Dr. Kurt E. Koch (1913 – 1987)
GOD AMONG THE ZULUS
By Dr. Kurt E. Koch
1966-1976
by
Kurt E. Koch Th.D.
Bibel- und Schriftenmission
D-73527 Schwäb. Gmünd-Lindach
Germany
www.schriftenmission.de
|
|
English translation of the German book,
Gott unter den Zulus,
PUBLISHED BY BIBEL- UND SCHRIFTENMISSION
ISBN 3-924 293-62-7
All rights reserved
Copyright: Erlo Stegen
Authorized to publish here by BIBEL- UND SCHRIFTENMISSION and Bärbel Koch
|
Dr. Kurt E. Koch
Kurt E. Koch, born 1913. After studying theology and after further
studies in medicine, received a Doctor of Theology degree at Tubingen
University, Germany.
22 years pastoring in the state Lutheran Church, predominantly in youth
work and in evangelism. Founding and directing of a Bible mission, financing of
the printing or own publication of Bibles or parts of the Bible into
approximately 30 languages, particularly into languages of Stone Age tribes.
Itinerant missionary and evangelistic work in over 100 countries,
lecturing at universities, seminaries, Bible schools and churches on all 5
continents.
With God's help, author of more than 100 books and brochures. As of
November 1986, 96 copyrights awarded for translations into foreign languages.
Regarded by many to have been the world's leading authority on the
occult.
Several international recognitions, among them Life Membership in the
Academy of World Literature (Cambridge, England). Further, a number of
international book prizes.
The central experience of his life: forgiveness of guilt and sin by Jesus
Christ. The experience of being a child of God and the certainty of eternal
life due to the mercy of the Lord. The faithfulness of God in the most
difficult times. Experiencing"the exceeding riches of His grace" (Eph. 2:7).
The most important experience in his work was the visit to all present
revival areas in the world and his books about these spiritual movements.
This book reports on his research into the revival which has been taking
place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa since 1966, now known as KwaSizabantu
Mission.
PREFACE
This story is so important because it has meaning for the future. The church
of Jesus remains alive through revivals.
China is a good example for our times. Although the congregations of
Christ have passed through the fiercest persecution, they have not been blotted
out as in previous history. One reason for this is the revival experienced at
the beginning of the last century. Dr Jonathan Goforth writes on God's working
in his book By My Spirit.
All revivals have similar
trademarks: conviction and confession of sin, freedom from sin, the preaching
and singing of the victory of Jesus through the Blood of the Lamb and the
confirmation from heaven through signs and wonders. Prayer precedes all this.
We print this new book on revival that you may know that South Africa
needs prayer. Not only do the Europeans in Africa need revival. If one looks
around, one realises that each church needs revival. God's solution for Africa
is also a solution for the whole church. Apartheid is not worse than homosexuality,
adultery, the murder of innocent unborn children, hypocrisy, and so on.
HOW GOD ORGANIZES
On April 9th 1976 I sat together with my organizer in Pretoria
planning our South African lecture tour. He mentioned, "We have to get into the
universities so that the students can hear this special message."
That evening I was on board a Lufthansa flight back to Germany. This was
going to be a tiring 13 hour flight. Feet tend to get swollen. After leaving
Nairobi, the last of 365 seats was occupied by homebound students of German
officials, and business people going home for the Easter holidays.
One thing on that flight helped me to forget my inconvenience. As I took
my seat I prayed to the Lord,"Lord Jesus, please allow me to have someone in
the seat next to me with whom I can speak about You. Please grant me that
opportunity."
Barely ten minutes after take-off, my neighbour pulled out his Bible and started
reading the Book of Esther. I couldn’t believe my eyes that my prayer was
answered so swiftly.
I expressed my joy to him and said,"Just a few minutes ago I asked the
Lord, ‘Please grant me a neighbour with whom I can share the Gospel.’ And here
is His answer."
My joy was even greater when this disciple of Jesus said,"I prayed that
way as well."
This wonderful experience was just the beginning. As we exchanged our
addresses, my neighbour responded almost unbelievingly,"You’re not Dr Koch the
author?" I told him I was.
“I have read both Revival in Indonesia and Between Christ and
Satan. Are you going to return to South Africa? I am a lecturer at Pretoria
University. I would like you to speak to the students."
