20 Sept. Alfdorf

Friedel Stegen

„Under whose influence are you?"

Text: Exodus 32,21

This text shows us the great responsibility we have as Christians. For 40 days Moses stood in God's presence, this was his bible school, where he was directly in contact to God. During this time God also revealed to him what happened amongst the Israelites.

Aaron remained with the people. He was chosen by God to support his brother Moses, he has seen many miracles and God working in a supernatural way. But the very Moment he was alone, he had no authority to guide the people. He was suddenly influenced by the people.

They started to complain, they forgot what God had done among them through Moses. How often do we as Christian react in the same way if we are not satisfied. Why do things like this happen to me, why am I no experiencing it in a certain way? ... and finally we blame God.

We simply cannot wait upon the Lord, than we seek an answer from fellow Christians instead of listening to God's voice.

Do not be influenced by people. The human heart is so easily influenced by what people say. Even the devil will come and whisper something into your ears. His influence will lead you away from God. It is a typical reaction of a heart that does no longer know the holy presence of God and lives without sanctification.

How many people speak about having lost their first love. All the adulterous thought and bad habits have returned – you have erected idols like the children of God in the desert.

Matth 27,20 – The High priests also influenced the crowds.

Acts. 5,8 – Ananias and Saphira influenced each other which resulted in disobedience towards the Holy Spirit.

The devil will constantly try to influence you, he wants to play down sin and the effects of sin. If we could only realise how important it is to be only influenced by God, we would lift our eyes to him.

"A fearless walk with God"

Friedel Stegen. 19 September / Lindach

Josua 5,13+14

When Joshua was lifting his eyes, he saw a man in front of him. Joshua confronted that man and asked him, are you for us or against us ? He did not react cowardly or like some people do whose spiritual life is constantly in the bondage of fear. Fear has become like a drug to many Christians today.  Joshua was filled with another spirit, he faced the problem. He was prepared to fight and to give his life. Do you know that attitude from your own spiritual life. No wonder, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones to enter the promised land. May God help us that we can stand in the same boldness if temptation is crossing our way.

The very moment when Joshua realised it is the Lord speaking to him, he bowed. The mighty Joshua who led his army into victory was immediately prepared to bow when God revealed himself to Joshua.

You do not need to be afraid in your walk with God, He wants to fight for you and wants to keep you. The devil will always whisper in your ear, "You wont make it in your Christian life, I will get you anyway." Remember God's children going through the Red Sea, this is a spiritual message to us. The Egyptians followed and wanted to destroy God's people, but they had to die. Not one Egyptian soldier escaped.

Joshua lived in a close relationship to his God, when he entered into God's presence he humbled himself and took his shoes off, which symbolises earthly contact. Anything what is of greater importance to you than Jesus is an idol in your life, you need to part from.

Joshua was concerned that his life may only glorify the Lord.

18. Sept. 02 

Limburg - Friedel Stegen

"Jesus - The answer

Text: Revelation 21,6-8

Since the beginning of creation, the devil is trying to destroy what God has planted. And so, many people today are distracted by the devil, who does not want us to be simply obedient to God. Who of us is still aware that we fully depend on God? God himself is the beginning and the end of our life, yet he equipped us with a free will, we have the liberty to choose what we want to live for. Our short life here on earth will decide where we will be in eternity.

We all have to face different problems and challenges in life, where do we seek for help? Is Jesus our first place where we seek the answer ? Are you allowing God to speak to you personally in taking time aside that is especially dedicated to have fellowship with God and the reading of his word? It requires a godly and obedient life, to listen to God's voice.

Joshua's mighty army lost a battle against a little city called Ai, because disobedience found place in one person's life, so the whole army had to suffer. We are doing so often the very same mistake, all we are concerned about is our own, personal advantage. All we need God for, is to sign our finished plans.

Whenever the devil is deceiving you, he won't tell you about the consequences of your sin, he won't tell you that sin brings division between you, God and your fellow believers. The devil makes promises, "you will be like God".

Sin is progressive in nature. If you have given in, into a small sin,  this sin of sinful habit will grow. A murderer does not plan a murder right from the beginning, it starts maybe with a negative thought.

God seeks fellowship with you, where you can communicate with him daily. Read your bible with the prayer, "Lord, let me understand your word and help me to do your will".

Stay close to God and allow him to guide you.

Make your choice, and let Jesus be the answer to your personal Problems.

17. Sept. 02 - Di

Bensheim - Friedel Stegen

Mark. 8,34+35

The cross determines our destiny

1.) The cross symbolises death.

