**God does not hear the prayer of one who prays and stays in sin**

Seeking God cannot be an empty gesture. It must come with purpose in the heart, with genuine intention — this is how the prophets sought the Lord's face: *"Then I proclaimed a fast there... that we might afflict ourselves before our God"* (Ezra 8:21). Fasting and prayer are a way of emptying the heart of everything that is sin, so that God has room to speak and act. And God knows the heart — He is not impressed by fasting of the mouth, mere outward appearance, while the heart remains distant (Isaiah 58:3-6).

There's a striking episode where a Canaanite woman cries out for help, and Jesus responds in a way that shocks at first: *"It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs"* (Matthew 15:26). The bread — the blessings, the miracles, God's answers — belongs to those who are children. To those who have intimacy, who live inside the Father's house. It's not for those who ask from the outside, living in sin, with no commitment to change. The woman, however, insists with faith and humility, and Jesus recognizes her great faith. The lesson remains the same: the position of a child opens a door that the position of a stranger does not.

And that's exactly why Scripture teaches: *"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"* (Matthew 7:7). That promise is real, but it isn't unconditional — it's for those who live as children, sanctified, truly walking with God. Whoever sanctifies themselves, whoever surrenders their life without reservation, is filled with the Holy Spirit, and whatever they ask within God's will, they will receive, because it is written.

But this must be said: *"we know that God heareth not sinners"* (John 9:31). It's no use fasting, weeping, crying out, asking for blessing, while deliberately living in sin with no intention of letting go. God cannot be manipulated by tears or by forced fasting. He waits for the heart — broken, sincere, willing to change.

If you want to see God answer your prayers, the path begins before the request: it's sanctification. It's living as a child, not as someone who only wants the crumbs from the table while living far from home.

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*

Annabel Allu

**God does not hear the prayer of one who prays and stays in sin**

Seeking God cannot be an empty gesture. It must come with purpose in the heart, with genuine intention — this is how the prophets sought the Lord's face: *"Then I proclaimed a fast there... that we might afflict ourselves before our God"* (Ezra 8:21). Fasting and prayer are a way of emptying the heart of everything that is sin, so that God has room to speak and act. And God knows the heart — He is not impressed by fasting of the mouth, mere outward appearance, while the heart remains distant (Isaiah 58:3-6).

There's a striking episode where a Canaanite woman cries out for help, and Jesus responds in a way that shocks at first: *"It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs"* (Matthew 15:26). The bread — the blessings, the miracles, God's answers — belongs to those who are children. To those who have intimacy, who live inside the Father's house. It's not for those who ask from the outside, living in sin, with no commitment to change. The woman, however, insists with faith and humility, and Jesus recognizes her great faith. The lesson remains the same: the position of a child opens a door that the position of a stranger does not.

And that's exactly why Scripture teaches: *"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"* (Matthew 7:7). That promise is real, but it isn't unconditional — it's for those who live as children, sanctified, truly walking with God. Whoever sanctifies themselves, whoever surrenders their life without reservation, is filled with the Holy Spirit, and whatever they ask within God's will, they will receive, because it is written.

But this must be said: *"we know that God heareth not sinners"* (John 9:31). It's no use fasting, weeping, crying out, asking for blessing, while deliberately living in sin with no intention of letting go. God cannot be manipulated by tears or by forced fasting. He waits for the heart — broken, sincere, willing to change.

If you want to see God answer your prayers, the path begins before the request: it's sanctification. It's living as a child, not as someone who only wants the crumbs from the table while living far from home.

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*

Annabel Allu

PERSEVERE UNTIL THE END

But it is necessary to remain on the path in order to remain in salvation.

Jesus taught us that we need to renounce the world, take up our cross, and follow the Lord every day.

And until when should we follow?

Until the end. Until the last day of our lives. Amen?

This journey has an end, and we need to remain firm until we get there. This is perseverance.

Paul persevered until the end. When God revealed to him that the moment of his departure was near, he declared:

“The time for my departure has come.”

And he also said:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Paul persevered. He did not give up. He completed the mission that God had placed in his hands.

And because he persevered, he could say:

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”

Hallelujah!

The promise was not only for Paul. It is for everyone who remains faithful, for everyone who perseveres until the end.

Because if you do not persevere, you may end up with nothing more than a story from the past:

“One day I was a believer. One day I served God. One day I was in church.”

But God did not call us to live only on a story from the past. He called us to remain firm until the end.

Therefore, we need to persevere in everything.

We need to persevere while we wait on the Lord for the promises of this life.

We need to persevere while we wait for His coming.