This was a further miracle: Just a few hours previously my promoter had
explained his intentions to take me to the universities, and here was the first
opening.
I passed on the address of my promoter and organizer. Then the lecturer
continued reading in the book of Esther, as I did in Chronicles.
The tiring flight that night turned out to be far more pleasant as we
shared the wonderful guidance the Lord had granted us. Among the 365
passengers, two disciples of Jesus, a German and a South African, were seated
together. This was indeed God's providence, and it became even more obvious as
we continued our conversation. The forefathers of my new friend, the Röttchers,
were German immigrants; two of the three generations lived in Muden in KwaZulu-Natal,
which I had just passed through some days before. We even found out that he is
distantly related to Erlo Stegen, who is a powerful tool in God's hand.
When the Living God does something, He does it thoroughly, and we are
left to marvel.
MY WAY TO THE ZULUS
In 1963, Pastor Albert Brandt from Pretoria organized a lecture tour for
me through South Africa. On this tour I received an invitation from Dr Peter
Beyerhaus, now Professor at Tübingen University in Germany, to speak at the Theological
Seminary in Mapumulo. I remember my last lecture on the theme"The Reality of
the Holy Spirit in our Lives" very well. I myself was deeply moved. As I prayed
in closing, I pleaded to God for a revival among the Zulus. Afterwards several
Zulus came forward for counselling, saying that the message had touched both
heart and conscience.
Among the listeners there was also a young white man whom I didn’t know
at that time. He also remembered the last message about the reality of the Holy
Spirit in our lives. Twelve years later he wrote,"The Lord has answered your
closing prayer. We are experiencing revival among the Zulus."
On his tour through Germany in 1975, this brother, Erlo Stegen, invited
me to visit the revival in South Africa. I also heard of some further incidents
among the Zulus. Our common friend, Karl Stöckmann, said to me,"Similar things
are happening to those taking place in Indonesia."
It has been my habit to visit the different revivals granted by the Lord.
So I left to visit the Zulus in March 1976. There was no exaggeration in the
things I had heard. After several weeks with the Zulus, I had to say with the
Queen of Sheba,"…the half was not told to me..." After my report on Indonesia,
I was heavily attacked by the new rationalists, the super-orthodox and others
who were envious. Because of this I made certain I had witnesses of integrity
and well-documented photographs.
On top of all this, I want to say that none of the testimonies or reports
have been invented or exaggerated - they were well-researched, as in the Indonesian
report. It is a tragic thing that, whilst serving the Lord, I have received the
most violent opposition from Christians. Erlo confirmed the same thing to me in
one of our quieter moments.
In the past ten years many similar miracles have occurred in both
Indonesia and among the Zulus. In all these revivals it is the same Lord at
work.
SOME ZULU HISTORY
Here is a short overview of Zulu history for those who are interested.
The following books can be of help:
The Washing of the Spears by Donald R. Morris
Shaka Zulu by R. Ritter
40 Years among the Zulus by the missionary Tyler
500 Jahre Geschichte Südafrikas by Dr Müller
The tribal area of the Zulus reaches from the Pongola River in the north
to Pondoland in the south, and from the Blood River to the coast. Those
unfamiliar with these geographical details will find Durban on the East Coast.
From there northwards to the borders of Swaziland is the domain of the Zulus.
We need to take a closer look at the origin of the Zulus. Around 1680, a
sub-chief of the Nguni clan wandered towards the Indian Ocean. There were just
a small number of about 100 people with him. When Mandalela, the sub-chief,
died, his son Zulu became the chief of this clan. They proudly named themselves
"Ama Zulu", meaning,"People of the Heavens". This is indeed a wonderful name,
if one thinks of the great spiritual movement taking place among the Zulus.
One hundred years later this tribe had increased in number to about 15,000.
In the 1780's, Senzangakona was the tribal chief. When he received news that a
son by the name of Shaka was born to Nandi, a girl from a neighbouring tribe,
he brought them into his royal kraal. Nandi was Senzangakona's third wife.
