The Seal of God's Firm Foundation — Erlo Stegen

The Seal of God's Firm Foundation

So let's read from 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 19. Nevertheless God's solid foundation stands firm. Sealed with this inscription the Lord knows those who are his and everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.

Cleansing for Noble Purposes

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay. Some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the letter he will be an instrument for noble purposes made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Let's pray together. We pray O Lord that you would speak to us through your Holy Word. Please help each one of us here Lord that we would be enlightened, that we would understand that which is important to you.

Now in actual fact I thought I wouldn't be able to speak today because I was very tired. When you travel from here to Europe there is no jet lag because you just travel straight north. But when you go east you go against the sun.

When it's morning here it's already evening there. And also when you travel in the other direction towards America your biological clock also gets totally upset and it's really a strain on the body especially if you're a busy person.

Now I took Elizabeth along with me, my daughter, to Korea. And in Australia I met up with Esther, my other daughter who was also there. But concerning the counselling and the spiritual work I was alone.

Somebody from Australia had bought Esther a ticket to come and visit them there. Now I'd like a part of the message to be a report to you or to relate to you as to how I went and what I met up with along my journey.

We started in Korea. They met us at the airport. Now we were met there by some professors and two ladies whom they brought with them. One of the ladies was a Miss Korea beauty queen and years gone by and after that she got converted and she was also there because she was going to be our hostess to take us around to different places.

Now according to their custom a man can greet another man by hand but you don't greet the ladies by hand, you'll just cordially bow and that is your way of greeting them. They are a nation that is extremely respectful.

Now for a long time I've been saying there's no nation on earth that can respect as the Zulus can. But since communism has influenced young people that has come to an end. Young people no longer know how to respect adults.

Now remember the Korean nation was a very backward nation. Their toilets were like the Indian toilets. But in these past years there has been tremendous progress there. I could never imagine that a country could advance so quickly in such a short time as that nation.

I didn't find one dirty toilet or even a toilet where there were drops of water on the ground. It was absolutely clean, you could even have your meal there. Their homes were attractive, well kept, tidy.

Well I visited the Christians of course and also the minister's homes where you come there it would seem as if it was the home of a king. Now I don't know what all those buttons were for. I think you can let your imagination roam as to what they might all do for you.

But some of it I suppose was to let the water flush quickly and sometimes with less force and hot water and cold water. And well I couldn't read the Korean language so I don't know what all the others were for but I'll leave it over to imagination.

They laughing because I said if you press the button you'll be washed, another button you'll be dried. That was Now that was what the toilets were like, high tech toilets. And I thought my, we here in Africa we are remaining behind because what are our toilets like?

In some places one still doesn't even have toilets. And even when you go to hotels you find that the toilets are dirty. And here are these Koreans leaving us in the lurch, or leaving us rather in the dust, leaving us behind.

Now for a long time I've been preaching here, even at the mission, saying how important it is to be hygienic. And even in the toilet, that that exposes your character and what you are like. And if you find that place to be dirty or with spots of water on the ground, that you should leave it spotless when you go out of there.

But if you are not spiritually well and you're not living for the Lord well, the toilet will expose that as well. We also went to Seoul. That is the capital city of South Korea. And that city alone has 12 million inhabitants.

And that's one and a half times the Zulu population. But it is 20, 30, 40, 50. 65 it is. That city is densely populated with high-rise flats, 20, 40, 50, 61, building 65 stories high. And I thought, is it possible that a nation can progress at such a rate, so much in only 10 years?

There are no flat areas there, plains, it's just a very hilly area, but their roads are extremely good. They have no gold, no diamonds, no mineral wealth. Ask them, I said, how is it possible that you could make so much progress and go forward to such an extent?

They have no gold, no diamonds, but it's in the Gospel. It's in the Gospel. That's what they don't have. That's what they don't have. And I said, because you have no gold, you have no diamonds, how do you do it?

They said, we've got the Gospel. That's what we have got. That's our precious commodity. And that's also what we export. It's our main export product. That's what we export. It's an export product that we have.