We need to persevere in faith.

We need to persevere in love.

We need to persevere in patience.

We need to persevere when things are difficult.

We need to persevere when we do not understand what God is doing.

We need to keep walking even when circumstances tell us to stop.

Why?

Because what we have attained through faith must also be guarded through perseverance.

We cannot start well and finish badly.

We cannot run for a while and then abandon the race.

We need to reach the end.

Amen?

The Bible says:

“We, however, are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

Therefore, stand firm!

Do not give up your faith.

Do not abandon the path.

Do not return to the world.

Keep following Jesus.

Persevere until the end.

Because the one who perseveres until the end will be saved.

Say: I will persevere until the end!

PERSEVERE UNTIL THE END

But it is necessary to remain on the path in order to remain in salvation.

Jesus taught us that we need to renounce the world, take up our cross, and follow the Lord every day.

And until when should we follow?

Until the end. Until the last day of our lives. Amen?

This journey has an end, and we need to remain firm until we get there. This is perseverance.

Paul persevered until the end. When God revealed to him that the moment of his departure was near, he declared:

“The time for my departure has come.”

And he also said:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Paul persevered. He did not give up. He completed the mission that God had placed in his hands.

And because he persevered, he could say:

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”

Hallelujah!

The promise was not only for Paul. It is for everyone who remains faithful, for everyone who perseveres until the end.

Because if you do not persevere, you may end up with nothing more than a story from the past:

“One day I was a believer. One day I served God. One day I was in church.”

But God did not call us to live only on a story from the past. He called us to remain firm until the end.

Therefore, we need to persevere in everything.

We need to persevere while we wait on the Lord for the promises of this life.

We need to persevere while we wait for His coming.

We need to persevere in faith.

We need to persevere in love.

We need to persevere in patience.

We need to persevere when things are difficult.

We need to persevere when we do not understand what God is doing.

We need to keep walking even when circumstances tell us to stop.

Why?

Because what we have attained through faith must also be guarded through perseverance.

We cannot start well and finish badly.

We cannot run for a while and then abandon the race.

We need to reach the end.

Amen?

The Bible says:

“We, however, are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

Therefore, stand firm!

Do not give up your faith.

Do not abandon the path.

Do not return to the world.

Keep following Jesus.

Persevere until the end.

Because the one who perseveres until the end will be saved.

Say: I will persevere until the end!

**Woe to you, pastors leading the Lord's sheep into the pit**

In Luke 12, Jesus tells the parable of a rich man whose land produced abundantly. And what did he do? He only thought about accumulating: *"I will bestow all my fruits and my goods... soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry"* (Luke 12:18-19). But God interrupted that plan with a sentence that chills the blood: *"Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"* (v. 20). A man full of material blessings, and completely empty of soul. Rich before men, and destitute before God.

Jesus made the right path clear: *"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"* (Matthew 6:33). Blessings come as a consequence of seeking God — never as the goal itself. When that order gets reversed, when ministry becomes a means to easy living, something has already gone deeply wrong.

And today, pastor, this word is for you — the one who traded the calling for convenience. You who built your wealth on the tithe of people who barely had enough to eat. You who promised healing, promised deliverance, promised miracles — and charged for it. You who saw the sheep suffering and, instead of caring for it, saw an opportunity for profit. Be careful. Because the same God who told the rich fool "this night thy soul shall be required of thee" will say the same to you, and on that day your imported car, your big house, your well-known name — none of it will defend you.

Remember: you can accumulate wealth, you can steal from the Lord's sheep, you can deceive for years without anyone confronting you here on earth. But no pastor escapes the final sentence. Every sheep lost because of you, every one who gave up on faith because you exploited her instead of shepherding her — her blood cries out, and God has already warned: *"his blood will I require at the watchman's hand"* (Ezekiel 33:6). You won't answer only for your own soul — you'll answer for every life that trusted you and was betrayed.

And the consequence doesn't stop with you. It follows your generation. Your family carries the weight of what you did with what was sacred, because there is no true blessing built on theft, lies, and the exploitation of God's people. What is sown is reaped — and sometimes the one who reaps it is the one you love most.

If you recognized yourself in this message, there's still time. Drop the scheme, drop the offering disguised as faith, drop the pulpit that became a business. Go back to being what God called you to be: a watchman, not a salesman. A shepherd, not a wolf in a robe.

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*
Annabel Allu

Jeremiah 48:10

Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully.

MINISTERS OF THE ALTAR OF GOD

SERVING GOD WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

Beloved, you and I were called to serve God with fear and trembling. Say: Amen!

