Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?

Introduction Michael Ngubane
We greet the brethren from South Africa and also those overseas. Although we are connected in this way today, one day we will be together in heaven. Can you imagine what it will be like when we are all before God? There will be no one hiding behind someone else. Everyone will be open. Each person will want to be close to the One on the throne, Jesus the Son of God. We thank the Lord for such times as these when we can be reminded of that day. We should remain at the feet of our Lord and be faithful. If you notice a fellow brother dragging his feet, plead with that brother to come closer.

Jabulani Dube
God is at work. If one would speak about what He is doing, it would be unbelievable. The revival is continuing in revival power. People request prayer and God answers the prayers without the laying on of hands. In one of the branches, a white child always screamed suddenly at school, for example. The parents requested prayer and God did something wonderful when the child was prayed for. When God works, Satan is also busy.

Once at Malelane, where the occult abounds in the area, a little green snake entered during a service. The children were so frightened and the preacher did not know what to do because there was such a rumpus. When we asked someone who was a Satan worshipper about this incident, he said that the devil entered through that snake to disturb the service. During another service, a chicken entered. There was nothing for the chicken to eat there. The people tried to chase it away, but it did not budge. We asked about this incident and were told that the devil entered through the chicken to disturb the people. There are many things which can distract a person in their walk of faith.

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. Psalm 24:1-4

I intended to preach on a different passage, but this was placed on my heart. When you read the psalms of David you are always blessed.

The whole earth is the Lord’s. You are in God’s world. At the mission, we must know that we are in the world that belongs to the Lord. Those who dwell in this world commit sin. We should conduct ourselves properly because this earth does not belong to us. Each one should ensure that they do not sin on this earth which is the Lord’s. For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. There is nothing hidden before the eyes of the Lord. Whatever we do is open to Him because the earth belongs to Him. Even though we put the lights off, it does not hide us from God.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?

Brethren, we must apply this to ourselves. We ascend the hill of the Lord daily. One day we will ascend the ultimate mountain when we see Him face to face. This mountain is steep and it constantly goes up. If you try and ascend this mountain with a burden of sin on your back, you will be unable to.

There are people who cannot sleep or do their work properly because of things in their hearts. Spiritually speaking, they cannot ascend that mountain. One thing would help them - if they would bring their burdens to the cross - then they would be able to climb the mountain. Those who drink and smoke age before their time. A person may be younger than you but they look old because of the burden of sin they carry. When seriously ill people seem as if they are climbing a mountain, one realises that they will meet Jesus soon.

When you go this way, you need to put your foot where He puts His foot. This way is steep. Every day we must climb with Jesus. Without Jesus, we cannot do it.

People who are troubled by the occult and evil spirits are disturbed at night by tormentors. If you are affected by such spirits, you cannot go this way. People who are troubled by evil, filthy thoughts cannot go this way. It is too steep for them. They call themselves believers but they cannot climb this mountain. They have never met the Lord Jesus who can deliver them. Those who have met with Jesus and confessed their sin have found that it is possible to go this way.

Who shall stand in his holy place? We will still have to stand in this place - whether you believe it or not. We will be judged according to our deeds.

He who has clean hands and a pure heart… Your hands must be without guilt, then you can stand in that holy place. If our hearts are pure then we will stand in that holy place. Are your hands clean? Is your mouth clean? Is your mind clean before God? I cannot tell what is going on in your mind. You know what is troubling you in your mind. Right now this word judges you and tells you what is not clean – your hands, your mind. Your own hands tell you what you have done with them. Women, are your hands without guilt? Young men, are your hands clean? Have you touched alcohol and cigarettes with your hands? Have your hands led you to porn? There is so much occultism and Satanism in porn. Rev Stegen has often said that if the congregation stops sinning, he will stop preaching about that sin. Brethren, stop with that. Your hands are defiled before God. Your eyes are defiled. You will not be able to stand in that holy place before God. You will be told to go to hell. Only people whose hearts and hands are pure can stand there. It is good to face the truth while we are on the earth.

David puts it plainly: …who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

The lies that people tell today, the deceit! People spew their lies everywhere on the internet. Many people have been wounded and hurt through lies they have been besmirched with. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11,12 Some people believe the lies and lose their faith.

