago, the Lord gave us the 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 it 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 a 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 the 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 judgment!

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.

Appreciating The Gift Of Life

“For whoever wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, turn from evil and do good, seek peace and chase after it. For Adonai keeps his eyes on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of Adonai is against those who do evil things” (1 Peter 3:10-12 CJB).

Many concerned brethren wrote to us inquiring about things they read which are supposedly from the Lord. As is apparent, we prayerfully and carefully examined some of these teachings in the light of the Scriptures so that the truth of the Bible remains our guide. Like we alluded elsewhere, our motive is to satisfy ourselves with the Truth and to allow such Truth which we receive by faith, to guide our conscience. When I witness to people I often remind them that abusing their bodies through drugs, alcohol and cigarettes shows little appreciation for the gift of life. Furthermore, our lives are not our own, it's been gifted to us by the Almighty God, that is why we will have to account for it either to be crowned with the gift of eternal life or for eternal damnation (Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

This week however, the Lord has given us something new to reflect upon: loving and valuing our God-given lives. The Bible tells us that after God created everything, He was pleased and approved His work (Genesis 1:31). He set out laws for nature in terms of reproduction (Genesis 1:11) and He also set the reproductive laws in motion when He commanded both man, plants and animals to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:20-25). This is the Creator giving earthly life its orders, and being alive in this world we see this very thing still in operation around us. This is so because, He holds all things together by the Power of His eternal Word (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17).

Loving Our Lives to Please God

Since man is created in the image of God, man has been endowed with the power of will and choice (Genesis 2:15-17). Morally, man’s conscience needs guiding to determine rewards or punishment. Biblically, rewards would refer to the preservation of life which God promised to compensate our faith and obedience (John 3:16-18). While punishment refers to a total separation from God, we are promised life and perpetual existence in Him alone (John 1:4; 15:4-6). Scripturally, and by faith, we know God exercised His dominion over man and all creation on earth by allowing death and decay (Genesis 3:17-19).

Therefore, knowing that the reward for obedience is eternal life, loving our lives is to live pleasing to God (Colossians 1:10). The point I am making is this: Christ is life and our faith and obedience to Him equals our union with Him (John 17:20-23). This union is the life-sustaining nourishment leading to our preservation – eternal life. Just as much as life is interrupted when we separate a branch from a vine, likewise the life of a believer is interrupted and lifeless when we are not living in union with the Lord (John 15:5). Union or oneness with Christ Jesus is seen through the fruit He produces through us by His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22; Romans 8:9-11).

Similarly, when the Lord said we must hate (Luke 14:26) our own lives, He meant we must share in His life of suffering and deny living for our own pleasures, but offer our lives in service to God (Romans 12:1-2). This is the life He called Aaron and his sons to a lasting priesthood to God; you and I have been called likewise (1 Peter 2:9).

Why Do Some People Hate Life?

I honestly don’t have all the answers to this question. However, having been endowed with all faculties common to man, I can testify that hard situations can make us give up on life. We often blame everything and everyone around us, but ourselves. Often, most of our problems are as a result of our own choices. The choices that landed us into trouble were self-driven and God had no influence in our lives. When this has happened, we may express our displeasure at life and even spend the rest of our remaining days complaining and being dissatisfied. Sadly, there are those who would try out God, and if God does not conform to their standards, He is not needed. To those people I say: shame on you! God’s life in you results in fruit for living (Galatians 5:22). This is what everybody will see and want, not our constant consciousness about our own lives. This is therefore a wasted life; it has no support from the Source, God.

In conclusion, a few weeks ago, the Lord showed Charis in a vision a young man who returned back into the world. In this vision he was portrayed as very old, wrinkled, frail and looking under-nourished. In the vision, while pointing at this young man an Angel,  “look at this worldly man”. This is the condition of a person who does not have the life of God: withered and without life support, dead from the inside. Brethren, your life is wasted without Christ and you show no appreciation to your life and existence if you choose to live apart from Him. Through this message, the Almighty God says: love your life and unify it in Christ Jesus (John 3:17-18). Love life which has meaning and value only in Christ and enjoy it in service to God and man!

Blessed Love,

Brother Glenn.

Being Selfishly-Minded

“Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.  Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing” (Philippians 2:3 NLT).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: BRETHREN, WHILE WE MIGHT NOT BE PRODUCING NEW ARTICLES EVERY WEEK, WE DO UPDATE SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLES AND WHEN THE LORD HAS GIVEN US NEW VISIONS WE UPDATE IT UNDER THE "LATEST PROPHECIES & VISION'S" TAB. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AS WE ARE NOT SENDING OUT ANY NOTIFICATIONS.