What a great privilege it is to be called by God!

We were not called only to receive salvation. We were also called to serve.

You may not be able to imagine the honor and privilege of being a servant of the living God.

God loved the whole world. He called people from all nations. And among those who believed, many were reached by salvation.

But in the midst of this multitude of saved people, God also chose some to perform specific functions in His Kingdom.

Say: Amen!

All those who are saved are servants of God. But there are those who were specifically called to certain services within the work.

Some are workers, others are pastors, others teachers, others evangelists, others prophets, and others were called to different ministries and responsibilities.

God distributed the gifts and offices according to His will, so that each one could work in His harvest.

Say: Amen!

And Paul teaches us that each person should remain in the calling to which they were called.

Whoever was called to give, let them give.

Whoever was called to comfort, let them comfort.

Whoever was called to teach, let them teach.

Whoever was called to preach, let them preach.

Each one must faithfully fulfill what God has placed in their hands.

Because no one did anything to deserve being chosen. Neither for salvation nor for service.

It is all by the grace of God. Say: Amen!

Therefore, serving the living God is an extraordinary privilege.

We are not serving just any god. We are serving the living God, in the living Church.

And this must make a difference in the way we serve.

We cannot treat the things of God as a joke, as something ordinary or unimportant.

Unfortunately, when people lose the fear of God, Christian service can become entertainment. The church begins to be treated as a place of shows, celebrations, conferences, congresses, and activities that, many times, cease to put God at the center.

But the living Church needs servants who have fear, reverence, zeal, and responsibility before the work of God.

Say: Amen!

Serving God with fear and trembling means understanding that what we are doing is holy and important.

We need to have zeal for the work.

We need to have responsibility for what God has placed in our hands.

We need to respect the calling.

We need to respect the Word.

We need to respect the house of God and the people of God.

We cannot play with what God considers serious.

Say: Amen!

The time of childishness, of playing around, and of lack of responsibility needs to end.

The time has come to mature.

The time has come to understand the weight of the responsibility we have received.

If God has called us, let us serve.

If God has entrusted us with a work, let us take care of it.

If God has given us a responsibility, let us fulfill it faithfully.

Because the privilege of serving the living God also requires fear and trembling.

May we never lose the fear of God.

May we never lose our zeal for His work.

May we never treat as ordinary what God has made holy.

And may we, until the last day, be able to say:

“Lord, everything that You placed in my hands, I sought to fulfill faithfully.”

Say: Amen!

MINISTERS OF THE ALTAR OF GOD

SERVING GOD WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

Beloved, you and I were called to serve God with fear and trembling. Say: Amen!

What a great privilege it is to be called by God!

We were not called only to receive salvation. We were also called to serve.

You may not be able to imagine the honor and privilege of being a servant of the living God.

God loved the whole world. He called people from all nations. And among those who believed, many were reached by salvation.

But in the midst of this multitude of saved people, God also chose some to perform specific functions in His Kingdom.

Say: Amen!

All those who are saved are servants of God. But there are those who were specifically called to certain services within the work.

Some are workers, others are pastors, others teachers, others evangelists, others prophets, and others were called to different ministries and responsibilities.

God distributed the gifts and offices according to His will, so that each one could work in His harvest.

Say: Amen!

And Paul teaches us that each person should remain in the calling to which they were called.

Whoever was called to give, let them give.

Whoever was called to comfort, let them comfort.

Whoever was called to teach, let them teach.

Whoever was called to preach, let them preach.

Each one must faithfully fulfill what God has placed in their hands.

Because no one did anything to deserve being chosen. Neither for salvation nor for service.

It is all by the grace of God. Say: Amen!

Therefore, serving the living God is an extraordinary privilege.

We are not serving just any god. We are serving the living God, in the living Church.

And this must make a difference in the way we serve.

We cannot treat the things of God as a joke, as something ordinary or unimportant.

Unfortunately, when people lose the fear of God, Christian service can become entertainment. The church begins to be treated as a place of shows, celebrations, conferences, congresses, and activities that, many times, cease to put God at the center.

But the living Church needs servants who have fear, reverence, zeal, and responsibility before the work of God.

Say: Amen!

Serving God with fear and trembling means understanding that what we are doing is holy and important.

We need to have zeal for the work.

We need to have responsibility for what God has placed in our hands.

We need to respect the calling.

We need to respect the Word.

We need to respect the house of God and the people of God.

We cannot play with what God considers serious.

Say: Amen!

The time of childishness, of playing around, and of lack of responsibility needs to end.