Six years later the tribe was hit by a terrible famine. Senzangakona expelled
Nandi and her son, in order to reduce the number of people who ate in his
kraal. This was the beginning of a time of terrible hardship for the two
refugees. They did, however, find some shelter among their own tribe, the
Elangeni, but they were despised. Shaka grew up without any accommodation or
fatherly protection. He was ridiculed by those of his own age. Hatred against
the tribe of his father and the clan of his mother began to consume him. He
swore to himself to take vengeance when the occasion presented itself.
Things became intolerable for the two refugees, and Nandi decided to make
a second attempt at being received in the clan of her uncle, Dingiswayo, of the
Mthethwa. Here they were welcomed warmly. Now Shaka was a herdsman like all
those of his age, but he towered above them with his skill and courage.
Dingiswayo, the clan chief, discovered this as well. There were none like Shaka
- he was especially skilled with the spear. At one time he killed a leopard in
a tree with his spear. On another occasion he speared a black mamba, a snake
well-known for its split second attacks and reactions. It hadn’t previously
been known that someone had hit and killed a mamba with a spear.
Shaka wasn’t only a warrior, he often meditated, separating himself from
the others and dreaming big dreams. These were not fruitless dreams. At the age
of 23 he was recruited by the troops of Dingiswayo. In his six years of
training, Shaka not only developed into an invincible warrior, he changed many
things tactically and strategically, and developed and improved the weapons.
Some of the changes that he introduced were: warriors had usually been equipped
with three or four light spears to throw, now they would use a heftier spear to
stab the enemy. Shaka explained,"One doesn’t throw away one's weapons…" Also,
the shields were bent forward at the upper edge. The aggressors were trained to
push the enemy's shield to the left with the bent shield, at the same time
stabbing him in the heart with the right hand. This was a new method of
hand-to-hand combat. Shaka also discarded his sandals, so he demanded that the
other warriors go barefoot as well. This was a further improvement to get the
warriors to be more agile. Because of the thorn bushes the soles of their feet
got very tough.
Dingiswayo recognised Shaka's talent for leadership, and sent him back to
the Zulu tribe at the age of 29. He hadn’t seen his tribe for 23 years, and his
father had died in the meantime. Dingiswayo wanted him to become the leader of
the Zulu tribe. But this was not an unselfish move. He wanted him to lead the
Zulu tribe because he expected them to become a military force, and therefore a
buffer zone between himself and the attacks from the north.
Shaka wasn’t welcomed in his home tribe because they hardly knew him. In
the meantime, his half-brother had taken over the throne of his deceased
father. As he arrived with a small escort, his half-brother was bathing in the
river. Without regard to the icy countenances of the tribal leaders, he went
and sat on the throne of his father. All opposition was avenged with the death
penalty. No one considered opposing him. This was the beginning of a great Zulu
era. In the twelve years from 1816 to 1828, Shaka built a monumental kingdom.
He was called the Napoleon of the Zulus, and his soldiers the"black Spartans".
At the beginning of his rule, the Zulu tribe only had about 350 badly
trained soldiers. A year later, Shaka had 2,000 disciplined men, scaring every
neighbouring tribe. When he first banned sandals, there were complaints and
murmuring, but he punished them by getting the reluctant soldiers to dance to
music on a spot with many thorns. Men who were not able to keep in time to the
music were killed without further ado. Now, every tribal chief was allowed to
do this, but Shaka made use of this right too freely. The slightest offence
could invoke the death penalty. Morris reports in his book that every barber
that pulled his hair while cutting was executed. Everyone who sneezed during a
meal would also be put to death.
In a span of three years he had expanded his troops to 20,000 of the
best. This number was possible because many neighbouring clans joined the Zulus
voluntarily. The training was so hard, that the troops could manage a march of
80 km a day on rough ground. The English troops and the settlers only managed
24 km. But Shaka didn’t require anything that he himself wasn’t able to fulfil
or do. When his mother Nandi fell seriously ill, he was 128 km away from his
mother's kraal. After receiving the news from a messenger, he covered the
distance in 20 hours without a break.