“For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:21 NIV).

This week, the Lord is reminding us that we should not think about our own interests, but about His interest. Being born again means …"You are not your own; you were bought at a price…" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV).  This teaching runs through the entire Bible, and many of us are reading this and many other similar passages daily, yet we ignore to live according to these commands of Scripture. The Lord told us that when we purposely ignore obeying His Word, He will also ignore us (Mark 8:38). Many Christians think that if they selectively do the will of God they are pleasing Him; this act is an abomination to Him. We please the Lord when we say like Paul “...I consider my life worth nothing to me...” (Acts 20:24 NIV). These were not just vain confessions; the apostle Paul walked the talk as is evident in his epistles and the book of Acts. He lived a yielded life to Christ.

The Example of The Lord and Other Servants of God

The life of our Lord Jesus Christ is vividly portrayed in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). In a compelling account, the witnesses testified how the Lord lived out His zeal in service to our Heavenly Father (John 4:34; John 9:4).  Many of us would say, “Yes, but that was Jesus Christ”; true, He set the pace for His followers and others followed (1 Corinthians 11:1).  In sharing His life with us, the Lord held nothing back.  He lived every moment of time for the will of the Father. 

Similarly, Daniel and his three friends took their stand and refused to live according to the dictates of the King and the pressure from their peers (Daniel 3:18). Today, many Christians bow to pressure and compromise their walk with Christ to please their worldly and God-denying friends. They don’t l live yielded to Christ all the time; they live selectively, picking and choosing what is acceptable to yield to at the moment. Are we not being hypocritical and sacrificing our salvation to please our peers?  Are we not hurting the Lord when we deny Him in front of others?  When we do so, He turns around and looks at us with pain in His heart (Luke 22:61).

Also, just as Moses the servant of the Lord was called by God to serve His purpose, and his life was not devoted to self-serving, we have likewise been called.   Moses gave up his life and followed the will of God (Exodus 33:13). So did Joshua who assisted Moses in the Presence of the Lord since he was a youth (Joshua 11:28). These men and many others did not live their lives for themselves; they had no personal achievements except what God has done through them for the benefit of others.  They can only say “this is what God has worked through me for His own glory”, not “this is what I achieved”.  If we work for the Lord, why do we credit ourselves for the work He brought about through us? Are we not owned by Christ? (1 Corinthians 6:20).

From the above examples, we can see the outworking of God through the lives of these devoted servants in service to Him for the benefit of others. The self-servicing will always put their interest first.  In our serving, is our motive to gratify some personal longing or craving, or is it to serve God?  I have come across many self-serving people who do things in the name of the Lord, but God is nowhere seen in the decisions they made. If God was present in their work, we would see the fruit of God.  That fruit is evident in the obedience of people towards God, not the big churches and numbers.  We, therefore, ask, what was the outworking of God in people’s lives? (Philippians 4:14-18).  How has the outworking of God in believers impacted communities? If there is no evidence, then the work we did reflected nothing but ourselves. We did not lead from the front; we were instead coaches that sit and give orders from the bench. In Christianity, Christ left us an example by doing/action (in leading and serving others), and so did those who followed His way of life (Hebrews 5:8; Acts 5:41).

Do We Serve God or Ourselves?

The Word of God (The Bible) is for all people and it is good for everyday living. We are commanded by the Lord to take our daily instructions for obedient living from the Word (1 Peter 2:20; Matthew 4:4). If we live by the carefully formulated formulas we received from our church leaders, then we are not following the Lord, but man. When we serve and follow man, our work will be evident through our fruit. Those fruits are reflected in our attitude and the "evidence" of God in our lives. God is seen in us through our humble and serving attitudes (Philippians 2:5-11; John 13:1-17).

Furthermore, it is not how much we know and talk about God; do we see the outworking of God in us into the lives of others? Or are we just idle talkers who only complain? Or are we just trying to impress others by the witty sayings about God? Remember our actions build and change lives more than just our clever sayings (James 2:14-26).

We recently experienced an incident where the Lord rebuked an individual for selfish living. When I shared the Lord’s message with him, he cited his feelings, considering what he feels is more important than the truth of God. He considered taking someone’s part more important than the Word of God. If we do so we disqualify ourselves from the truth of God. Also, I have shared many rebukes from the Lord with brothers and sisters who were convinced they are serving the Lord by the work they were doing in His name, but in the end, the Lord judged them by showing that they were serving themselves. What was wrong with their work? There was no God-fearing fruit in the lives of those they are ministering to. They try to impact people’s lives by pointing people to gifts and man, more than to Christ Jesus who alone is worthy of praise and thanksgiving.  Let me caution you here in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: when you point people to man in the name of the Lord, are you not promoting idolatry and expressing your will? We express the will of Christ if there is no evidence of our own self-interest.