The time has come to mature.

The time has come to understand the weight of the responsibility we have received.

If God has called us, let us serve.

If God has entrusted us with a work, let us take care of it.

If God has given us a responsibility, let us fulfill it faithfully.

Because the privilege of serving the living God also requires fear and trembling.

May we never lose the fear of God.

May we never lose our zeal for His work.

May we never treat as ordinary what God has made holy.

And may we, until the last day, be able to say:

“Lord, everything that You placed in my hands, I sought to fulfill faithfully.”

Say: Amen!

MINISTERS OF THE ALTAR OF GOD

SERVING GOD WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

Beloved, you and I were called to serve God with fear and trembling. Say: Amen!

What a great privilege it is to be called by God!

We were not called only to receive salvation. We were also called to serve.

You may not be able to imagine the honor and privilege of being a servant of the living God.

God loved the whole world. He called people from all nations. And among those who believed, many were reached by salvation.

But in the midst of this multitude of saved people, God also chose some to perform specific functions in His Kingdom.

Say: Amen!

All those who are saved are servants of God. But there are those who were specifically called to certain services within the work.

Some are workers, others are pastors, others teachers, others evangelists, others prophets, and others were called to different ministries and responsibilities.

God distributed the gifts and offices according to His will, so that each one could work in His harvest.

Say: Amen!

And Paul teaches us that each person should remain in the calling to which they were called.

Whoever was called to give, let them give.

Whoever was called to comfort, let them comfort.

Whoever was called to teach, let them teach.

Whoever was called to preach, let them preach.

Each one must faithfully fulfill what God has placed in their hands.

Because no one did anything to deserve being chosen. Neither for salvation nor for service.

It is all by the grace of God. Say: Amen!

Therefore, serving the living God is an extraordinary privilege.

We are not serving just any god. We are serving the living God, in the living Church.

And this must make a difference in the way we serve.

We cannot treat the things of God as a joke, as something ordinary or unimportant.

Unfortunately, when people lose the fear of God, Christian service can become entertainment. The church begins to be treated as a place of shows, celebrations, conferences, congresses, and activities that, many times, cease to put God at the center.

But the living Church needs servants who have fear, reverence, zeal, and responsibility before the work of God.

Say: Amen!

Serving God with fear and trembling means understanding that what we are doing is holy and important.

We need to have zeal for the work.

We need to have responsibility for what God has placed in our hands.

We need to respect the calling.

We need to respect the Word.

We need to respect the house of God and the people of God.

We cannot play with what God considers serious.

Say: Amen!

The time of childishness, of playing around, and of lack of responsibility needs to end.

The time has come to mature.

The time has come to understand the weight of the responsibility we have received.

If God has called us, let us serve.

If God has entrusted us with a work, let us take care of it.

If God has given us a responsibility, let us fulfill it faithfully.

Because the privilege of serving the living God also requires fear and trembling.

May we never lose the fear of God.

May we never lose our zeal for His work.

May we never treat as ordinary what God has made holy.

And may we, until the last day, be able to say:

“Lord, everything that You placed in my hands, I sought to fulfill faithfully.”

Say: Amen!

BY: PROPHET ELIJAH

**The pain the world feels today announces what's coming tomorrow**

Matthew 24:6-9

Jesus, speaking about the signs of the end times, told His disciples: *"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars... for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows"* (Matthew 24:6-8). Birth pains. This isn't meaningless suffering — it's suffering that announces something coming, that tightens before bringing forth life.

Sin on earth has risen up before God. Scripture speaks of cities whose outcry of wickedness reached the Lord (Genesis 18:20-21) — and it's no different today. Witchcraft, murder, idolatry, greed, sexual immorality: the world has drifted so far from the Creator that it now lives as if He didn't exist, taking for itself the glory that belongs to God alone. And Scripture is clear: *"my glory will I not give to another"* (Isaiah 42:8). God shares worship with no one — not with idols, and not with man himself, who thinks he owns his own life.

When God allows pain, war, calamity, it isn't because He delights in human suffering. It's because, often, pain is what makes a hardened heart stop and look up. *"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise... but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance"* (2 Peter 3:9). Even God's judgment carries a purpose of mercy: to bring back those who are lost.

Matthew 24:9 continues the warning: *"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."* The world will get worse, persecution will increase, but that's no reason for despair — it's confirmation that the Word is true and that the time is being fulfilled.