Shaka had ample opportunities to prove his superior tactical skill. The tribe
of Ndwandwe attacked him with 18,000 men. It was the largest army that he had
had to battle against. They had invaded his area. How did he manage his
defence? On the first day he didn’t attack. At night he sent many small
interfering contingents to keep the enemy from sleeping, and removed all cattle
and food stock from the threatened area. The next day he encountered a tired
and hungry army. The Ndwandwe were badly defeated. With his strategy he even
conquered the king's kraal. During the second night he sent his soldiers to the
kraal of the king, singing the victory anthem of the Ndwandwe. Zwide, the king
of the Ndwandwe, thought that his men were returning victorious. Before he
realised his mistake, it was too late.
Now it is not the objective of this book to report on all the great
tribal wars and conquests of the Zulus. At the age of 29, Shaka controlled 16
square kilometres. In the end he reigned over an area half the size of
Switzerland, just to get a European comparison. Many clans and tribes
voluntarily joined, calling themselves Zulus, enjoying the fame of this
invincible king. But Shaka's victories went to his head. The experiences of his
youth had caused such hatred that more and more he became a despot and a
tyrant.
After the death of Nandi, his mother, it seemed that he had lost all
sanity. During the funeral ceremony, he had the arms and legs of ten of his helpers
broken and buried them alive with his deceased mother. During the following
year, every woman who fell pregnant was killed together with her husband. He
ordered the bodies of a hundred pregnant women to be opened, so that he could
see the unborn child. These gruesome things are recorded on pages 98–107 of
Morris’ book.
Shaka's end was like that of many tyrants. He was ambushed and killed by
his half-brother and two accomplices. This happened in 1828, after Shaka had
turned 41. He had reigned 12 years, during which time he had led his people to
become a great nation. But kingdoms founded by tyrants never last long. 50
years after Shaka's assassination, the English and other European settlers
conquered the Zulus.
There is not much that can be said about the religious condition of the
Zulus. From birth Zulus are bound by heathen witchcraft. Shaka and all his
clans made offerings to the spirits of the forefathers. After Nandi had passed
away, Shaka killed 40 oxen to pacify the ancestors so that they would give her
a dignified reception.
It would be fitting now to give some history of missionary activity in
this area. A number of books have been written on this subject. About 50
different larger and smaller groups of missionaries have laboured in South
Africa over a period of 150 years. But it isn’t the aim of this book to publish
an account of their work.
There have been many pioneers in the Zululand area, such as the European
missionary Merensky from the Berliner Mission in 1858. In the same year there
were missionaries of the Hermannsburg Mission in the Transvaal and later in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a place near Pietermaritzburg they founded a mission station and a school,
which today still has over 300 schoolchildren. Mostly they were children of
German settlers.
Many towns in KwaZulu-Natal have German city names, such as Hermannsburg,
New Hanover, Harburg, Lüneburg, Uelzen, Wittenberg, Wartburg and others. One
can understand why it wasn’t hard for the Lutheran Mission from their homeland
to get a foothold among the settlers who needed spiritual care. Erlo Stegen and
his brothers also attended the Hermannsburg School. The Stegen family, which is
still involved today in active mission work, has its roots in the Lilienthal
Lutheran Church.
THE GLORIFIED LORD
This book is a report of the spiritual happenings among the Zulus in the
present time. Our eyes need to be fixed on the exalted Lord and not onto man.
It is idolatry and a mockery of God to glorify man.
In mentioning the names of those used by the Lord, it is for the sake of
clarity and simplicity. Although it would seem that honour is sometimes given
to man, it is the Lord who is honoured by humble men.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:7:"What do you have that you did not
receive?" The things that have happened and still do happen among the Zulus are
done by the exalted Lord. For this reason our eyes need to be fixed on the
originator of this movement, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Where man is glorified in a cult-like manner, revival will end abruptly.
For this reason a God-given revival does not come easily, but it can easily be
lost. The Bible says:
Deuteronomy 32:3:"For I proclaim the name of the LORD: ascribe greatness
to our God."
Psalm 16:8:"I have set the LORD always before me…"
Psalm 115:1:"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your Name give
glory..."
Isaiah 42:8:"I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not
give to another…"
Matthew 17:8:"When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but
Jesus only."
Revelation 4:11:"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power."