Finally, the Word of God says that "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all" (Mark 9:35 NIV). Also, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever Amen” 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV). The Lord Jesus Christ loves people and He is their Judge and He always works through His servants for the good of people, not only for the material good of people but that they prosper spiritually, which is obedience to the Lord (Deuteronomy 4:40; Ephesians 5:21).

In conclusion, the Lord recently encouraged a brother saying he must continue work of service for His sake. This is your calling, your life, and your hope; unite with Christ to establish His Kingdom (Luke 11:23). Remember the Lord measures us by the outworking of God in others through obedient service to Him.

Below is a short vision God gave Charis (January 12, 2014) afternoon. The Lord does bring an end to our selfish ways. This person is very, very dear to me, but I must share to warn others. If we stand in the way of God because we restrain others to serve our interest and not His, and when He wants to save a soul we will face His wrath like Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:8-12). This vision is a warning and a Judgement of God against someone who opposed God.

Vision of a Self-Thinking Person

Given to Charis on January 12, 2014

“I went to bed with a headache and while sleeping I had a vision from the Lord this afternoon.  I saw myself, Jaydeen and my cousin Elzette in a very, very large house with many rooms.  While we were walking down the passage of this big house, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “…Brother B’s days are numbered and you must pray for him”.  After these words, I saw a very long straight thin rope with no beginning or end and big scissors appeared cutting the rope in the middle. In the vision, I knew this was referring to the words the Lord had spoken”.

We pray that the Lord delays His Judgement until this person makes his life right with God. God gives life and He has the power to terminate our lives (Daniel 5:23; Acts 12:23). The God we serve is a God of Mighty Judgement, no one trying to oppose Him can succeed (Proverbs 21:30). Help us pray!

Have you been living selfishly, thinking only about yourself? Have you been neglecting to live in service to God for the benefit of others?  Here is a Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started in victory through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Regards,

Brother Glenn

You may read some of our visions here.

Being Ungrateful Displeases The Lord

Expectations For Cravings Not Need

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

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

Personal Ambitions Is Self-Driven

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

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

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

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

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

Greedy Christians

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

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

A Word of Encouragement

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

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

Vision of God The Father

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

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

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

Blessed truth and peace,
Brother Glenn.

The Pursuit Of Fame And Fortune Is Vanity

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”” (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV).

In previous articles (refer to The Love of Money and Prosperity Teachers), we wrote quite extensively on the deceitfulness of riches and worldliness. In this article however, we will be brief.

Word of Encouragement

As Christians, often the thought of giving up on our faith arrests us, and when this strikes us, we often hibernate into lukewarm mode. So when this happens, our mood becomes serious and we often says that we don’t ‘feel’ God. As it is, we often blame God for not answering our prayers and at times we avoid all contact with other Christians. If that is where you find yourself today, my brother or sister, jump out of that cycle of defeat. Your faith is dying, and soon wicked and carnal desires will prowl on you like a bandit to possess you and gradually lower  your faith consciousness from being a friend of God to an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). The Bible warns us to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Therefore, faith in Christ operates by willpower and faith is consolidated by the Word of God and our active Christian life-style. When we feed on the Word of God daily, we will not lack the spirit to stay active in fruit-bearing and obedience to the Lord. The Word keeps our focus on Christ and the Word also serves as a critical guard against our own carnal thoughts, thus ensuring victory against internal struggles and other schemes of the enemy (Ephesians 6:11).

So then, the Word within conquers the seeds of doubt, discouragement and rebellion, and active faith triumphs over trials and worldly desires. Words of inspiration may seem encouraging when we are downcast and in need of uplifting; but Words of faith rooted in Christ have fruit-bearing seeds like hope, faith and love are more helpful (Galatians 5:22-23). I encourage you, the Lord is FAITHFUL and His love for us never diminishes despite our mistakes! (Lamentations 3:22). So, fight to win the war against faithless feelings: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12), so that in the end you can boldly declare in agreement with the apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Losing Your Soul to Please Man

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” (Luke 9:25 NKJV).