2.) The cross reconciles us with God.

3.) The cross is the power of God.

1.) The cross makes the decision about our eternity. God makes it a condition for every believer who wants to follow him to take his cross. It stands for a life where I am prepared to sacrifice my own will.

Mark 10,21 - The rich young man asked Jesus about eternal life and Jesus responded that he must take his cross upon himself and follow him. This is a daily process, it is not simple but it is Gods way for us. Test your own reactions in times when your own planning comes to an end. Are you still prepared to give up your own will ? New life in God will only occur where we are prepared to die.

2. - Reconciliation (between God and man)

Only the death of Jesus at the cross reconciles us with God (2. Cor. 5,18). The cross takes the enmity between us and God away and through that we can experience reconciliation with our fellows.

Can you testify of the Reconciliation power of the cross in you life. Is that the fragrance coming from your life, or are you still busy fighting for your own rights?

3. The power of God.

When the cross at Calvary was erected, nature mourned. This is how powerful the cross works. Even the curtain in the temple tore and opened the way to God's Holy place. The power of the cross is so strong that even sin can be overcome by this power. Godly power will lead us from victory to victory.

15 Sept. 02 - So

Strassburg - Friedel Stegen

Mark 16,15

'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation'

The Lord's commission is not only directed to ministers. It is a calling to every believer to spread the Good News. But what are we busy doing today, how often are we only concerned about our own life. We are concerned about wealth, own plans and in doing this we do no longer find time for God. Constantly we are distracted from the Lord's commission.

Amos 8,11 + 12 - The days are coming, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine through the land; not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.

I believe with all my heart, that we are living in this time today. People are searching for true peace, love and joy. But how many Christian families are testifying to a powerless Christian life today? Are you still concerned about living a healthy Christian life. I am convinced that we are also responsible for the condition of this lost world, where we are no longer salt.

What are we doing if God sends a spiritual desire on earth. Who can help the people spiritually. Can we help the individual or does our help ends with baptism.

Imagine a person suffering from anorexia is asking you for help and all you can do is giving this person a steak. This will kill the person because in the state this person is it will not help. In the same way we must be able to help spiritually in a way that brings the people in contact with God.

We experienced in the revival in South Africa, how people were drawn close to God. We did no longer try to persuade them, but it was God bringing them to us. There is no greater attraction for people to come, than Christ living in you.

Is 59,1 The arm of the Lord in not too short to save, nor his ear to dull to hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God.

Therefore it is essential, that we take care to our relationship with God. It is most important in my life, that I am in Christ.

14. Sept. 02 - Sa

Münchenstein / Switzerland – Friedel Stegen

'Wait upon the Lord'

It seems to be one of the most difficult things for our generation today, to simply "wait upon the Lord."

Is 8,17 - / 31,40 / 49,22

A common mistake that results from it, is to take the matter into your own hand. But only they who wait upon the Lord receives new strength from Him. This is a godly promise if we would only believe this and rely on it.

God won’t work where we are trying to intervene. He does not need us as his dogboys; He wants all the honour for himself. Through His Spirit, He wants to reach people's hearts.

Exodus 32,1

We find in this text God's people coming to the point where they can no longer wait. The same can happen in marriage life. You find it difficult to ask God for help, and before you can pray "Lord, help my husband / wife in this situation you prefer to do it in your own strength and knowledge.

Is impatience maybe a character in your spiritual life? The people made idols from God. They preferred to rely on the visible, earthly things rather than to rely fully on the God who led them out of Egypt. The Christian who cannot wait upon the Lord will judge the circumstances in a human perspective.

1. Sam. 13,8

Saul did great damage to his spiritual life, for he was not prepared to wait upon the Lord. He waited for 7 days; he did his duty but he did not understand what it means to wait upon the Lord. Saul was put aside by God, and David was called in his position.

Who of us is still asking for God’s guidance in our daily walk with God. Whether it will be in our work at home or in our working place, can you pray and wait upon the Lord ? Are you in contact with God so that He can reach your heart and speak to you so that He may be glorified by what you do ?

We read in our text how Aaron was influenced by the people around him. Pay attention that your spiritual life and your decisions are not influenced by the crowd around you, but that you stay in perfect contact with the living God. Do you know the life in full dependency on God; where you no longer live for your own wishes and desires but for him alone.

