Ministers’ Conference 2025 – Wednesday Evening

INTRODUCTION
On the first day of the conference, I looked in amazement and asked myself who could do something like this? No person could have done - only God We thank our God for all that He has done. Everything we see is the work of His hands. We praise Him. May all the glory go to Him and to no man.

We thank every one of the speakers who brought us God's word. Now we need to do what we have heard. No amount of talk will help if we do not do. The gospel corrects and straightens us. It cleanses us from sin.

God has taken Rev Stegen, the founder of this Mission, but we are left with what he has taught us. We have been left with treasures, with the word of God. He said that when he had gone, the work would progress because he had taught us. We were privileged to have had a teacher like him. We were privileged to receive the true gospel. If we deviate from it, that will be our doing, not because we do not know.

We thank and praise God the leaders who hold fast to that foundation. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the power of God unto salvation.”

Before I share the God’s word, I would like to tell you where I come from and how I met with KwaSizabantu Mission. God bestowed grace on me of which I am not worthy. I personally experienced the power of God working in the revival.

I came here as a troubled boy. I was in bondage to alcohol. During breaks at school, I did not take sandwiches, but I drank. We were enslaved by drink. If you are enslaved by something, you cannot help yourself even if you do not want to do it. I was a slave to strong drink. I had an anger problem. I fought and beat people.

To cut a long story short, I returned from school one day and went drinking. I met someone whom I hated terribly. I don’t know how it came about but we got involved in a fierce fight and I managed to get on top of him and stabbed him. I went home but I never told a soul that I was involved in a fight and had stabbed someone. The following day I went to school. At break one of my friends asked me what I had done the day before. I responded by asking what he wanted to know. He told me that the person I had fought with had died. It was as if I went mad. I returned to class but I could not grasp a thing. I went home and there were people there who were anxious about this event. I had one desire and that was to die. I went to bed but I could not sleep. The only thing I thought that would help me was to commit suicide. God, however, helped me and I did not reach that point.

I handed myself over to the police. They said that it was good that I had come. They were going to fetch me. I was jailed and remained in prison for quite a while. Prison conditions are tough. After a while I was bailed out by those at home.

At home one of my aunts told me about Jesus and a place called KwaSizabantu. In 1978, my aunt brought my sister and I here. As I entered the gate, I saw things differently. Where was I? What happened here? I saw the brethren singing, working and happy. I wondered what was going on here. I was invited to a service at 2 o’clock. A lady preached about my life. I wondered who had told them about my life? I thought the people who brought me must have spoken about me. I was amazed that they could tell everyone about me in such a short time. The service ended and there was another one at 7 pm. There was a different preacher – a man. I did not know him but he preached about me and only looked at me. From that time there was a struggle in my heart. I saw how much I had sinned. I came here because I was in trouble because I had murdered a person but God revealed to me that that was nothing. There were greater things I had done. I saw numerous corpses before me and I said, “I don’t know these people, I never murdered them.” But they were lying before me. God said, “You did not kill them with a knife or a gun but with your tongue.” I wept about my sin, “Who can save me from my sins?” All this happened within the first day I was here. “Who can set me free from my guilt?” I asked. Someone took me to a servant of the Lord where I unburdened my heart.

We can preach in the pulpit but if we have not made our lives right with God, we have not reached anywhere.

God showed me that I could do one thing and that was make my life right with Him. I could not sleep at night. I was troubled. I dreamed about this struggle. I dreamed that I was fighting and about the person I had murdered. I was only a young boy. I made my life right with God and confessed my sins. Sins must be confessed. No matter who you are, your life with God must be straight. That night I made my life right with God and I slept like a log. It had been long since I had slept so well.

I had to go to court eventually. I took the matter to Rev Stegen. Two things could happen: I would either be hanged or be imprisoned for many years. Rev Stegen prayed with me and I left. I had been given a Bible which I took along when I went home. The following day I was to go to court. I did not know the Bible, even though I had grown up in a family that knew the Lord. Before going to bed, we prayed together and asked God to be with us.