When we grew up, we were taught that the sky was the limit, and we should dream big and follow our hearts. Our appetite for attention, adoration, and an oversupply of worldly possessions serves as an incentive to realize our goal. Egotistically, everybody loves good things and attention from others, no matter how humble our attitudes. In other words, our glory is displayed through the things we have and the attention we command from others. Brethren, please don't get me wrong; fame and fortune may be acquired legally, and we have no objection to that. What we warn you against is this:

• Have you not been told that those who amass wealth and attention to themselves are in danger of Hell fire? (Acts 17:22-31; Isaiah 42:8).
• Have you not heard that the world and everything in it belongs to God, and that your fame and wealth will testify against you? (Psalm 24:1; James 5:6).
• Was it not told you that the pursuit of fame and fortune is vanity and the greed demon is your god? (Ecclesiastes 5:10; Matthew 6:24).
• Are you not aware that you should use your riches to serve God and not yourselves? (1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 19:21).
• Has your position in this world turned you into a "wonder" or are you being idolized by others? If so, you are in a race competing against truly abundant and everlasting life; only the humble and lowly, i.e. those of no reputation, will have a heritage in Christ (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5; Philippians 2:5-11).

Strengthen your Heavenly position by pointing your followers to Christ. Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom, and use your wealth to bring glory to Him for the salvation of souls (Luke 16:9). Don't compete for attention from others, but serve God with an obedient heart and a humble attitude; this promises treasure in Heaven (Matthew 23:12).

Unfortunately, today’s society has created a very high demand for fame and fortune. Sadly, the enemy is winning the war against the human soul (Galatians 5:17) and giving people a false sense of self-importance and a desire to make a name for themselves – “self”, for example as in “selfie”, has become the new focus. Today’s Internet-driven technology guarantees almost overnight fame, attention and sometimes fortune. Many voices are going up the airwaves and telecommunication lines encouraging us to pursue our dreams and allow no one, including God, to stop us from reaching our potential.

I know this message is going to offend the brethren who have their eyes on the pursuit of fame and fortune in this world. Their motive is not just to work for a living, but to imitate other worldly and “successful” people before them. In Jesus name, our message is not to encourage you to become rich according to the standard of this world (1 Timothy 6:17); we are sent to you to warn you about the dangers associated with the pursuit of riches. The Lord Jesus Himself warned: "… Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:23-24 NIV).

There are two kinds of rich and famous people: some are proud, controlling, arrogant and abusive, while others portray a down-to-earth attitude and act as friends or champions of the poor; however, they are both possessed by the same spirit of greed and self-importance. Furthermore, most famous and rich people use their status in society to negatively influence the actions of others.

Last year August the Lord showed Charis in a vision that a world-famous person would be dying and going to hell. This individual, like many other famous people who served their own honour and did not fear or reverence God, is being celebrated for his achievements outside Christ. When we draw attention to ourselves or some organisation we stand condemned (Luke 6:26), just like Herod (Acts 12:21-23). Furthermore, the Bible says: “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19).

Finally, if we serve the Lord and use His name to make a name for ourselves and for self-enrichment, we stand to lose our souls. I once attended a service at my previous church and our pastor invited a young pastor over to minister the word of God to us. I liked his preaching, but he was in the habit of elevating himself by mentioning the things he had and who among worldly, world famous pastors and bishops he had met. This kind of pursuit of fame and fortune is VANITY! Our motive in service should never be to seek honour for ourselves, but for Christ. Indeed, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool” (Proverbs 19:1).

Warning Against Misplaced Trust in Wealth

As an encouragement, the Lord commanded that you read Psalm 49:1-20 (HCSB is quoted below):

¹ Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world,² both low and high, rich and poor together.³ My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart’s meditation brings understanding.⁴ I turn my ear to a proverb; I explain my riddle with a lyre.⁵ Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.⁶ They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches.⁷ Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God—⁸ since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying—⁹ so that he may live forever and not see the Pit.¹⁰ For one can see that wise men die; foolish and stupid men also pass away. Then they leave their wealth to others.¹¹ Their graves are their eternal homes, their homes from generation to generation, though they have named estates after themselves. 

¹² But despite his assets, man will not last; he is like the animals that perish.¹³ This is the way of those who are arrogant, and of their followers, who approve of their words. Selah. ¹⁴ Like sheep they are headed for Sheol; Death will shepherd them. The upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form will waste away in Sheol, far from their lofty abode.¹⁵ But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol, for He will take me. Selah 

¹⁶ Do not be afraid when a man gets rich, when the wealth of his house increases.¹⁷ For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down.¹⁸ Though he praises himself during his lifetime— and people praise you when you do well for yourself—¹⁹ he will go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light.²⁰ A man with valuable possessions but without understanding is like the animals that perish.