And it's worth remembering: every deliverance is preceded by great catastrophes. Before Israel left Egypt, the plagues came. Before the resurrection, came the cross. Before the morning, comes the darkest night. The pain the world is going through today isn't the end of the story — it's the sign that a great revival is coming. God always raises up something new after the storm, and what looks like ruin to human eyes may, in fact, be the ground where God is preparing the greatest harvest of souls ever seen.

What God asks for isn't sacrifice, isn't religion, isn't appearance. It's return. It's recognizing that He owns all honor, all power, dominion, and majesty — and that life only makes sense when lived under His lordship.

The world groans, suffering birth pains. The question is: will you keep being deaf to that cry, or will you turn back to God while there's still time?

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*

Jesus lamented because they did not recognize him as the Son of God.


Matthew 23

37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not

38. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate

39. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Prophet Elijah The Nazirite

Prophet Elijah fasted for 10 years.

The two olive trees, Elijah and Moses, will march across the earth to restore the corrupted church of Jesus.

Revelation 11

Jerusalem will be liberated after the rapture of the church. They did not recognize Jesus Christ as Savior.

Christianity without the cross?!

Christianity without the cross is a lie; Christianity without the cross is falsehood; a church without the cross is a cemetery, it is necessary to preac cross, but we must live the cross. Whoever preaches the cross but doe not carry their own cross is deceiving

themselves.

PROPHET ELIJAH

Christianity without the cross?!

Christianity without the cross is a lie; Christianity without the cross is falsehood; a church without the cross is a cemetery, it is necessary to preac cross, but we must live the cross. Whoever preaches the cross but doe not carry their own cross is deceiving

themselves.

PROPHET ELIJAH

**The pain the world feels today announces what's coming tomorrow**

Matthew 24:6-9

Jesus, speaking about the signs of the end times, told His disciples: *"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars... for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows"* (Matthew 24:6-8). Birth pains. This isn't meaningless suffering — it's suffering that announces something coming, that tightens before bringing forth life.

Sin on earth has risen up before God. Scripture speaks of cities whose outcry of wickedness reached the Lord (Genesis 18:20-21) — and it's no different today. Witchcraft, murder, idolatry, greed, sexual immorality: the world has drifted so far from the Creator that it now lives as if He didn't exist, taking for itself the glory that belongs to God alone. And Scripture is clear: *"my glory will I not give to another"* (Isaiah 42:8). God shares worship with no one — not with idols, and not with man himself, who thinks he owns his own life.

When God allows pain, war, calamity, it isn't because He delights in human suffering. It's because, often, pain is what makes a hardened heart stop and look up. *"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise... but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance"* (2 Peter 3:9). Even God's judgment carries a purpose of mercy: to bring back those who are lost.

Matthew 24:9 continues the warning: *"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."* The world will get worse, persecution will increase, but that's no reason for despair — it's confirmation that the Word is true and that the time is being fulfilled.

And it's worth remembering: every deliverance is preceded by great catastrophes. Before Israel left Egypt, the plagues came. Before the resurrection, came the cross. Before the morning, comes the darkest night. The pain the world is going through today isn't the end of the story — it's the sign that a great revival is coming. God always raises up something new after the storm, and what looks like ruin to human eyes may, in fact, be the ground where God is preparing the greatest harvest of souls ever seen.

What God asks for isn't sacrifice, isn't religion, isn't appearance. It's return. It's recognizing that He owns all honor, all power, dominion, and majesty — and that life only makes sense when lived under His lordship.

The world groans, suffering birth pains. The question is: will you keep being deaf to that cry, or will you turn back to God while there's still time?

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*

**The pain the world feels today announces what's coming tomorrow**

Matthew 24:6-9

Jesus, speaking about the signs of the end times, told His disciples: *"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars... for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows"* (Matthew 24:6-8). Birth pains. This isn't meaningless suffering — it's suffering that announces something coming, that tightens before bringing forth life.

Sin on earth has risen up before God. Scripture speaks of cities whose outcry of wickedness reached the Lord (Genesis 18:20-21) — and it's no different today. Witchcraft, murder, idolatry, greed, sexual immorality: the world has drifted so far from the Creator that it now lives as if He didn't exist, taking for itself the glory that belongs to God alone. And Scripture is clear: *"my glory will I not give to another"* (Isaiah 42:8). God shares worship with no one — not with idols, and not with man himself, who thinks he owns his own life.

When God allows pain, war, calamity, it isn't because He delights in human suffering. It's because, often, pain is what makes a hardened heart stop and look up. *"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise... but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance"* (2 Peter 3:9). Even God's judgment carries a purpose of mercy: to bring back those who are lost.

