Flee with the Child – New Year’s Day Service

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Albu van Eeden
We welcome you on this the 1st of January 2022. I am reminded of a portion in God’s word Tell me watchman on the wall, how long is it till the morning breaks? This comes from the days when they had watchmen on the walls of the city. To me if feels as if the morning has broken today. We can meet in greater numbers today; we have emerged from a long dark night of the Covid epidemic. We don’t know the future but it appears as if we have past the pandemic unless someone created a new virus. God’s word says his mercy is new every morning. Surely God’s mercy is new every year. It is a privilege we have. God has given us new mercy. Let us use every minute of this new year to get to know him better and that the HS would light the fire in our souls. There is only way which is through faith and obedience.

Jabulani Dube
I greet everyone who is listening to the service. We greet Rev Stegen and his family. In 2021 we experienced many challenging things it was a difficult year in many ways. Beloved ones in the Lord left us. We do not know what 2022 holds for us whether we will be kept or some pass away. The Lord takes even young children.

Brethren, we need to live for God and serve Him. We must no grow slack and fall asleep in our faith. We must have no friendship with Satan and sin. It is wonderful to believe if you have truly repented and forsaken your sin. Even at the age of 12/14 you need to turn to the Lord and serve Him. Jesus started preaching at this age. Let us hold onto our faith. The one who has not turned to the faith, let him turn. People ought to see Jesus in our lives by the way we live. They ought to say, ‘There is Jesus’. People ought not to have to ask, ‘Where do you go to church? Are you a believer?’ because they see the signs of the faith in your life. Do they see that you are child of God? Often people say that because you dress like the world and speak like the world, you are not a true believer.

It is quite hot today but hell is much hotter. The fire is stoked there and the worm does not die there. You children who are disobedient to your parents and shake your heads when you are told, in hell where the worm never dies, you will be roasted like a sausage in a frying pan. When your parent sends you somewhere and you have a long face and slam the door, or when you steal food from the cupboard or the fridge, the worms in hell are waiting for you.

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” This question was asked by the wise men from east when they got lost.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet. Matthew 2:2-5

He was king yet he did not know where Jesus was to be born. He had to assemble the chief priests and scribes and ask them where Jesus was to be born. Herod was troubled because he heard that another king was born.

The wise men were deviated by the glory of Jerusalem and lost the way. This is what happens to believers who lose the way, they ask for guidance from anybody instead of going the right place or person. For the smallest thing, for something they could ask the Lord for, they need advice. They fail to ask the Lord, “If things are like this, what must I do?”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 

It is amazing that Herod, the king, did not know this. These wise men who had seen the star and understood its meaning had lost it. There are people who cannot remain silent about the mysteries God has revealed to them, they blurt it out anywhere. God speaks and gives you a word that is meant for you and it is a blessing but now you speak to anyone about it. You go to someone and say, “If the word says this, what do you think it means?” Someone may tell you the wrong thing.

Listen to what Herod says in verse 7.

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” Matthew 2:7,8

Hear someone who has the spirit of Satan. He had Satan in him. “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word…” He says this but in the meantime this person has been sent by Satan. You can speak to someone and not realise that the person has the spirit of Satanism. You may speak to your wife who has joined the Satanists and she passes that evil spirit to you. Your young wife may have the spirit of Satanism in her and her goal is to spread that spirit to everyone around her. Do not be surprised if things do not go well because you may have also joined Satanism unknowingly.

“Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

These words sound so sincere and wonderful, ‘…we want to tell this person where the child is…’ If someone asks, ‘How are you helped in certain situations, what do you do?’ You respond to such a question by telling all your secrets. When you want to invite someone to church, you throw in a hook without bait. “Come to our church and confess your sin.” If you add some bait, “Come and see our auditorium…” thereby arousing interest and then a person can come and hear God’s word. People without wisdom speak in any manner.

 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Matthew 2:9,10

The wisemen were waylaid by the glory of Jerusalem but when they saw the star again, they rejoiced exceedingly. Have you got lost like the wise men? You no longer hear God’s voice. When you read the Bible, God no longer speaks to you. You have lost the real thing. You have lost sight of the star leading, guiding, and showing you where you should read so that God can speak to you. You do not know how God speaks anymore. All you hear are evil thoughts that arise in your mind and heart. That is all you can share about – the rotten, evil thoughts that Satan brings into your mind.