Have you been in pursuit of recognition, wealth, accolades, positions, and titles in the world? Have you neglected to seek and spend time with the only wise God who can save your soul? If so, please repent and begin seeking Him today. 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.

Grace to all in humble service,
Brother Glenn.

Why The Lord Jesus Disapprove Worldly Dressing

This is a follow-up on the Women in Pants and External Adornments article. Therefore, we will only mention what The Lord Jesus Christ considers as worldly dressing for both men and women. The Lord is very serious on this matter and His Word is final on this. However, it is not the intention of this ministry to dictate how you should dress. Our work is to convey the Lord’s message to you, and the truly God-fearing and discerning will follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit; that conviction is always Christ-like in attitude and conduct (John 16:14). In reality, the Christian’s life and conduct should reflect the Bible.

Brethren, we should stop dishonoring the Lord and the counsel of His Holy Word. We cannot seek the world’s approval of us; if we do so, then our message to the world has failed and we have failed as well. The worldly Christian is only concerned about the affairs of this world and what they can get out of the world, but they have no desire to win souls and care for the things of God (Philippians 3:18-21).

Christ or the World

This topic is very serious in the eyes of God and that is why He commanded us to add onto this subject. In a short vision to Charis recently, the Lord showed her a woman, who is a mother and who professes to be a Christian, wearing very tight shorts with a tight top almost exposing her breast. On this the Lord said, “That woman is very worldly, and she loves the attention of others”.

After Adam and Eve sinned against God at the garden, there was a necessity to cover nakedness, and clothes were meant to cover the body (Genesis 3:6-7, 21).  However, the enemy has been using the spirit of fashion, resulting in clothes being used to show off the body in a bid to boost some people's bruised egos or mask identity/insecurity issues. Remember, in our dressing it is not about how we feel as some have made us believe; what we should ask ourselves is this: is our outward appearance drawing attention to us or does it glorify God? The Lord says that the reason why many Christians are conforming to the standards of the world is because of their fear of man more than God (John 12:43).

Yes, many Christians fear offensive comments from the world, but don’t fear God; they rather value the flattering opinions of man more than the fear of God. The Bible clearly warns us "not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more... Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell" (Luke 12:4-5). Christians need to realize that in the Christian walk, we are destined to suffer ridicule and mockery from the world (Psalm 123:4; 2 Timothy 3:12). We must make up our minds if we are going to follow the leading of the world because the way we conduct ourselves sets the standards accepted by the world. Therefore, if we meet the world’s standards, then we are not in sync with God’s standards and His Judgement will apply to us. Remember, friendliness with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4; Romans 8:7).

^“Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, but with good works, as is proper for women who affirm that they worship God” (1 Timothy 2:9-10 HCSB). See also 1 Peter 3:3-4.

What is Modest Dressing?

I have borrowed words below from an online Christian resource, which accurately sum up modest dressing for Christians from a Biblical perspective:

“To understand what constitutes modest dressing is to look at the attitudes and intents of a person’s heart. Those whose hearts are inclined toward God will make every effort to dress modestly, decently, and appropriately. Those whose hearts are inclined toward self will dress in a manner designed to draw attention to themselves with little or no regard for the consequences to themselves or others. 

A godly woman endeavors to do everything with a “God-ward” perspective. She knows that God wants His people to be concerned for His glory and the spiritual state of their brothers and sisters in Christ. If a woman professes to be a Christian yet she dresses in a way that will unduly draw attention to her body, she is a poor witness of the One who bought her soul by dying for her on the cross. She is forgetting that her body has been redeemed by Christ and is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). She is telling the world that she determines her own worth on a purely physical basis and that her attractiveness depends on how much of her body she reveals to them. Further, by dressing in an immodest fashion, displaying her body for men to lust after, she causes her brothers in Christ to sin, something condemned by God (Matthew 5:27–29). Proverbs 7:10 mentions a woman “dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent”—here, the woman’s heart condition is displayed by her manner of dress. 

The Scripture says that we are to dress modestly, but what exactly does that mean in modern society? Does a woman have to be covered from head to toe? There are cults and religions in the world that demand this of women. But is that the biblical meaning of modesty? Again, we have to go back to the matter of the attitudes of the heart. If a woman’s heart is inclined toward godliness, she will wear clothing that is neither provocative nor revealing in public, clothing that does not reflect negatively upon her personal testimony as a child of God. Everyone else in her circle may be dressing immodestly, but she resists the temptation to go along with the crowd. She avoids clothing designed to draw attention to her body and cause men to lust, for she is wise enough to know that type of attention only cheapens her. The idea of causing men to sin against God because of her dress is abhorrent to her because she seeks to love and honor God and wants others to do the same. 