Matthew 24:9 continues the warning: *"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."* The world will get worse, persecution will increase, but that's no reason for despair — it's confirmation that the Word is true and that the time is being fulfilled.

And it's worth remembering: every deliverance is preceded by great catastrophes. Before Israel left Egypt, the plagues came. Before the resurrection, came the cross. Before the morning, comes the darkest night. The pain the world is going through today isn't the end of the story — it's the sign that a great revival is coming. God always raises up something new after the storm, and what looks like ruin to human eyes may, in fact, be the ground where God is preparing the greatest harvest of souls ever seen.

What God asks for isn't sacrifice, isn't religion, isn't appearance. It's return. It's recognizing that He owns all honor, all power, dominion, and majesty — and that life only makes sense when lived under His lordship.

The world groans, suffering birth pains. The question is: will you keep being deaf to that cry, or will you turn back to God while there's still time?

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*

**Children of God or children of the devil: there is no middle ground**

*"Be ye holy; for I am holy"* (1 Peter 1:16). It's not a suggestion, it's a command. And it's precisely this holiness that separates those who are children of God from those who, even while claiming to believe, still live as children of this world. *"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil"* (1 John 3:10). One side or the other. There is no middle path.

It isn't about having gone into the water of baptism. It isn't about confessing the name of Jesus with your mouth. It isn't about attending church every week. All of that matters, but it isn't the proof. The proof is being born again. *"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his"* (Romans 8:9). A person can be inside a church, sing, raise a hand, say "I believe," and still have never been truly transformed on the inside — because real faith produces conversion and no longer walks in the flesh but in the Spirit, and whoever walks in the Spirit walks in holiness.

Jesus Himself said this to Nicodemus: *"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"* (John 3:5). It isn't enough to be born once, in the flesh. You must be born again, in the Spirit. And whoever is born again is set free — no longer enslaved to the same sin, the same unclean life, the same habit he claimed to love more than he loved God. *"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed"* (John 8:36).

That's why there are millions of people today who say they believe in Jesus, but live exactly as they lived before knowing Him — the same filth, the same lies, the same life divided between the world and the church. That is not having the Spirit of God. That is having religion without transformation. And *"without holiness no man shall see the Lord"* (Hebrews 12:14).

So the question isn't whether you've already gone into the water, already prayed the sinner's prayer, already attend a service. The question is: were you set free from sin, or did you just learn to live alongside it inside the church? Do you have the Spirit of God transforming your life from within, or do you only have the appearance of someone who believes?

Sanctify yourself. Not because the church demands it, but because only then are you truly a child of God — not just someone who uses His name.

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*

**Children of God or children of the devil: there is no middle ground**

*"Be ye holy; for I am holy"* (1 Peter 1:16). It's not a suggestion, it's a command. And it's precisely this holiness that separates those who are children of God from those who, even while claiming to believe, still live as children of this world. *"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil"* (1 John 3:10). One side or the other. There is no middle path.

It isn't about having gone into the water of baptism. It isn't about confessing the name of Jesus with your mouth. It isn't about attending church every week. All of that matters, but it isn't the proof. The proof is being born again. *"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his"* (Romans 8:9). A person can be inside a church, sing, raise a hand, say "I believe," and still have never been truly transformed on the inside — because real faith produces conversion and no longer walks in the flesh but in the Spirit, and whoever walks in the Spirit walks in holiness.

Jesus Himself said this to Nicodemus: *"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"* (John 3:5). It isn't enough to be born once, in the flesh. You must be born again, in the Spirit. And whoever is born again is set free — no longer enslaved to the same sin, the same unclean life, the same habit he claimed to love more than he loved God. *"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed"* (John 8:36).

That's why there are millions of people today who say they believe in Jesus, but live exactly as they lived before knowing Him — the same filth, the same lies, the same life divided between the world and the church. That is not having the Spirit of God. That is having religion without transformation. And *"without holiness no man shall see the Lord"* (Hebrews 12:14).

So the question isn't whether you've already gone into the water, already prayed the sinner's prayer, already attend a service. The question is: were you set free from sin, or did you just learn to live alongside it inside the church? Do you have the Spirit of God transforming your life from within, or do you only have the appearance of someone who believes?

Sanctify yourself. Not because the church demands it, but because only then are you truly a child of God — not just someone who uses His name.

*Remember that the Word of God is a statute.*

**The price of the cross wasn't paid for you to keep sinning**

Scripture is clear: *"we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth"* (John 9:31). This doesn't mean God ignores those trapped in sin — it means He takes no pleasure in a life that sins without any sign of repentance, that prays with the mouth while the heart stays stuck in the same wrong practice. Prayer isn't a ritual for someone who wants to keep living however they please and only cry out for help when things get hard.

