Do as the Lord Leads — Erlo Stegen

We ask you, Lord, to be among us, as you were at the wedding of Kainu, where you changed water to wine. We ask you, Lord, to take your words and make them to be wine to us, life to us. Walk in our midst, and let there be joy in heaven today, Amen.

God's Promise to Hear, Forgive, and Heal

Let's read 2 Chronicles. Chapter 7, Verse 11, to 14. 2 Chronicles 7, from Verse 11. Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house, all that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord, and to his own house he successfully accomplished.

Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him, I have heard your prayers and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.

We will read thus far. These are marvelous words, which God spoke after Solomon had finished building the Lord's house. He did what he felt on his heart. Often when a person has a question, we then say to the person, well what do you feel on your heart?

Seeking God's Will Rather Than Human Direction

We do not dictate to a person, you do this and you do that, but rather what does the Lord say you should be doing? And then come and tell us what God has said to you. And then we check whether it is in accordance with the Bible.

I remember an old experience of a certain man, I won't say his name, at Kingscliff, who wanted nothing to do with the faith. I remember one day when I spoke to him, he lost his temper with me and I thought, well let me just leave him alone.

Some people knew of him and they said, well we'll get saved or converted when that person does. And then God worked himself and this man repented. When he repented, he came to me asking for counsel. For advice, he said, I have two wives.

Now that I have surrendered to the Lord, what must I do? Now how would you reply to him? My answer was, I am not God. I can't tell you what to do, but you pray. And you ask the Lord to show you what to do because the Bible says that my sheep hear my voice.

Confronting Polygamy Through Repentance and Responsibility

In Central Africa and towards the North, missionaries arrived. Many husbands had harems of seven up to fourteen wives or more. The missionaries said to the men who got converted, Now you have to part from all your wives except for the first one and get rid of all the other children except for the first one's children.

And so the women and their children landed up on the streets. They didn't have food. They were totally deserted. And their response was that Christianity is a terrible, hard, harsh thing. Now I don't want to condemn those missionaries.

They did what they thought was best. I am just telling you what the missionaries did say in reality and what the people's response was. But we don't do it like that. We rather say pray and you seek the Lord what He says.

Then the man who got converted told me why he had two wives. He said my first marriage was to a woman that I did not love for it was an arranged marriage. My parents chose. And she had six sons. Real young men.

And he told me how he decided then to rather seek a woman who he loves for himself. Which he then found and he married her. A young woman. Had two children. And then in this circumstance he asked me what he should do and I said you go and ask your shepherd, the Lord, what you should do.

After a few days he came back and I said has the Lord Jesus spoken to you? He said indeed. I asked him what he had said. He told me I have sinned greatly by taking that second wife. And the Lord told me I have neglected my first wife and her children because I only live with my second one.

And he told me I have neglected my first wife and her children because I only live with my second one. Now in Zulu tradition a man with a harem, if he is working in some city and he sends money back home by post or whatever it is sent to his first wife.

She would then divide it among all the wives and children. But he said I didn't do that. I only sent it to my second young wife. I sent it to my second young wife. I sent it to my second young wife. Now in Zulu tradition a Zulu man with a harem would spend a week with the one and then with the other etc.

But I don't have time to give you all the details. Otherwise the sun would go down. And I don't think that you can sit so long. I can't. If somebody preaches and I sit I say oh woe to those that listen.

It's better to preach. I'm not used to sit so long on a chair or a bench. And so I pity those with harems. One wife can be a problem. Having five or ten just multiplies the problems. They fight. And when they come home from their job they will come back and there are only complaints and things that he has to sort out.

As if he's in a courthouse. And for days he's got to be a judge. This one will say that that one is more loved than I am because they are jealous. Women isn't it like that? I don't hear. Well the thing is you're not married like that.

But those who are married... Those who are in that arrangement there are many difficulties. Men come to me often who have harems and say what must I do? I have such a problem. I tell them well look I didn't tell you to get married to more than one wife.

You chose it. Now you sort it out. Jesus said that if you have a wife and then you lust after another you have committed adultery with her. This type of thing isn't a problem for we who believe. I said to him then that man what did the Lord say?

He started by saying I have sinned greatly. Secondly I sinned greatly by neglecting my first wife and the children and I only was with the second one. He said the Lord showed me that I need to love them equally.

And from now on if I do send money I will send it to the oldest one leaving it to her to divide it equally. I said well do it and let's see the fruit thereof which he did. He said I have sinned greatly by neglecting my first wife and the children and I only was with the second one.

He said I have sinned greatly by neglecting my first wife and the children and I only was with the second one leaving it to her to divide it equally. And many people of that area then saw this and marveled.

They said what is it possible that a man can then after not loving his wife begin to love her properly and be fair and just to all of them. This Jesus is great we want to get converted and so there were those that got saved.

It is good to throw a person on the Lord himself and say you do what the Lord says do his will. Solomon had much on his heart regarding the house of the Lord and so he did all that God had put on his heart.