Modesty in dress reveals a modesty and godliness of the heart, attitudes that should be the desire of all women (and men) who live to please and honor God”. ("What happens after death?" Got Questions Ministries, n.d. Web. 06 Jul. 2014).

In Conclusion, this message and Scriptures are also very much relevant to men who are also causing women to sin by their worldly dressing (Luke 17:1-2). There are men in the church who wear “muscle” shirts, unbuttoned shirts, and other attire to draw attention to themselves while causing women to sin. There are also pastors’ wives who dress worldly, including wearing very high-heeled shoes and exposing “cleavage”, and often when you go to these churches, the women are emulating and copying the pastor’s wife. Dear Children of God, let us honor the Lord with our dressing! He is worthy and will help us be the godly models the world needs to see.

Finally for parents, the enemy is working hard to dress our children in worldly things including very short or tight shorts, miniskirts, and demonic figures or messages on dresses for young girls and on shirts, shoes, and other attire for boys. Other types of worldly dressing or fashion styles that appeal to the flesh, are sexually provocative, or promote lust, such as sagging by young men (wearing pants which sag so that the top is significantly below the waist) or women's wearing of low-rise jeans, are displeasing to the Lord because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should be glorifying God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Even though there may not be many choices of decent, modest clothes, please teach the children to honor the Lord in their dressing while they are young, so that when they grow up they are well grounded to resist the world's ways (Proverbs 22:6). Although there is peer pressure to conform to worldly trends, let us choose to fear The Lord and not to conform to the patterns of the world (Romans 12:2) because ultimately, "God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

May we overcome in Jesus name and be among those to whom the Lord says, “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:3) and "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:21).

If you have not made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, or if you desire to renew your relationship with Him, simply pray this Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started in a new life and mean it in your heart. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed love in Christ’ service,

Brother Glenn.

Is External Adornment For Women In Christ

Indecent Dressing in The Church

Apology

Brethren, we would like to express our sincere apology to everyone for not posting an article during last week. Thus, the article below was meant to be shared last week and we only discovered now that it was not published. Also, for next week we will be sharing an encouraging message with a rebuke to some Church leaders who accepts praise from members of their congregants. Please don't miss next week's article.

This week’s article is a repeat and this is a message DIRECTLY FROM GOD as His messengers, we only had to find the Scriptural references and add it and share His message. We have received numerous emails from concerned brothers and sisters in the Lord regarding woman wearing fake hair, jewelry, pants and make-up, etc. In these emails, we were asked if the Lord ever said something on any of the above things. Now, since this is such a contentious issue, the Lord has provided the opportunity for us today to share with you what He taught us through the messages He gave some of our female ministry members. In all sincerity, we are sharing this not as a rule to churches, but as ministers of the gospel and as members of the body of Christ. The Lord through His Word and His messages to us has given us authority to speak on His behalf as truthful witnesses. We therefore freely share what the Lord has entrusted to us in truth.

In this article, as a witness we have included the original messages the Lord gave Charis for some of our members. We have removed their names while we share their whole messages. 

By now, many of you reading here are familiar with the fact that the Lord is speaking to us as a family and ministry. Whether you regard our claim as false or truthful, we have been sent to you as witnesses of what we heard from the Lord. We therefore cannot keep quiet on what we have learned (Acts 4:20); like Paul we pass on to you what we received (1 Corinthians 15:3). We are not here to convince you or make you believe our testimony. The things we share consolidate what the Bible teaches.

Is it Acceptable for Women to Wear Pants?

Honestly, I have been reading quite a few articles on this, including some ‘revelations’ supposedly from the Lord. Some even went as far as saying God was ‘frowning’ at women wearing pants. Let us therefore consider what the Bible say regarding women and pants wearing. The verse many use and conclude women must not wear pants is this, “A woman is not to wear male clothing, and a man is not to put on a woman’s garment, for everyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 22:5 HCSB).

In reality, this verse does not say anything about “a woman must not wear pants.” There is not even a hint of it in the original languages in case we sit with a translation error. The error we have is the wrong meaning some believers add to this Scripture and sadly, many use the Scriptures to justify a way of life; this is at best abuse of the Word of God and using Scripture for evil purposes is sinful.

There are many different clothing in the market today which looks similar in design for both men and women. Isn’t this the case? For instance, certain pants like jeans or denim, socks, shoes, shirts, tops, jackets, and the list goes on. The only differences in these are the shapes, sizes and colors, while they are all classified as either pants or shoes for men and pants or shoes for women, ladies or boys/girls. If, for instance, a man purposely purchases a woman’s pants or a woman buys a man’s pants to wear (cross-dressing), then we could justly invoke this scripture. As it is, we know this Scripture was primarily concerned with issues of perversion and of natural distinctions.