If you pluck a chicken and allow the feathers to fly all over, will you be able to collect the feathers again? Some will have to stand before the seat of judgement and give an account of the lies they have told, because they cannot collect all the feathers. David must have known about the lies of today. People today are ruled by lies. They are influenced by evil spirits and they spread things that do not exist. They swear deceitfully. They will say, ‘So and so did that.’ But it is a lie. People whose faith is as light as paper, will believe those lies and forsake God. Blessed are those whose roots are deep in the Lord. When they hear such lies, they reject them and say, ‘Those people would never do what you say, I know them.’ If we do not believe the lies, we will be blessed. Hands without guilt - some people have lips with guilt. Their lips are guilty before God. They say things that are not true. They lift their souls to falsehood. They will end where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. Isaiah 59:3

In the world there is so much violence. People kill one another. Innocent blood is shed to get hold of people’s pension money. Hands and fingers are covered with blood. Are your hands not covered with blood and iniquity? When we speak, we use hand gestures. When you gossip about someone, you use hand gestures. While you gossip, you put that person to death. Look at your hands, are they full of blood? In your dreams, your hands are full of blood. …and your fingers with iniquity…You should know the iniquity of your own fingers. People kill their teachers, nurses and policemen. They kill their own children in a bucket and drown them because the child was troublesome. Blood has been shed by guilty hands.

Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. Isaiah 59:37 Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. May you be ready if your blood is shed and you are killed - that you will be ready to meet the Lord. At the mission we are secure. In Msinga you hear gunshots and you know that people have been killed. We hear it on the radio. This word is fulfilled – their feet run to evil and they are swift to shed blood; their thoughts are of iniquity... A murderer will tell you that they can smell the blood. Although there is no blood, they still smell it. They are blood thirsty to shed more blood. When Jesus has set them free, they are set free from that smell as well.

Your lips speak evil and whisper about wickedness. People speak lies and those who are not rooted in their faith, believe those lies. May God have mercy on us because such things can cause us to separate from God. We will still face that day. Without Jesus, we cannot do it. We need the Lord daily to climb the mountain of the Lord. We must experience heaven on earth. It must be within us. You will not get converted once you are in heaven, you must be converted now. You must repent, be changed and have a testimony. Are your hands without guilt? Your fingers? Do you have an answer? You will know whether your hands are without guilt.

Rev Stegen has often said that if you point at someone else, there is something wrong with you because three fingers point back at yourself and your thumb points to heaven. God is a witness. You are three times worse than the person you are pointing at.

If you have heard something negative about a person, go and ask the person about it. You are choosy about which preacher you listen to. Repent. That person who preaches is like a donkey or a crow bringing something from the Lord. If you say that you can only listen to black preachers, not white preachers, you need to repent from racism. What will happen to you on your deathbed if you are still ruled by racism? If you still say such things, you have fallen behind by miles.

One day we went to local farms to look for cabbage to buy. When I got into the car, someone had left their bag in the car with a lot of money in it. I took the money back to the owner. He thanked me. I told this farm owner about it and he said I was a fool, I should have just kept the money. But the person to whom I returned it was happy.

One day I bought something and received too much change. I returned it. They were happy and wanted to thank me with 2 bottles of beer. I told them that from the day I was born, I had never put beer to my lips. I have never drunk or smoked. When I was about 5 years old, I once poured out some beer for the dog, but it did not drink it, and I said to myself, that if a dog does not even want to drink beer, how can I – a human being – drink it! Do not be curious about beer and wonder what it feels like to drink? Do not be curious about porn. Such people are troubled in their minds and are addicted to this drug. Do not look, just to see what it is about; you will get hooked. That is why you are where you are. You do not grow spiritually. Your mind is so warped and your dreams are so wicked. Some people read it in books and their minds are defiled in that way. One thing will help you, expose it and bring it into the light so that you can be saved completely.

Conclusion Michael Ngubane

Thank you for the message of the gospel. This is a message that is clear and speaks about the things that trouble people. It costs something to deny yourself. Depart from those things to gain a pure heart. If you go for counselling but do not part from the sin, you are wasting your time. It does not help you to confess the sin and return to it again and again. Your mind is not working properly. You need to know the truth of this: if the son of man shall set you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36 His work on the cross was perfect and complete. He will set us free.