It was a wonderful temple. That is the first point. Listen to what your shepherd says and you follow him. The second point, God in speaking to Solomon said when I Lord said when I shut up the heavens that there is no rain or command the locusts to devour the land or send pestilence among my people.

If my people would humble themselves, repent, depart from their evil ways I will forgive and heal the land. So even if you are stuck in a problem seek the Lord and ask him in prayer what his will is. In 1986 there was an incident in the USSR remembering that communists deny the existence of God.

Following the Lord Despite Persecution

There was a believer there in Russia and the police arrested him. He was arrested because he was a Christian. Because there you were not free to be a believer. The Christians had to meet secretly in forests.

When I went there for the first time we also had to meet in a forest. Unless you were in the government endorsed church then you could. But many Christians said we will not be part of a government endorsed church rather we will follow the Lord what he says and be with the church that he points us to.

They arrested him, put him into a train, sent him to Siberia. They sent him to the cold icy Siberia where in the northern Siberia in winter the sun never rises. Dark for six months and the same with summer.

Many Christians were imprisoned in northern Siberia and died of cold. While on the train in Siberia The police threw him off the train so that he would die there in the wilderness. It is very dangerous there.

In a short time you can freeze to death. He felt the cold. He felt like sleeping and he fell into a very deep sleep. The cold caused him to just want to sleep which is actually more dangerous. Especially if you don't have something covering your head you can be frozen right to the brain and die.

And so he fell asleep in this terrible cold. When he woke up he said well what's happening? I feel warm. And a bear in the forest Think of David who wrestled with lions and bears. Bears are of great danger.

They can pull you to pieces. When he awoke he found himself embraced by the bear like a mother embraces a child. He said oh God you have sent a wild ferocious animal to keep me alive. With so much fur and when the bear felt the man awake it awoke too.

It got up. It ran off in different directions and then after a time it returned with a packet. And when he opened it it had food and bread inside. He could eat of the bread. He ate the bread which had butter and jam on it.

He ate half and the other half he gave to the bear. What an amazing work of God. Jesus can keep his people. Some apostles were killed. He was crucified. He said I'm not worthy to be crucified like my Lord.

Turn the cross upside down. Which they did. It was amazing that it was overheard that Peter spoke to his wife encouraging her comforting her. He said I'm not worthy to be crucified like my Lord. Turn the cross upside down.

Many Christians do have to die for their faith and yet even in their great suffering like those who are burned at the stake some have said it's as if though I'm on a bed of roses. But some have a difficult death or escape death and survive like this Russian who survived.

When the bear had eaten its half it got up and walked off and he got up and followed it. And the bear led him to a certain person's home. And took him all the way to the home and then the bear left and the people in that home treated this man very well.

That night they said to him we have a secret prayer meeting in a certain place in the forest would you like to accompany us? Then he realized that they were also Christians. He said I'd be delighted to and he went with them.

And when they were then seated there and they were singing one of them stood up and spoke. He said I don't know brethren whether I am not well. It's as if though God is rebuking me spiritually I'm sick.

He said because I went to work yesterday and while I was there I took my food my lunch packet and I put it down. And while I was at work a bear came and pinched my packet and ran off with it. Then that man the Christian stood up and said no God is not rebuking you for anything.

Instead God used that bear to take your lunch packet and bring it to me to survive. They all praised and thanked God. They said oh God you who closed the mouths of the lions the jaws of the lions when Daniel was in the den today we've seen that you can close the mouth of a bear too.

Just think of it brethren. Is anyone as great as our God our Lord Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep? Let me leave that story. I go to my third point. Solomon built the house and all that was in his heart the Lord made him to accomplish all.

Obedience to the Holy Spirit Brings Peace and Liberty

It is marvelous if the Holy Spirit indwells you. Where the Holy Spirit dwells there is peace and liberty. There is no liberty and peace where the Holy Spirit is absent. The freedom that is spoken of in this world goes along with the shedding of blood.

God was with Solomon and gave him success to build the Lord's house a wonderful spectacular house. If you want peace and joy be obedient to the Holy Spirit. Do exactly what he says you should do. That's the third point.

Repentance, Vows, and Spiritual Drought

I'll tell you the fourth. God said when I close the heavens and it does not rain I send the locusts to devour or there is pestilence. Epidemic. If it doesn't rain it is so terrible. When epidemics break out it is a terrible painful thing.

If locusts come and come onto land where there is a crop they can devour the whole crop in a very short time. Now if difficult things come your way some get depressed. Back in June 1986 a black person came here from Freiheit who was a miner.

He said I want to tell you how I have survived death. I was down in the mine and there was an explosion. Gas explosion. Many died. He said after that explosion a dark thick cloud approached us. We all lay flat so as not to take in the fumes so that it would pass over but quite a few died.