Worldly Dressing

Brethren, in our experiences with the Lord, He never rebuked any of our female ministry members for wearing pants. He did rebuke some of them on certain things, which I will share shortly, but not on pants. In fact, they all wear pants, but not in an indecent way. What I mean by this is that too tight a pant is indecent if it reveals much of our posture. As for shorts, if they are tight-fitting or too short, it draws too much attention; it may promote indecent behaviour or even laughter from others (1Timothy 2:9). I hasten to add, if woman or man wears too extravagant clothes, they are drawing attention to themselves and not to Christ; this becomes a problem and the Lord once rebuked a sister for that saying she was showing off and dressing for the world. In a separate message to another sister who dressed inappropriately and worldly, the Lord said that she must stop dressing like a worldly person; the way she dressed was shown to Charis in a vision where this sister had a transparent dress on with most of her breast partially exposed.  My sisters, this might look cool and has become the current trend in fashion, but the Lord forbids such kind of dressing. This is promoting lust, and it is a stumbling block (consider reading our Stumbling Blocks article for more information).  Herein the Lord judged her motive.  Clearly most of us dress up with a motive; is your motive pleasing to God when dressing up? He will judge you for it! Don’t think He will overlook your motives, my brother or sister. The Lord takes note of every sin (1 Corinthians 4:5; Ecclesiastes 12:14;2 Corinthians 5:10). This is very true because we are drawing people to us (Luke 6:26).

Also today, the youth are being encouraged to wear things that reflect their attitudes and rebellion. Many are arguing saying, “Well, this is what they sell in the shops!” God would answer saying, “You had a choice when buying things that invite wicked behaviour!” Indeed, material things like clothes, cars, etc. are used today to “make a statement” and the person having it knows that.

Does The Lord Approve Women Wearing Make-up?

I once received an email from a sister who asked me if it was right wearing makeup. She referred to a few prominent women of God who are in the habit of wearing makeup. Beloved, kindly allow me to say this: it does not matter how powerful our preaching, singing, testimony or ministry might be; we must all, without exception, submit to the Word of God which is our guide to holy living. It is deceitful to use Scripture as a licence to indulge in sin. In the Bible we read, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV). This is the rule in God’s Word for the Christian; elaborate dressing is worldly and egocentric. But modest dressing is neat, tidy and acceptable to God and man (1 Timothy 2:9). Sadly, some women wear makeup to hide their aging or wrinkles.

In our experience with the Lord, He has rebuked and commanded some women in our ministry to stop wearing makeup of any kind, and this includes nail polish. You may ask, "what about clear nail polish"? All cosmetic related items whether clear or dark are classified as makeup. For your edification, we have included Charis’ original writing just as the Lord told her. Again, the motive we employ when putting on makeup is to beautify ourselves and to make ourselves attractive and acceptable to others. The Lord says: Stop the fake look and be genuine within, like the above Scriptures declare.

Are Earrings and Tattoos Forbidden for Both Men and Women?

There are quite a few Scriptures in the Bible that have a direct reference to earrings, and sadly, some even wrote articles using the reference to earrings as justifying that it is right to wear earrings. Again, we are warned not to wear jewelry (1 Peter 3:3; 1 Timothy 2:9); in wearing costly earrings we do so to set us apart from others because of its costliness and to give us a proud or haughty look. Among the motives in such an incident is to show off and to appear better than others; this is not a quiet and humble spirit which we are called to but a worldly bragging and a loud attitude  (Ephesians 4:2). Some men also like shaving their hair in various showy styles, along with wearing necklaces, rings and other different types of "bling-bling"; this is also worldly and attention-drawing.

Wedding rings: Some people say God has a problem with people wearing wedding rings/bands.  We know many people wear wedding rings/bands to symbolize their wedding vows, fidelity (faithfulness to each other), and the marital covenant they took with God being their witness (Malachi 2:14-16); as opposed to to selfishly drawing attention to themselves.