Last year alone, 12 ,300 Korean missionaries went out to spread the Gospel across the whole world. I think 13 ,200. That's what we all along have been telling you, that it is the Gospel that rises the people up.

But if the people turn their back upon the Gospel and upon the Lord, then they go backward, and in the end, they find themselves in the muck. And I said, because of me being tired, they've booked a place for me in a hotel.

The Gospel as the Power That Raises People Up

When I went into my hotel room, they said, no, no, you can't come in here with your shoes on. You don't go into a room with your shoes. You leave them outside. I said, oh. So I went outside and I took my shoes off.

I said, my, you know, I really did myself in by taking my lace-up shoes along. Because every time you've got to take them off and put them on, take them off and put them on all the time. Eventually, I had the way of not tying my shoelaces any longer, anymore.

I would just push them in at the sides so that I had my own slip-on shoes. Now, I asked myself, I wonder why they don't wear shoes inside, but I did notice that it was extremely clean, polished, and the floor was sparkling.

You could eat from it. And they said they would take me to an American hotel. Well, when I came in there, I saw it was like any other hotel I knew, and we had a meal there. Sat on chairs. Certain days, we went to the own hotels.

Now, the tables are only that high. And, well, the tables were only that high from the ground, and then they had little mats on which you sat. And these were top hotels. And then the men would come and sit there and just cross their legs like that, quite easily.

Well, my legs are quite stiff. I couldn't get that right. So what I did, I would sit against the wall and lean with my one elbow on the table and then stretch my legs or direct my legs to the side. And Elizabeth would sit next to me, and I said to her, well, look, Elizabeth, my legs are coming in your direction.

I'm glad that you're sitting there. When you eat, eat with sticks, chopsticks. That's quite difficult. You've got to eat even your rice with those sticks, chopsticks. Well, they taught us how you have to do it, that you've got the two sticks, the bottom one and the top one, and the bottom one should always be stationary.

It shouldn't move, whereas the top one would be flexible, and you put the bottom one underneath the food, and with the top one you pinch it, and then you eat in that way, and then it's much easier. The food is also different to our food, even though it might be the same foodstuffs, but it's prepared in a different way.

In all our trip, I didn't come across one person who was overweight. Not one Korean person. If you come across anybody that's overweight, anybody with a belly, then you'd know that's a foreign person, it's a foreigner.

But no Korean person would be overweight or fat. Well, now I'm just pre-warning you, any of you that have any intention of ever going along with us there, you need to start dieting now, because if you're overweight and you go there, you'll be embarrassed.

Well, those who are overweight, well, they can go to Greece, because there there's a saying that a man without a belly is the heaven without stars. But in Korea, there is no problem with being overweight.

Why not? Because all their food is prepared without fat. They don't use any oil in their cooking, no fat, even when they fry their meat, they do it without oil or fat. Their vegetables, whatever they prepare, they never put in any butter or anything else like that.

Sugar is not used in the food. There was one type of sweet which we got, which they said, Well, this is extremely sweet. It's made from pumpkin, which they grind and cook and boil, and eventually they make these sweets.

But when we ate it, we couldn't taste that it was sweet, but to them, it's very sweet. Well, that's according to their custom. But you can eat and really have your full of that meal and eat enough, yet you do not become fat.

Now, nevertheless, their food is very tasty. However, there's one type of dish which is very bitter. Now, the one professor who would always accompany me, he was the same professor who visited us here at the mission.

He would always take a spoon and a fork along as eating utensils for me so that I wouldn't have any problems with the sticks. When they were here, they said that they would invite me to come and address and speak at certain universities.

However, when I was there, they said, Would it also be possible for me to go to certain congregations and preach there? As well. When we went to some universities, we found that there were only girl students.

We also went to a Christian university where the students were studying for the ministry and many other places. The revival in Korea started in 1907. It's not even a hundred years that it started. But such a great work has been accomplished in this short time.

Confession of Sin and the Korean Revival

They told me that the revival started in this way. They were together with some missionaries and one missionary got up. And he wept and he said, This was a white missionary who stood up and he wept and he said, You know, I'm living amongst you and I'm preaching the gospel to you, but God has convicted me that I don't really have a love for you.