Just a brief example which highlights the meaning of the above portions
of Scripture: Many years ago I conducted a Christian meeting high up in the
Black Forest region in Germany. After the meeting, a Christian brother
accompanied me down the steep slopes to the valley. It was so dark we could
barely see our hands before our faces. So we held each other by the hand so as
not to topple down a gorge. To find our way we would look heavenwards. There
between the tree tops one could make out the slightly brighter sky, which
helped us to keep course on the pitch black track.
This minor experience has become a great parable to me. The times in
which we live are getting darker and darker. Therefore we need the help of a
companion, and we need landmarks, which we receive by looking to the Lord.
Regarding the revival among the Zulus, a truth has become clear. As Jesus
sent his disciples two by two, the Zulus do the same. In addition, we need
guidance by looking unto the Lord. Erlo Stegen has a number of co-workers, and
each one looks to the Lord for direction and not to one another. In this book
it will be noticed how that guidance brings unity and glory to God in all that
has happened.
Philippians 2:9:"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him
the name which is above every name…"
THE JUDGING LORD
In Judges 7 we read about the battle against the Midianites. As the war
cry sounded,"The sword of the LORD and of Gideon," the army of the Midianites
staggered and fled in disarray and bewilderment. We read in Judges 7:22:"…the
LORD set every man's sword against his companion, even throughout the whole
camp…"
It was God's judgment that they were thrown into confusion, killing each
other.
In Isaiah 37:37-38, we read again about the judgment of God. Sennacherib
was before Jerusalem, mocking the living God. The Lord slew his army of 185,000
men in one night, so that he withdrew to his country. But he didn’t escape his
own judgment. As he was worshipping in the temple of his idols, Adrammelech and
Sharezer, his sons, slew their father.
With the Midianites, it was the swords of the members of their own tribe
against each other.
With Sennacherib, it was the swords of his own family members against
each other.
Amongst the heathen, warring Zulu clans, one gets the impression that all
this happens because of God's, judgment when they are not prepared to open up
for the Gospel. Let us consider tribal warfare at the present time.
I personally know of three incidents.
1. The Murder of a Prince
In March 1976 I was travelling with Erlo and the team to Mahambeni in the
Transkei. On the way, while passing a kraal, Erlo told of how a man was
murdered by his wife.
A tribal chief had invited Erlo and the team to preach among his tribe.
This was of such significance because this tribal chief had 30 chiefs who
served under his rule. This was a large area to be reached with the Gospel.
After a journey of some hours they were passing a kraal in which men were
busy digging a grave. A co-worker said to Erlo,"I have the impression that the
Lord wants us here." Other co-workers supported the idea. Erlo replied,"We are
late, the tribal chief is expecting us, there is no time."
When they arrived at his place, the tribal chief apologized over and over
again, saying that it was impossible to organize a meeting. He said,"I don’t
have any time for you because government officials have arrived." Erlo said,
"This is no problem at all; we know where the Lord wants us to be."
The team rushed back to the kraal and a police car was already there.
Erlo asked,"What has happened here?" The police said,"A man has been
murdered."
“Do you have someone taking the funeral?"
“No."
“Can we take it?"
“Gladly!"
Some of the co-workers helped to complete the digging of the grave, while
the police went to get the murdered man out of the police car. Erlo asked to
see the deceased. The sheets that covered him were taken away. Here was a man
with a badly fractured skull and a lacerated face. Erlo was told what had
happened.
The son of the king had fallen in love with a girl from the enemy tribe.
He agreed to meet her."Tonight I will come to you," he said.
That evening he knocked on the door of her round hut. Every member has
their own hut, except the small children. The desired girl opened and left
immediately. She said,"I’ll be back in a moment."
The girl hurried into the neighbouring huts and said,"The king's son is
here - come with your bush knives!" This was the moment of vengeance against
the king's family, which they hated. Years before, a relative of the king's
family had murdered a man from this tribal enemy. They took their long bush
knives and entered the girl's hut. The prince, as was the tradition, had left
his weapons outside the hut. The women massacred the young man, splitting his
skull so badly that his brains fell out. Then they dragged the corpse out of
the hut and left him near his kraal.
It was an easy thing for the police to solve the case. They just had to
follow the blood trails. They found parts of his body, some skull, some bone
and parts of the brain. A few of the women were arrested.
No woman was allowed to attend this funeral, because it was a disgrace to
be murdered by a woman. Erlo preached the Gospel and a great miracle occurred.