People think they own their bodies so they do as they please mutilating it with body piercings (on nose, tongue, lips, eye brows, ears, belly button, etc). If one belongs to Christ Jesus, He is owned by (united with) the Lord for His glory (1 Corinthians 6:17). Indeed the Lord also forbids tattoos, which have become very popular in today's culture: "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:28). Having tattoos is also attention-seeking and the very motive is to honor and idolize that tattoo. Tattoos are demonic and the tattoo symbol we carry is a form of idolatry. Again the motive is judged. Many people make tattoos because it is fashionable, and even if it is to honor someone (dead or alive), the Bible says that Christ died to become Lord of the living and the dead (Romans 14:9). I have seen and gently rebuked one young man who had a whole Bible verse tattoo on himself. His motive is to please God, but he followed the way of the world (Romans 12:2; Exodus 23:2).

The body is God's temple, and we have been purchased at a great price; we should therefore glorify The Lord in our body (1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 12:1).

Does The Lord Allow Fake Hair?

The answer is a resounding NO! I recently read an article in which someone claimed the Lord told her that it is right for her to have her hair “braided” while another woman said she has been told by the Lord to dye her hair as a sign of distinction. Both these instances contradict the above Scriptures and saying God does not judge outward is correct; however He does judge our motives and attitudes (1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:10), and the Lord considers it as rebelliousness if we fail to obey His Word. The dying of hair, even by men, is displeasing to The Lord.

We have a sister in the Lord who was wearing fake hair and even putting fake hair extensions on her daughter, and this was displeasing to the Lord. He commanded that she stop having fake hair. This has nothing to do with us feeling good for a fake look. The Scriptures say we must dress the inner man (1 Peter 3:4). Finally, on hair covering (1 Corinthians 11:6-15), we have no command from the Lord on this, and the Apostle Paul did not lay down a command on hair covering but said believers should judge for themselves.

Those of you who are convicted to repent may be wondering what to do with your items, such as expensive jewelry, for example. I advised one of the sisters whom the Lord rebuked to break hers and either throw away or sell to someone who buys gold items. But giving these things to someone when we are forbidden to wear them is not right. Even throwing them away whole is not good since someone else might find them and use them; rather break them up beyond repair or destroy them completely, just as King Josiah did in the Bible (2 Kings 23).

Finally, in Romans 14:1-23, Paul gave a great explanation on issues of doubt and for believers who promote separatism on food; clothing and criticizing what is the right belief or not is surely not building up the body, but this divides.  Let us therefore follow our conscience, the Scriptures, discernment, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit in deciding on questionable or doubtful things which are not precisely or clearly defined in Scripture. In whichever decision we take, God will judge our motives whether out of ignorance or out of indulgence to be seen as being ‘in sync ’with the times.

Transcripts of Messages from The Lord Regarding Dressing and External Adornments

July 25, 2013: “My daughter … must stop dressing like a worldly person, and I love My daughter … I AM coming tonight”. The Lord showed Charis in a vision how this sister was dressed in a transparent dress with her breast partially expose.

February 21, 2014: “My daughter … still has nail polish in her cupboard after I said she must throw it away, and I love My daughter … I AM coming tonight”. In a vision, the Lord commanded this sister to remove nail polish from her toes and to throw the polish and her earrings away. She did not obey, hence this second message. In a separate vision, she was said to be rebellious for not obeying.

March 2, 2014: “My daughter D… must not wear earrings, and I love My daughter D, I am coming tonight”. This sister doubted the Lord’s command to the above sister to throw her earrings away so she continued wearing her earrings. She requested us to ask the Lord and thus the message.

January 10, 2013: “My daughter R… must stop having fake hair and I love My daughter R… I am coming tonight”. This sister had fake hair on for a wedding; this was not pleasing to the Lord so after having it on for a few months the Lord commanded her to remove it. In obedience to the Lord, she did not hesitate to remove in obedience to the Lord.

April 14, 2013: “My daughter M… must not wear makeup and My daughter M… is faithful in her prayers. And My daughter M.. is not faithful in her Bible reading, and I love My daughter M… I am coming tonight”. The Lord showed Charis this sister in a vision with makeup on her face with some lipstick; she repented and stopped wearing it. This became a warning to the rest of our female church members.

March 30, 2013: “You and Jaydeen’s hair must be washed and blowed [blow-dryed] every Monday and it must be plaited, and I love you and Jaydeen, I am coming tonight”. Even being African in complexion, the Lord allows no relaxer or any other chemical on the hair, He commanded how Charis and Jaydeen’s hair must be treated. The plaiting is with their own natural hair (with no extensions or fake hair added), which you can see on the “Aunt Lily’s vision” article - June 15, 2013.

May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and keep you as you prayerfully read and share this teaching.

Blessed grace,

Brother Glenn

PS: We have rewritten and refreshed the article Prayer: The Key to All Problems with a lot of new prayer points. This will be helpful to many Christians who are struggling to pray.