11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Matthew 2:11,12

God speaks through dreams and visions. I told my wife that I had dreamed a certain dream which meant that someone in our family would pass away. It happened. God still speaks through dreams and visions. Do not say that only happened long ago, God still speaks through dreams and visions. You can have a dream about a brother or sister, and it happens as you dreamed. During the youth conference a young girl of 22/23 years old spoke to me. “I asked for prayer for my mother who was a witch and a smoker,” she said
“What happened after that?” I asked.
“My mother stopped smoking and got rid of her witchcraft fetishes since you prayed,” she answered.
I do not uplift myself but show you that when people pray, God answers, and He still works. Someone from another country said to me that when he switched off the light, he heard noises, voices muttering and bumping in the room but since I prayed for him those evil manifestations have stopped.

Herod had the power of darkness in him, and it worked through him. He was hypocritical when he said that he also wanted to worship the Child. People say they pray and experience things, but it is not the power of God at work. There is another type of power that is received from witchdoctors. They do things to have authority and that their congregations may increase.

In one place, a man and his wife separated because the pastors wanted to receive power so that they had authority in the church. There are preachers who can preach powerfully and impressively but with power they have received from witchdoctors. People even fall over but this is not power from above but from below.

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Matthew 2:13

Brethren, we should flee with the Child to safety. Do you flee with the Child, the Lord Jesus Christ? Where people gossip, do you flee from their company with the Child? When people speak about things they should not, do you flee with the Child? Do you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit telling you to flee from that place? Abraham left his people and family. Do you even leave your relatives when you realise that where they are is not the place for you? On your cell phone, your idol, can you look at porn if you say you have the Child with you? Flee with the Child because this Child will die. You think you still have the Child with you, but He has died long ago. Is the Child still alive within you? Women who are with child can feel the child moving in the womb. They sense the child is alive. Christian, do you still sense the Lord Jesus is alive within? You can hear from the way a person sings or preaches that Jesus is alive within.

Do not tell me that you are a Christian if you are ruled by porn, look at dirty magazines or DVDs. Do not tell me you are a believer if you defile yourself with your own hands. What would those who have gone ahead of us to the Lord say if they see what you are busy doing. God’s eye watches you when you get irritated when people speak to you. You still need to repent. You have not repented yet! What do you want me to do? Stand on the pulpit and shout it out? Let us be true believers. If we need to repent, do so in truth. No matter what congregation or denomination you belong to, repent so that when Jesus comes, Satan and his works will be dead in your life. To repent means to turn around and go in the opposite direction. Your reputation will change – if people know you as someone who always looks around during a service – you have not repented.

Brethren, we will never experience the sweetness of this gospel if we compromise. If your parent tells you not to do something and it upsets you, you do not know what it means to repent. When you are told not to do things in a particular way or speak in a certain way and you become upset and irritated you have not repented. Flee. Flee from immorality and lust. Flee with the Child.

How many children 2 years old and younger did Herod murder? How many children have you killed where you are responsible at work? You hurt and harm them there. There was great weeping and wailing in that place because of the deaths of many innocent children. You may say heaven and hell are far away from you but hell rules within you. Flee with the Child lest He dies. People may have noticed that you no longer have the Christ Child. They may have noticed that He has died within you.

What would say of a mother who has a child, but she never changes its nappy. The child lives in its dirt and filth. It was last changed in 2019 or 2020. The child will die because of that dirt.

Joseph, flee with the Child. Mary, flee with the Child. Flee with Him because Herod wants to kill Him. You know where you should flee to. You know that if you continue living your present life, you will end in hell. People are impressed by glory and glitter. The wisemen were impressed by the glory and glitter of the palace so they went there to ask about the Child. Their eyes were removed from the star, and they saw the glory of the palace. Young men, are you taken up by the beauty of girls and their figures? I thought I would marry when I was 40 years old. God got hold of me and I married at a much younger age. When my first wife passed away, I thought I would remain a widower but then God showed me my second wife. Young people who are in a hurry to marry will never marry. Those who are eager to marry will find it evasive. Those who have Adam’s attitude will quickly get married.

We must take care of the Child if we have received Him. What would you say of someone who goes to a brothel or bar just to have a look? If you go there, you will defile the Child. Flee with the Child or He will die.

Joseph did not wake up and say that it was ‘just a dream’. The wisemen did not say, ‘It was just a dream, let’s go back to Herod and tell him in any case.’ God may speak to you through a dream and tell you that the life you are living is evil, you are gossiping. The way that you are speaking is not the right way, it is Satanic. Flee.

In 2022 you should no longer be known by the things you were known for. If you enter 2022 with the same sins you committed in 2021, you pile one sin upon the other. Flee with the Child lest He dies. If you have started dreaming filthy dreams, flee. Ask your counsellor to pray with you about these bad dreams. Are you doing nothing about your bad dreams? Are you fleeing from those evil thoughts? If God would come and you are living such a life, where will you end? You will end where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.