The wife and mother of the reigning king were converted, as well as many
others. The co-workers had gone into the huts to bring the Gospel, because the
women hadn’t been allowed to attend.
This makes it very clear that this was the leading of the Holy Spirit, as
the co-worker had said,"I have the impression that the Lord wants us here."
In the revival among the Zulus, the guidance and leading by the exalted
Lord often occurs, even predominates.
2. 24 Years of Tribal Feud
On this same mission trip with the co-workers during March 1976, we went
to the farm of Hogart Joosten, a farmer of Dutch lineage. The farm is called Mount
Elias and is 256 hectares in size.
Eight kilometres away, two clans, which were previously one, were at war.
The smaller tribe, Ntanzi, was surrounded by the larger tribe, Ngubane.
This smaller tribe had hardly any freedom to move around, which is the
reason why the killing had been going on since 1952. It was said that they had
had peace in the past year, but hatred had broken out again in 1975. This meant
that men were unable to rest at night, continually expecting clashes.
Men working in faraway cities such as Johannesburg or Durban would
continue their fighting there. If a worker returned to his home, he had to stay
wide-awake to avoid being killed.
Hogart Joosten reported that a worker coming home from Durban was warned.
He had, however, neglected the warnings, was ambushed and killed. As we were on
Mount Elias in March 1976, we were told that another three people had been
killed in the first half of the current month. One case seemed to be especially
tragic:
A young man fled with many women and children when he was hit by a
bullet. He was still alive as his mother threw herself over him to protect him,
begging for his life. The adversaries pushed her aside and stabbed him to
death. Women and children were not killed, only men.
The murdering comes to the farms at times. Hogart told me that one day
seven Zulus appeared on the farm, searching for the tractor driver who belonged
to the enemy tribe. They forced themselves into the house and fired ten shots.
Only four went off, the other six bullets falling to the ground. The firing
device had failed to work properly. The victim, a father of five children, was
shot through the hand, and has had to hide since. Some white people offered to
give him a job on another farm, although they also risked being killed for
hiding a wanted man.
After these series of murders, the chief of the Ngubane was questioned by
the chief of police. He was reproached for all these murders, upon which he
laughed and said,"This has happened since 1952, and there's not much that can
be done." But from that day on he increased his personal security.
Many tribal chiefs have seen the power of the Gospel. They realise that
only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can end these tribal conflicts. Various chiefs
have asked Erlo Stegen,"Please come to us, so that the Gospel will end all
this strife and warfare."
3. The Hundred Year War
We know about the 30 year war from 1618 to 1648 in Europe, and all the
harm that was caused. The older generation will also remember World War One and
Two and the horror that accompanied them.
The Zulus know the hundred year war from 1872 to 1972. This war didn’t
end with an atomic bomb, but through the conversion of a king. Because of its
uniqueness, this story must be recorded.
I am grateful that, through the merciful leading of the Lord, I have been
able to experience the revival among the Zulus, and especially that I have been
able to get to know this Christian king.
Here is some background to the war. The Tembu were a tribe with 13,000
people, south of the Tugela River. The Mabaso were about 6,000 strong, and live
to the north of the Tugela River.
In 1872 the Tembu wanted to have more living area because of their large
population. They approached Sir Theophilus Shepstone, the government official,
and asked to have the area of Jozini that belonged to the Mabaso. Their request
was granted. This forced a change of land ownership and led to many future
clashes. From that day on these two tribes were deadly enemies.
In 1898, the government official responsible wanted to settle the matter.
He gave the Mabaso their land back again, which in turn angered the Tembu. They
now continually entered into the Jozini and Mabaso area, killing people and
burning their houses.
This would happen as follows: around midnight the aggressors would knock
on the door. The inhabitants would come out, knowing that the houses would be
set on fire. Women and children were let free whilst the men would be shot or
stabbed. Sometimes even boys of eleven were killed.
During these raids, some men would clothe themselves as women. Because of
this, everybody was forced to undress. Women with infants had to show the
gender of their children. At times all males were killed.
Amongst these terrible tribal clashes certain occurrences stand out. In
1922 the Tembu attacked the Mabaso. They managed to get right through to the kraal
of King Cikazi. Because he was out hunting, they went after him. Cikazi was
alone with his horse. With his gun he killed 12 Tembu and then rode over the
cliff edge and plunged into a gorge, just to avoid being captured by the Tembu.
