"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" - message by Rev Erlo Stegen
9 March 2005, 19:00

Zech 4:6, "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit"

The disciples had a wonderful time while Jesus was here on earth, seeing the miracles He did and having fellowship daily with Him. When He told them He was leaving them, their hearts broke, but He comforted them that it was actually expedient for them that He go away, for only when He go away can He send the Comforter who will be with them always.

He also said that the Comforter will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement. John the baptist said, "I baptise you with water, but He that comes after Me will baptise you with fire".

Almost 40years ago at Maphumulo God poured out His Spirit on us. After one service a sangoma came to me and said, "I'm bound with chains of hell, can Jesus set me free". I was amazed (for twelve years I preached to them to part from their witchcrafts, and they told me that it was a gift of God). So I asked her who told her that she was bound by the devil. She said nobody. I continued to ask more and more questions not realizing that God had convicted her. So eventually I sent her to make her life right, confess her sins, and pray for forgiveness with a coworker. After the counselling session she asked me to pray for her to be delivered from the "izwe" spirits. These spirits enabled her to speak in tongues and languages she never learned or heard before. I gathered some co-workers and we sat in a circle around her and sang the song, 'My Jesus is alive'.
After a time she went on her hands and knees and crawled like an animal. Then a whole pack of dogs started to bark from within her. After that pigs squeeled from within her. One of the Christians ran for the door, but I called him back, saying, 'Jesus has conquered'. Then the demons started to speak in a man's voice, "we are 300 strong worriors, and we won't leave". We answered that because Jesus had conquered they'll have to leave. Then they cried, "we're burning because the Holy Ghost has come". Then the first hundred left, then the second hundred and then the third hundred.
Those chains of satan were broken. Her face changed that very moment from an old witch to a saint having walked with God for years.
The people came from everywhere, confessing their sins even without a sermon and making their lives right.
The Holy Spirit had come and convicted of sin.
I was called to go to Tugela Ferry and other places. The people were coming down the mountains seeking peace with God - places where we haven't preached the Gospel. Everywhere God's Spirit convicted and brought the people to make peace with God.
There was also a young uneducated teenage girl who met God and lead multitudes to Christ, but then she came to me very troubled, because for two weeks she could not lead anyone to Christ. She had no theological education, but only knew that she met God, had her sins forgiven and wanted others to experience it too. She cried to God why He stopped working through her. She told me that the previous evening she dreamt God saying to her that her answer can be found in Is 59:2. She asked if there was such a book as Isaiah. We read it to her, "The Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, but your iniquities have separated you from your God and your sins have hidden His face from you". With tears she answered that she knew what the sin was and confessed her sin. Then God worked through her again.

Another women came to me relating how her husband used to lead people to Christ every evening, but nobody came to him anymore to meet with Christ. We cried to God to save him from his backslidings. (The Lord promises where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, there He sends the blessing.) It wasn't many days after that he came, opened his heart and parted from the rubbish in his life. Shortly after she came saying God was working again.
The Bible says that when the Holy Spirit has come He will convict the world of sin; when the Holy Spirit has entered you He will convict the world of sin through you. If the world is not convicted of sin through your life, you are dead spiritually.

Let there be nothing that quenches or grieves the Holy Spirit. When He is quenced He cannot work, and if you continue to quench Him, He will depart.
2Tim 2:19, "the firm foundation of God stands with this seal, the Lord knows those who are His, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity".
Samson fooled around with an attractive woman, and the Holy Spirit left him, and he did not know it, until the enemy was upon him and it was too late. He paid a dear price for it for the rest of his life, being blind. At the end of his life he cried to God for help once more, and died with all his enemies.
Don't play with sin. Deal ruthlessly right now with whatever grieves or quenches the Holy Spirit.