And he said, Please forgive me because I don't have that love of God that I'm supposed to have for you. I don't have it. And then another missionary was convicted when he heard that. And he also stood up and he said, Please forgive me as well, because I've also left my home country, my people, I've come here to work amongst you and I ever, I don't have God's love in my heart for you.

And then there was also a Korean minister in that service. And when his white brethren and colleagues got up and confessed this and openly in that way. He got up and he was also convicted. And he said, I've sinned.

My brother gave me money to bring to you, to give to you. But then I wasn't faithful. I took some of that money and used it for myself. I stole it. And then a fire was kindled and the revival started.

And that happened, which Dr. Edwin Oh says is the secret to revival. He said revival begins when Christians start confessing their sin. And he said revival comes to an end as well when Christians stop doing that.

He made a study of revivals. He was a specialist on that. He said every revival started with confession, not in your bedroom, confessing sins. If you've confessed Christ, you don't go into the bedroom and close the door and say you confess.

You bring it to light. You bring it to light. In John four, Jesus said, you hate the light because your works are evil. You don't come to the light so that those works of evil will be judged. If you go into your bedroom and you claim to confess your sin there, someone said, what did you do there?

What did you hide there? And you confess it there. How will it be judged by the light? Now the Koreans don't have any problem with the confession of sin. They do it. They practice it. They say that's what brought them revival.

That's what changed those people who were Buddhists into Christians. I was very sad. One day we traveled from the eastern shore to the western shore in Korea. We traveled for a whole seven hours by car.

Actually from the western to the eastern shore. And then they phoned us and said, where are you? The service was starting at seven o 'clock, but the journey took a long time. It was starting at eight.

That was a training college, training people to go out into the ministry to propagate the gospel. And as we preached there, they really drank in God's word and they accepted God's word. And just remember that Korea is divided into two.

There's northern Korea and southern Korea. Northern being communist country. There's no progress there. People are suffering famine. In the south, there's a lot of progress. And so these people are trained to reach those places where the gospel hasn't entered yet or penetrated as much.

I'm a communist. The communists have set up a barrier cutting that country in two. And at the time when it happened, it might have been that your wife was on the other side and you were on this side. There's nothing that you could do about that.

Afterwards, there could be no contact or any communication. You wouldn't know even if she's still alive. And it's very similar to the Berlin Wall that the communists put up as well. The communists have set up a barrier cutting that country in two.

And at the time when it happened, it might have been that your wife was on the other side and you were on this side. You wouldn't know even if she's still alive. You wouldn't know even if she's still alive.

Afterwards, there could be no contact or any communication. So they've been praying for forty years that the Lord would demolish that barrier and remove that barrier, that the door can be opened to spread the gospel amongst them.

And they've got that hope that it's very soon going to happen so in anticipation for that these ministers are training at this college so that when that would happen they'd be able to spread the gospel there and some even expressed our hope that maybe America would be able to help them as they did in Iraq and maybe one man told me that one person expressed that I hope that maybe America could help them as they did in Iraq to topple that regime as the top of the regime there to do it as well in northern Korea now that service was a long service really long when we came to the end of it I'm a secret deal I gave hope my concern nobody went out of the service.

Classic figure moon you game what you must need. I need tuba logo by Ilona law is a cool a as a shampoo Lula of whom is on Osaka. Now one person came to me and would you please give us the opportunity that each one could come to you for counseling confessing this and and cleansing their lives one by one.

Can't even some cartel gingan our mantra nothing yet about now a man so you're cool a government don't want to sell pants and say now a man sir bacala got a in sail of them about woman and I live on Hailey baby sailor food to but I was drained of all my strength and I said sorry I don't have any energy left.

As I'm sitting here I feel as if I can faint any moment. And they were very disappointed but they really drank in the Word of God and accepted it in a wonderful way. They said the revival is busy declining.

But they had the hope that with our coming there that may be that would rekindle it that God would work afresh again in their midst by me selling a funky they are. Many of them are determined to live for the Lord with the gospel and they are praying that God would once again kindle his fire.