While sleeping at home I dreamed that I saw one of the brethren. He had a Bible and was preaching. He preached a wonderful message so that I was at ease, knowing it would go well according to the word that was preached. In the dream I saw that he had read from 1 John 2. In the morning I looked for the reference in my Bible. I had no idea where John was. I started from Genesis and turned the pages one by one, through the New Testament until I reached John. I looked for this chapter and found it. When I read it, I was disappointed because it was not what I had heard. I wondered whether there was another book called 1 John and I paged through and eventually found it. 1 John 2 “Jesus Christ is the advocate.” I said, “Thank You, Lord, I don’t have a lawyer, but I thank You because now I have an advocate.” I went with courage.

At court, there was an elderly man who was crying after receiving his sentence. I realized that this was a bad day. After a while I was summoned. The judge (not a magistrate) called me. He asked, “Have you murdered someone?” I received an opportunity to testify about Jesus. I started off by admitting, “Indeed it was me who murdered that person.” I explained the matter and said, “You don’t know what Jesus has done for me. Jesus has done wonderful things in my life.” I was moved to another box where I also had to answer questions. At the end the judge said, “Your statement is before me. It is true that you murdered so-and-so on that day. You are 20 years old but you look younger than that. What shall we do with you?” I was amazed that the judge asked me what should be done with me. “If we give you a suspended sentence, you won't understand that you have been jailed,” he said and then asked, “What shall we do with you?” The judge said, “If we put you in prison, that won't help you. Shall we go to the police and let them whip you 6 times and then you return home?” Had I heard correctly? 6 lashes and then sleep at home - what are 6 lashes? I had had more than that at school in a day. I left, went outside and was free!

It happened so fast that those who had come with me had not even gone in. They asked what was going on and I said that the case was closed and that I could sleep at home. I made an agreement with God right there and said, “Lord, this is a day chosen by You. The one standing here, is not someone who knows who he is. Lord, I decide right here at this court that this life is not mine. I give my life to You. There is nothing I can hold on to. Lord Jesus, I give my life to You.” That is how I was set free.

I came back and shared it with my pastor, Rev Stegen. I told him about my decision and my desire, “This life belongs to God so that I can bring joy to Him. I need to do what I have promised.”
I thank the Lord that I still feel the same way. Sometimes I ask myself whether what I do for the Lord is enough. Am I paying the debt I owe the Lord?

We speak of God and revival and that He exposes the sins of a person. We have spoken extensively about the prophet Isaiah in whose life the Lord did amazing things. An angel touched his lips with a burning coal. This burning coal must touch and cleanse our lips. We speak too much and in the talk there are lies too. Will you return home and yet you have not been cleansed of the things you speak about?

I thank God. Continue praying for us. Continue praying for that I remain faithful until death. This is what I wish – to do God’s work willingly without burdens.

We recently preached in Mpumalanga. At a school one of the children shared their problems with me and wanted to make his life with God. He said, “We have been touched and received help. You have brought us the Gospel, but what happens after this? You return to KwaZulu-Natal and who will help us? No one here preaches what you preach. We don’t know this.”

“Send me.” We have heard about those who go, not because they have been called but because they like it. Blessed is the one who agrees and does it in love. That is why I love Jesus so much because He has done such great things for me, not only in the past but even today.

YOU ARE THE SALT. YOU ARE THE LIGHT

Before you return home, I would like to share something that has been a great blessing to me. They are words of Jesus, the great teacher who taught His disciples the way they should walk.

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

I love the words of Jesus and the way in which He speaks to His disciples and advises them. Not long before that the Lord Jesus said, “Come to Me, and I will make you fishers of men. I want you to come near Me because I want to make you fishers of men. But before I can do that, you need to repent. Without repentance, preaching will go nowhere. Many people as they preach meet with problems, they lose hope and throw in the towel.

I am reminded of an American who had been sent to preach the Gospel. He stood at the crossroads and gave people tracts. He did it for a long time but to him it seemed worthless and a waste of time. Eventually he decided that it did not help. He decided to leave everything and go back to the world. “I tell people about the Gospel of the Lord Jesus that saves, but no one is helped,” he said.
One day another man came by and said, “A man used to stand here and hand out tracts. He worked tirelessly. I took the tracts and got converted, but now I don’t see him anymore.”