Many did. He said that smoke was like the flames of fire. He said I have seen hell with my own eyes. Many died. Many were in great pain. No one could tell who was a white or a black person that cloud of smoke had made them all black and only the white teeth were visible.

That day he said that day I vowed to God I am going to be your child and preach your gospel. If I survive, which he did, after a short while he forgot his promise after a short while. Then he met up with problems.

If you make a vow to God and fail to keep it you will only meet up with problems. He met up with one problem after the other. Finally his wife left him with her little child for another man. He wanted to murder that man.

Then he heard God speaking to him saying now you, what did you promise me? Didn't you promise me that you would surrender your life to me and preach the gospel? But now you have forgotten all of that.

That is why you are meeting up with problems and difficulties that are so hard for you. He went to the court to accuse his wife, to lay a case against her. The trial came. His wife said I left him because he doesn't want to worship or sacrifice to our ancestors anymore.

And refuses to allow me to go to a witch doctor. For that reason the judge then gave her permission to divorce him. God says if I close the heavens that can be literally here on earth or it could be spiritually that God closes the heavens to me.

He can stop spiritual rain or literal rain. Take your bible on your knees. Read the word and see and read intensely what does the bible say to you. Remembering also your vows, your promises to God, even the very old ones.

God says if I close the heavens, he who can close even the spiritual heavens that you don't have any more blessing. God says if I close the heavens, he who can close even the spiritual heavens that you don't have any more blessing.

He can do what we can see all around us. Look at the rate of unemployment. Look at the starvation. Look at the people who have lost their jobs. Those in mines where the shafts are closed. Think of men who are now unemployed.

They have wives and children. What a difficult thing it is. Yes, the politicians may demand that those who have should give to the have-nots. He who has got property should share it with those who don't.

It shocks me to see how people have so much. They have got a wonderful beautiful house and car, but they are totally ignorant or ignore the poor. I don't know whether you hear what I say, whether I am lying.

There is a lot that we could say. The Lord says if I send the locust, this creature which can destroy all food. In 1986, there was a locust epidemic here in Africa, South Africa. The government sent special aeroplanes and helicopters to spray to destroy this pestilence.

There are the real locusts. There are the spiritual locusts too. Things that destroy you, like sin, which devours, like cows go onto your land and eat up all the food. Locusts are able to reproduce by the millions.

And that creature is able to change its colour. When it first comes, it is of a khaki colour. Then red. Five or six times it changes its colour. Finally, it is very red. So too, Satan can come to you in many different shades.

Or disease, pestilence comes. You see the epidemics that there are? Just think of the thousands that die in epidemics like there in West Africa. Then you have HIV. Many different epidemics, even here in our country of South Africa.

God sees our hatred. God sees our bitterness. God sees our friction. Our parting of ways. Our fighting. Our gossiping. Even people in church gossip about each other. Only one thing will help us and that is repentance and departing from these sins.

Evan Roberts's Four Conditions for Revival

I think I have spoken for a long time. Let me just leave out other things I had. Depart from your evil ways so that things would go well with you. Evan Roberts experienced a great revival in 1903 in Wales.

He preached to the hardened Welsh people, many of them being minors. He repeated continuously four points. He said the first point, look at your old life, whether there are sins left unconfessed. Look back.

Is there anything you have not yet confessed to the Lord? You need peace. Regarding your past life, even if you look back, have the assurance that there is nothing left unrepented of. That was the first point.

Examine yourself. Make sure that there is no sin that is left unconfessed. Secondly, let there be nothing doubtful in your life. Were you not sure, is it bad, is it good? Let there be nothing doubtful where you do something but you don't really know, is it right, is it wrong?

God doesn't allow any doubtful thing in your life if you call yourself a Christian. Should I dress like this or not? Should I do my hair in this way or not? Should I smoke or not? He said a Christian dare not have anything doubtful or something that he doubts about in his life.

Thirdly, listen to the Holy Spirit. Obey the Holy Spirit. And fourthly, finally, don't be ashamed of the Lord, confess Jesus openly in public. He said if you seek revival, if you want God to work, then keep these four points, he said.

A Final Examination Before God

Now I'm closing. And I close with these four points. If you look back, is there something left unconfessed, unrepented of? Secondly, is there anything in your life that you have doubt about? Is it right or wrong?

Thirdly, do you obey the Holy Spirit? And then, are you ashamed of Jesus or can you witness of Jesus before other people unashamedly? If you do this, you will succeed. Otherwise, never. Blessings will slip through your fingers.

Prayer for Repentance and Spiritual Renewal

Let's bow our heads and pray. I ask you Lord, as you revealed yourself to your child, the son of David, Lord, speak also to us. Reveal yourself to us. That everyone would be in a right standing with you, having got right with you.

Nothing left unrepented of. Nothing doubtful. And nothing of these four points that we have mentioned. We ask Lord, that your words, your speaking would not be in vain. That we would be alive spiritually.

Being a blessing also to other people. Amen.