And this is exactly what God was already complaining about through the prophet Isaiah: *"This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me"* (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus repeated that same accusation centuries later (Matthew 15:8). God isn't impressed by the appearance of faith, pretty words, an emotional worship service — He looks at the heart. And if the heart remains far off, distant, clinging to sin, the lips can say whatever they want: God sees the distance.

The way back begins with humility: *"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"* (1 Peter 5:6). That's what David did after sinning gravely. He didn't hide, didn't justify himself, didn't shift the blame — he humbled himself, prayed, fasted, wept before God (2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51). And God, who resists the proud, restores the one who truly humbles himself.

But this needs to be said plainly: grace is not a license to keep sinning. When Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He didn't just say "go in peace." He said: *"go, and sin no more"* (John 8:11). Forgiveness comes with a command attached: change direction. Whoever uses grace as an excuse to stay the same hasn't understood what the cross cost.

And it's worth remembering: Jesus didn't suffer, didn't bleed, didn't die on a cross so you could keep living comfortably in sin. It was the highest price ever paid for anyone — for all of humanity. To ignore that, to treat grace as something cheap, is to despise the very sacrifice of Christ.

That's why the Bible is harsh toward those who live behind a facade: *"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him"* (1 John 2:4). You can say you love Jesus, post a Bible verse, raise your hand in worship — but if the sinful practice continues the same, without struggle, without repentance, without any change at all, Scripture calls it exactly what it is: a lie. It's not about being perfect, it's about not being at peace with sin.

*"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit"* (John 3:6). Whoever is born again is transformed on the inside — no longer living enslaved to sin like before, because they have a new nature. *"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not... and that wicked one toucheth him not"* (1 John 5:18). This doesn't mean a Christian never fails, but that he no longer lives dominated, enslaved, comfortable in wrongdoing. There's a difference between stumbling and repenting, and lying down in sin as if it were normal.

If you pray, but keep the same practice, the same lie, the same hidden sin — today's invitation isn't to give up, it's to truly humble yourself. God isn't standing there with arms crossed waiting for you to fall so He can condemn you. He's waiting for you to humble yourself so He can lift you up.

**The price of the cross wasn't paid for you to keep sinning**

Scripture is clear: *"we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth"* (John 9:31). This doesn't mean God ignores those trapped in sin — it means He takes no pleasure in a life that sins without any sign of repentance, that prays with the mouth while the heart stays stuck in the same wrong practice. Prayer isn't a ritual for someone who wants to keep living however they please and only cry out for help when things get hard.

And this is exactly what God was already complaining about through the prophet Isaiah: *"This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me"* (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus repeated that same accusation centuries later (Matthew 15:8). God isn't impressed by the appearance of faith, pretty words, an emotional worship service — He looks at the heart. And if the heart remains far off, distant, clinging to sin, the lips can say whatever they want: God sees the distance.

The way back begins with humility: *"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"* (1 Peter 5:6). That's what David did after sinning gravely. He didn't hide, didn't justify himself, didn't shift the blame — he humbled himself, prayed, fasted, wept before God (2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51). And God, who resists the proud, restores the one who truly humbles himself.

But this needs to be said plainly: grace is not a license to keep sinning. When Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He didn't just say "go in peace." He said: *"go, and sin no more"* (John 8:11). Forgiveness comes with a command attached: change direction. Whoever uses grace as an excuse to stay the same hasn't understood what the cross cost.

And it's worth remembering: Jesus didn't suffer, didn't bleed, didn't die on a cross so you could keep living comfortably in sin. It was the highest price ever paid for anyone — for all of humanity. To ignore that, to treat grace as something cheap, is to despise the very sacrifice of Christ.

That's why the Bible is harsh toward those who live behind a facade: *"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him"* (1 John 2:4). You can say you love Jesus, post a Bible verse, raise your hand in worship — but if the sinful practice continues the same, without struggle, without repentance, without any change at all, Scripture calls it exactly what it is: a lie. It's not about being perfect, it's about not being at peace with sin.

*"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit"* (John 3:6). Whoever is born again is transformed on the inside — no longer living enslaved to sin like before, because they have a new nature. *"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not... and that wicked one toucheth him not"* (1 John 5:18). This doesn't mean a Christian never fails, but that he no longer lives dominated, enslaved, comfortable in wrongdoing. There's a difference between stumbling and repenting, and lying down in sin as if it were normal.