It can happen that one puts in a great effort, sees no fruit and throws in the towel. The converted man felt that he owed God something and so he continued with that work. One day as he was handing out tracts, a drunkard came along. The man gave him a tract and preached the Gospel to him. He told him about the man who used to stand in his place and how he had been helped by that man. “But I don’t see him anymore,” he said. The drunkard responded and said, “I was the one who told people about Jesus but it seemed as if it did not work. For years I saw no results so I thought it was worthless.”

I don’t know whether you feel that what you are doing is useless. You threw out the net but you caught nothing. What Jesus required of the disciples was greater than the task of the prophets. Prophets were called to work in their area, their province but the disciples were told to go all over the world.

You are the salt of the earth:
I fear that we do not understand what we are. You are the salt and things will not come right without you.

What is the work of salt? It adds taste. Salt does something to food. It makes bland food taste good. Things that were not attractive become attractive. Salt prevents rottenness and preserves. We are the salt of South Africa, America and the whole earth. That is the work that salt does.

We have heard what is happening in today’s world and how many things oppose and persecute Christians. Christians want to put their tails between their legs. Many Christians hang their heads and cannot stand up. In schools the Christian learners are in the majority but the others make a big noise. See what happens in South African schools – on Mondays or Fridays there is a short devotion otherwise we trample on the toes of other religions. There are children who know nothing about the Lord Jesus. They learned nothing about Jesus at home or school. We need to speak about the problems we face. Teachers have studied to teach the learners but they end up in the role of midwives because children give birth to children at school. Schools have become clinics.

Who writes the school curriculums? Christian parents, how much say do you have at your child’s school? If we would be salt, it would multiply. There would be life because of the brethren.

Salt works quietly without a noise but the result is delicious food. As preachers, there should be no noise.

Pastors’ wives do not dishearten your husbands because you do not stand where you should. Each one must be in his/her place. If you are the mother of the home, be the mother and may the Gospel be evident there. Do not be the head of your husband where it is evident to everyone that you rule the home. Isn't that against the Bible? The wives have become the roosters and their husbands are quiet.

Salt works quietly and finally it is something delicious.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” He tells them that. He does not ask or discuss it with them. You must bring light to others.

I considered the lighthouse. At the Durban harbour there is a lighthouse which brings the ships into the harbour safely. The lighthouse operators do their job so that ships can come into the harbour safely.

A house that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. We must light the world and show the way. If we are not in the right place, ships will be wrecked and there will be great losses because we have forgotten our work. Return home and be the salt and light that you should. For how long will things go wrong in the church? We have heard that the congregation cannot live a higher life than its preacher. We must be the example in everything. May it be seen that we are Christians by the way we dress. It is dishonourable if the minister’s wife’s clothes make her look like a banana. What will the church be like? People watch and say, “You preach to us but go and preach to Mrs Minister. She comes to church late. She complains in the service.” Your work is to be a lamp. Shine in your church and in the whole world. May God help us that we shine when we return home and that people will see our good works and glorify God because the calling of God and His word are alive in our lives. Before we preach, can it be seen in our lives?

One of the last things which Hungarian minister said is that many ministers are in bondage to pornography. Pornography tears families apart. It causes madness in people’s minds. There are people who cannot sleep without it. You wonder why God does not speak to you when you prepare a sermon because instead of reading the Bible and praying you are busy with pornography. This hurts and damages the church. It is heart-breaking that not only young people, but married people have this problem. You return from work. No one has time for the other because all are busy on their cell phones. Families and marriages are damaged and torn apart.

In closing, you are the light of the world. A house on a hill cannot be hidden. It is seen by everyone. People should see the light in us and see God. They should see us as messengers who bring the Gospel. We cannot remain silent about Jesus when people are being destroyed in their sins. Return to your place, I will return to mine. Let us further the Gospel so that people repent. We try in different ways to gather people, but we fail. We use music but it does not work. What is important is to preach the Gospel in power - God’s power not ours and then God’s name will be glorified. Let us do what Jesus commissioned His disciples to do, “Go into all the world and teach them to keep everything that I taught you.”