Summary of sermon by Erlo Stegen, 30 Mar 2014
It's marvelous to see God at work. God is able to restore our youth even if the body is old. He can give life to dry bones (Ezekiel 37:14).
Ps 90
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
This is the prayer of Moses the man of God.
Many have a heart without wisdom, and their days go by without preparing for death. Each of us must know that we will die, whether young or old, from whatever nationality. Our times are in God's hand. We don't know who among us would be the first to die.
Heb 9
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
In Ecclesiastes we read that you may enjoy your youth but know that you will give account for what you have done (Eccl 11:9). Even our motives and thoughts will be judged. What will that day be like to you? Think of every word you have spoken.
A certain church lady spoke a lot, and caused a lot of friction in the church. The pastor was a man of God and prayed what he should do. He had preached against her sin directly, and even challenged her one on one. Nothing helped. Then he thought of a plan. He asked her to pluck a chicken and let the feathers loose over a long distance. She did it. When she returned he asked her how it went and was happy to see the chicken plucked thoroughly. He then asked her to take a basket and collect the feathers. She exclaimed that it's impossible, the feathers have been blown all over. He then told her that that's exactly what she had been doing, spreading gossip everywhere.
Remember on Judgment day you will be called to account about all you have spoken. Everything will be exposed on that day.
In Amos we read that God says to Israel "to prepare to meet your God" (Amos 4:12). Whether people think well of you or ill of you doesn't matter, but that you prepare to meet your God.
A certain person lived a very respectable life, and would often correct others and help them. He considered himself to be a very good person. But God was gracious to him. One day he had a dream that he stood completely alone before God. He expected God to praise him for his upright life. But then he began to be very afraid. A tall man entered, very serious, and stood there before the Judgment throne with him. Then he recognized the man, the tailor who had sown his suits. The man spoke before the Judge that he had made him a good suite, for 66 Deutsche Mark. But he only paid him 60 Deutsche Mark, promising to pay the difference soon, but he never paid it. The tailor left and then another person entered, also very serious. He too spoke that he had a cow he was very fond of and was worth a lot. He was under financial difficulty, and was forced to sell the cow. Because he had no option, he had to sell the cow to this man well below to what it was worth, and the man made use of his financial difficulty to buy the cow for a bargain. The man then left too.
He awoke in a terrible sweat, and went straight to those people and made right, and paid them what he owed them. Then he thanked God for revealing it to him and that he could make it right.
Matthew 5
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
How will you enter heaven if you make light of these matters?
There is the well known story of a beauty queen in America. Her parents taught her very well, she was very beautiful and very bright intellectually. At university she was chosen as the beauty queen and she asked her parents to attend the ceremony. They were very proud of her as she was crowned. They left early after the ceremony while the young people enjoyed themselves awhile afterwards. As soon as the parents got home, the phone rang and it was a call from the hospital that their daughter was involved in a very serious car accident and that they must come immediately. They hardly recognised their daughter. She then spoke to them, "You've taught me all the etiquette and manners, how to pour wine, dance etc., but you never taught me how to die. Please tell me now how to die, for I am dying". Her parents couldn't help her and she passed away like that.
Have you as a mother or father taught your child how to die? If not, you're not worthy to be a parent.
Remember the words of Moses. Are you numbering your days, and are you prepared to meet your God? Do you pray this prayer daily, Lord teach me to number my days.
God called Moses personally when he died and God buried him. How will you die?
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Erlo Stegen (1935 - Present)
Used of God in the Zulu revival in South Africa. He helped found the Kwasizabantu Mission where a few thousand live on the mission doing work for the Lord. He shares a powerful burden for the purity of the Church and revival in the Church.Many ministers have preached in their large conventions through the years namely David Wilkerson who enjoyed greatly the mission's work. They have established over 30 other missions around the work as a work of the Spirit of God.