13. Sept. 02 - Fr

Lausanne / Switzerland – Friedel Stegen

2. Cor. 5,17

"Revival – fiction or reality"

Many people are discussing revival today. And there are pseudo-revivals as well as genuine Biblical revivals. It is a speciality of the enemy to imitate Gods work. As man we are inclined to seek rather an emotional experience than a true meeting with God. How often are we more concerned about the masses, and we want thousands to attend our meetings. Thus, we prefer to do things in our own strength; the devil knows about this tendency and is doing his best to keep us busy thinking in this direction.

Where we fail to wait upon the Lord, we easily try to take over the work of the Holy Spirit. We do often start with big meetings and after a while we see our work withering. Where God works, He will start small and through His blessing the work will prosper.

A spiritual revival will always lead the individual into sanctification and purification so that their lives will change. It is all about Jesus what matters; He will be in the center and man stands back. This process begins where His people seek Him with all their heart - not for seeing miracles but to become partakers of Christ’s Nature. Revival leads me into an intimate walk with God, where my thinking, my deeds and my reactions are fully controlled by the Holy Spirit. It is a process of dying where I even sacrifice my own knowledge and my blessings to rely on Christ alone.

Maybe God cannot grant revival in your own life, because you are still rich in your own eyes; therefore pray to God, "Lord, show me how you see my life."

When God came down in revival-power amongst us, this is what He did in our lives. He convicted us of our sin by his Holy Spirit (John 16,8). We experienced God working miracles among us as He brought people by His Spirit. For 36 years now, God is working in revival-power amongst us and we do not know of one day where there were not people coming to make their life right with God.

12. Sept. 02 - Do

Thun / Switzerland – Friedel Stegen

Ferny Jaegle gave a testimony about his conversion.

(Ps. 24,1 / Amos 4,12)

"Hidden Idols"

Text: Genesis 29,31 - 30,2

Jacob did not want to marry Lea, but God led it differently. Her father Laban agreed that he can also marry Rachel, but Jacob neglected Lea. When God decided to make Lea fertile, Rachel envied her sister Lea. Her attitude was, "if my will is not accomplished I prefer to die". Did you ever understand that your life is fully in God's hand and that He is in control of everything?

31,19 – Later on, when Jacob decided to move into another country, Rachel took idols from her father's house along. The very same attitude we find in many people's lives. They are not prepared to leave everything from the old life behind. God, who is a jealous God, is not prepared to take the 2nd position in any area of our life.

We are easily prepared to part from our sins and bondage, but we are not willing to give our own will, our blessings and lay them on God's altar.

Example of a minister: - A preacher who led others to Christ, when he heard that God also wants us to sacrifice our blessings, he responded, "this is too much for me". He withdrew and lived in loneliness until he died.

Are you prepared to sacrifice your knowledge, experience and blessings on the altar of God.

Exodus 31,32 – In the text we read Rachel is hiding her father's idols, and she is even lying, when her father if searching for them. How often are we doing it in the very same way - we take idols from our old life into the 'new' Christian life. We hide them and we are lying if we are confronted with our evil deeds. Rachel was sitting on the idols, pretending that everything was all right.

What are you maybe hiding and covering in your thought-life?

Have we ever realised, that God is a holy God ?

We dare not to take something from our old life into our new Christian life.

There is hope for you in Jesus who is calling you. He wants to glance and to forgive you, therefore part from your hidden idols.

11 Sept , Thun / Switzerland

Friedel Stegen

Text: John 15, 1-7

Abide in me

Jesus emphasises in this chapter the importance of abiding in Him and that He wants to abide in us. How often do we not try to work out fruit in our own strength. But Jesus clarifies His message by using the example of the vine. He wants us to understand that we can accomplish nothing in our own strength where we do not fully depend on Him. Christ himself set the example for us when he testified, "I can only do what my Father tells me to".

Many people have gained a lot of knowledge about Jesus, but have you already experienced what it means to be set free by Jesus and to abide in Him. Take time to test yourself, whether your life is rooted in Christ. It is impossible to live a godly life in your own strength. The glory of God can only be revealed in our life, if we abide in Jesus.

To abide in him, describes a condition, where nothing stands between Christ and the disciple. Therefore, remain faithful to Jesus, even if your circumstances are becoming difficult.

The vine withers where we loose contact to him. Other things become suddenly more important than Jesus. But Jesus wants to lead us into a prayer-life where we can ask anything from him, He will answer and our life will bear much fruit.

The heavenly Father is compared to a wine-grower in this text. He watches and cares for every vine. He gives what the vine needs and takes away where there is no fruit.