God's Firm Foundation and Turning from Wickedness

Manji takes little itty-bitty. Now it takes is that the Lord knows those who are his. Do you hear that Jesus knows those who are his. Kumatio seven which is tabernacle. But in course in course coursing a sticky leaky gucci singer singer back a quarter ends on.

In the Greek language Lord means we are his. But he'll shake his head. And you say I never knew you go away from me. So you see the important issue is not whether you confess that you know the Lord but whether he confesses that he knows you.

Timothy in this letter that there were many people that had a lot to say. They were busy with godless chatter saying this and saying that. And then Paul came to this conclusion saying it doesn't matter what people say whether they stand on this or that or they admit it or they deny it but the foundation is sure God knows those were his.

What does it say in chapter 2 verse 19. How does it start. God's solid foundation stands firm in Zulu it says. But in spite of it no call no more bands. They call him a we say back home but isn't service in a silly is say galos come cool and cool to see me as neck as now when you're as this for me.

Sorry it says here the first word nevertheless in other words in spite of that it also says that in the zoo in spite of all that which people say this foundation of God stands for the Lord knows those were his.

And we need to ask ourselves that question when I meet with the Lord will he acknowledge that he knows me. No good to you Lord. I love party it come on and cause I got a table beanie. And everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.

When you sit there till it will be Nina I'll cook a boob of Salah of Salem. Now have you parted from wickedness and turned away from it or is there any wickedness iniquity remaining in your life. Remember that minister that missionary in Korea he preached he sang he did everything and yet he didn't have God let God's love in his heart towards those people that was the evil.

That's why I ask you is there nothing in your life that's not right before God. If there is you've got to cleanse yourself of that scene. And when in Korea the missionaries got converted the missionary realized there is something that's not right.

They confessed it and God started working. If we cleanse our lives then we'll be instruments that are useful to the master and where God can work through us and use us. Now each one of us need to be busy with that ministry.

We need to be busy with it searching and examining our lives and our hearts asking God the Holy Spirit to reveal to us. Should there still be any iniquity any wickedness in our lives. And even if it should only be one thing that we'll repent from it that we'll confess it and turn away from it.

Who's that kind of meaning. I go show what I'm born is cut. This time be some time to put in your pity. Now there's still so much more that I could say. But I see that time has run out. So I need to draw to a close or start going to a close.

But I'd be very happy if this which has been spoken. If you take it to whether God will use you or not. Cool you look away poppin or rock. Who taught you into a satan got a cool I am cool. No man I'll send you see we got a cool I am cool is easy.

Commitment to One Calling

And Italy there's a world famous singer. He doesn't sing pop and all of that kind of music that which is not good even though he's not saved but nevertheless he sings good music. I buy him some by a mozzie.

Get gamma. Go to Pavarotti. Now some would know his name Pavarotti or T Lapo is a gun. We say what he done. I'm a delusional Zama food is a little cooler. When he was still a child he says his father spoke to him and said my son Luciano I want you to learn the skills of good singing.

What is seven that you look over. Who lucky people. Luck he said. Work hard to train your voice. What do I say. I can go moon. Yeah. Oh basically a lot. You know. Pull a Google. He said. He then went to somebody else from their same village or.

And he then taught him and trained him. My secretary is calling why say I a university lab or teacher. And after he finished that training he then went to a teacher's university or you can't University of Education.

Lap or a says okotra. What's Google. Okotra walk on the day of his graduation. Why. I'm Baba walk. He went to his father and he asked his father one more time become a teacher or a singer. His father replied he says my boy Luciano if you try to sit on two chairs you will fall between them.

What am I. Zama Oksana. A salary in the NBA league. Yes. Got to sort were was all Pagani named our Pagani child. Shall I repeat that so that you won't forget it for the rest of your life. If you try to sit on two chairs you will fall between them again.

And the father said to his young son for life you must choose only one tree. For life you must choose one tree. But if you'd only remember this woman have a local G for life you must choose one tree. Have you chosen that one chair.

Pavarotti says I chose one tree. I forgot about being a teacher and I chose singing. He said. It cost him seven years of hard work and frustration before he made his first professional appearance. And then he says it took another seven years to reach the Metropolitan Opera 14 years.