If you pray, but keep the same practice, the same lie, the same hidden sin — today's invitation isn't to give up, it's to truly humble yourself. God isn't standing there with arms crossed waiting for you to fall so He can condemn you. He's waiting for you to humble yourself so He can lift you up.

**The price of the cross wasn't paid for you to keep sinning**

Scripture is clear: *"we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth"* (John 9:31). This doesn't mean God ignores those trapped in sin — it means He takes no pleasure in a life that sins without any sign of repentance, that prays with the mouth while the heart stays stuck in the same wrong practice. Prayer isn't a ritual for someone who wants to keep living however they please and only cry out for help when things get hard.

And this is exactly what God was already complaining about through the prophet Isaiah: *"This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me"* (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus repeated that same accusation centuries later (Matthew 15:8). God isn't impressed by the appearance of faith, pretty words, an emotional worship service — He looks at the heart. And if the heart remains far off, distant, clinging to sin, the lips can say whatever they want: God sees the distance.

The way back begins with humility: *"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"* (1 Peter 5:6). That's what David did after sinning gravely. He didn't hide, didn't justify himself, didn't shift the blame — he humbled himself, prayed, fasted, wept before God (2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51). And God, who resists the proud, restores the one who truly humbles himself.

But this needs to be said plainly: grace is not a license to keep sinning. When Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He didn't just say "go in peace." He said: *"go, and sin no more"* (John 8:11). Forgiveness comes with a command attached: change direction. Whoever uses grace as an excuse to stay the same hasn't understood what the cross cost.

And it's worth remembering: Jesus didn't suffer, didn't bleed, didn't die on a cross so you could keep living comfortably in sin. It was the highest price ever paid for anyone — for all of humanity. To ignore that, to treat grace as something cheap, is to despise the very sacrifice of Christ.

That's why the Bible is harsh toward those who live behind a facade: *"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him"* (1 John 2:4). You can say you love Jesus, post a Bible verse, raise your hand in worship — but if the sinful practice continues the same, without struggle, without repentance, without any change at all, Scripture calls it exactly what it is: a lie. It's not about being perfect, it's about not being at peace with sin.

*"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit"* (John 3:6). Whoever is born again is transformed on the inside — no longer living enslaved to sin like before, because they have a new nature. *"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not... and that wicked one toucheth him not"* (1 John 5:18). This doesn't mean a Christian never fails, but that he no longer lives dominated, enslaved, comfortable in wrongdoing. There's a difference between stumbling and repenting, and lying down in sin as if it were normal.

If you pray, but keep the same practice, the same lie, the same hidden sin — today's invitation isn't to give up, it's to truly humble yourself. God isn't standing there with arms crossed waiting for you to fall so He can condemn you. He's waiting for you to humble yourself so He can lift you up.

**Who you walk with shapes who you become**

There's a verse that speaks seriously about this: *"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers"* (2 Corinthians 6:14). Think of it this way: an unequal yoke is when two oxen of different sizes are tied together to pull the same plow. One is strong, the other weak, and in the end neither can plow a straight line. One hurts the other, and the field comes out crooked. That's exactly what happens when you attach yourself — in a friendship, a relationship, a partnership — to someone who doesn't walk with God. Sooner or later, one of the two will pull the other down. And usually it's not the weaker one pulling the stronger one up — it's the other way around.

Paul doesn't sugarcoat it: *"Evil communications corrupt good manners"* (1 Corinthians 15:33). It's not judgment, it's just life showing itself for what it is. No one stays close to what's wrong and comes out the same way they went in. You might be standing firm today, full of faith, but the wrong company wears you down little by little. It normalizes things that used to bother you. One day you look back and don't even know exactly when you started drifting from God.

That's why Scripture says: *"O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness"* (Psalm 96:9). Holiness isn't about living locked away from everyone. It's about not letting the world shape you. It's knowing who to let sit at your table, who gets the loudest voice in your life, who influences your decisions. Avoid walking with those who don't serve the living God — not because you're better than anyone, but because your faith cost too much to be worn down by someone who doesn't even value what you carry.

And the calling remains the same: *"Be ye holy; for I am holy"* (1 Peter 1:16). It's not about being perfect, it's about living differently. Thinking differently, walking differently from the world's pattern. And that includes choosing well who walks beside you — because no one comes through safe and sound while being dragged down by the wrong company.

If you've felt yourself grow cold, grow weak, no longer the same person you were a while back — maybe it's time to look around. Reevaluate who's close to you. And choose to walk with those who bring you closer to God, not those who pull you away from Him.