He says whether it's laying bricks writing a book. Whatever we choose we should give ourselves to it. He says commitment is a must. That's the key. Choose one tree. Dear folk have you all chosen chosen one tree.

Young and old. When you have heard and know the right way commit yourself to it with all your heart and let that be your one tree. Have you chosen Jesus. Have you chosen to come to him with your sin. I assume a seam.

Choosing Jesus and the Way of Holiness

Let's stand to our feet. Get under a woody guinea. Get to ba. Nina ending up a KT style of saying oh good one is Katie. I want to do something today. You who haven't chosen your tree I'm giving you an opportunity right now to choose your tree.

If you say I want Jesus and his way of holiness if you haven't chosen that tree choose that tree now. And I asked those that want to do it who haven't done it who haven't lived it that they come forward to show us that they are choosing the one tree.

Get a little nigga little. I received a phone call just now from overseas. Is somebody whom we preach with overseas. He was in Russia. Well she was in Russia. Two men surrendered their life to Christ.

But the last couple of months the two wives noticed that their husbands were compromising. They sent word it said please pray for our husbands. And now this morning we heard that those two men were in a car involved in X in accident.

The car caught fire and they were burnt alive. They did both of them. Both of them have lived behind their wives and young children and they are dead. They didn't choose one tree. They tried to sit on two chairs about.

Get on guy. Let's follow some. Now before I pray. I'm giving you one last opportunity. Have you chosen your chair. Have you made your choice young person. Have you chosen to serve the Lord Jesus. Where.

Burning the Ships and Refusing to Turn Back

Where are you today Lord Jesus. Here are your children. They have left their benches and they've come forward. Who's also a sailor. Gucci. But Katie Starless sought to have a full no boundaries in toe.

I'll be when I wait to a who's a basic feen to show openly Lord that they have chosen you as one tree for the rest of their lives. Forgive them Lord for allowing other things other thoughts but recording your books.

Oh Lord that today they have made that choice that one choice that one tree so that they would never fall again and perish with a by Stambouli by the stance a guba only Louis's ruin. Who was he. Who who who pretends himself help them Lord to cleanse themselves cleanse their lives.

That your heavenly fire would burn amongst them and in them. Now for those that came forward and all those that have chosen that for the rest of their life they'll only be one chair and that is the chair we've spoken about.

Nagubo bonk a footy about Gumi Luguti buzzer Salas Salinas. Or to a employee on K less or Salo is a cool man. Also it will be only Christ in their life. Would he go back to Christ. Gupela is a pill in his Apple.

When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions. Lapo. In course. Yes a Roma. Who. Julius Caesar a figure or Queenie gas and land a figure. Namabuto aka Onki. He took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military venture.

What. I take. A senior Taylor a busy Vesa. How a footy who is Miss Ella Oguba logo classic walk a England a gubernator Merrill. He ordered his men to march up the mountain to the edge to the edge of the cliffs of Dover.

Why I'm about to argue Guba. I'm sure they should march right to the edge of the cliff. Then he said. Now you look down into the water to the water to the sea. And then to the shock and amazement they saw that every ship was in flames.

All this the ships which way with which they crossed the channel engulfed in flames. Then they found out that Julius Caesar had set those ships alight. He deliberately set them alight to cut off any possibility of retreat and going back.

There was no way to go back again. All the ships were burning. Now his soldiers every one of them was unable to return to the continent. There was now nothing left for them to do but to advance and to conquer.

And that is exactly what they did to fight for their lives. There was no turning back just going on and conquering and conquered. They did. Now all of you came forward. Don't forget what Julius Caesar did.

And may God grant that every ship will be burnt. That you'll never be able to backslide or going backwards. The only one way for him to and conquer tries to do it another way. Remember you Pavarotti's father.

You can't sit on two chairs. You'll fall in between. Let's close in prayer. Lord please help. Each one that came forward today and before you today help them Lord to continue and to remain faithful until death.

Lord may your grace be with them and the love of the Father. And may the Holy Spirit lead and guide them until that last trumpet shall sound. And you come back again Lord Jesus.