The death of the king caused another series of murders. About 120 died on
both sides in the clashes that followed. Every two or three years, new waves of
murdering, violence and arson rocked the area. The land of the Tembu and the
Mabaso were the areas of the greatest unrest in South Africa.
Every attempt was made by the South African government to end these
bloody vendettas. On one occasion the police came with 4 helicopters, and 70
policemen searched houses. Guns and rifles were confiscated and owners taken into
custody.
One of the largest police actions had about 200 policemen - an all-out
attempt to stop the murdering. This was in the area of Xobonayawo, where 21 men
from the enemy clan were chased over a precipice.
It is officially stated that from February to June 1972, 921 houses were
burnt and 16 men killed. The actual death toll among the tribes is not known.
The ongoing eruptions caused great uncertainty among the Zulus. Often the
men and their families would seek protection at the white people's
houses or buildings. During the night they would sleep in hospital corridors,
police stations, courthouses or the gardens of whites. This caused sanitary
problems, and the need to get vaccinated against typhus. The people were told
to use the toilets. The excrement in the gardens not only fouled the air but
also attracted vermin, especially rats. The shops sold food and nothing else.
People would say,"Everything will be destroyed or burnt during the next raid."
Not only did the Zulus suffer under these insecure circumstances. The
whites were also affected. Government officials would try to resist to the
utmost being moved into the violent areas. If they were forced, they would
demand to be replaced after three months. Public life and commerce seemed to
come to a complete standstill. It was also very dangerous to move around in the
villages. A regular job was virtually an impossible thing.
During these terrible times, Erlo came to Tugela. This was in 1966. An
attorney who recognised him as he was travelling by stopped him. He said to
Erlo,"Come with me - in this building there are many corpses. Can’t you men of
the Gospel do something to end this carnage?" Erlo had suspected something was
wrong as he passed the many smoking kraals. He answered that he would bring his
co-workers and start a crusade in Tugela. A tent was brought for the
evangelistic meetings and stayed there for the next two months.
This was the beginning of a visitation of God. Hours before the meeting,
members of the team checked the tent. On previous occasions the heathen had
plotted attacks on the tent. Although the meeting was to begin hours later,
many had already gathered, waiting for the message. Had the hardships made them
ready and receptive to the Gospel?
A woman in traditional dress asked,"Is this the spot where we can unload
our sins? I have found no other help - will I receive help here?" Although this
heathen lady couldn’t read or write, she bought herself a Bible. She took the
Bible to someone who could read and said,"Read this for me! The Lord has said
that I should hear this." She did the same in church meetings, bringing her
Bible to the preacher and asking him to read a certain passage. Amazingly,
these passages always matched the sermon. This was the sign that the Holy
Spirit had inspired them. From 1964 to 1966 only women were converted in the
Tugela area. Only after the beginning of the revival were men also gripped by
the Gospel.
In 1967 there was a meeting 40 km away from Tugela. After the meeting,
which lasted till midnight, the preacher went around the house to pray. As he
was praying he felt an invisible hand lifting his arms, turning them in the
direction of Tugela. Then he heard a voice saying,"Where you are pointing, I
will work mightily. The men will now come and accept salvation."
4. The Conversion of Gabajana Mabaso
The following report was given to me personally by Gabajano, as I was
visiting the team in Tugela.
Gabajano comes from a royal background. In 1967 Erlo came back to preach
the Gospel among the Mabaso tribe. When Gabajana heard the message he realised,
"This is what I need." And he accepted Jesus.
Before he was converted, he would go from one sorcerer to another. He
acquired so many idols and witchcraft fetishes they could have filled a room.
He practised ancestral worship and offered cows and goats to the spirits of the
ancestors. Nothing would help, and he became more and more restless.
Shortly before he got converted he had two dreams. In the first one he
saw two Bibles come down, and a voice saying,"Read this! Go to the
Christians!" Some time later he saw a second dream in which he was told,"Don’t
go to the Christians. Stay faithful to the ancestors!"
Gabajana decided to follow the first dream and tried to get connected to
a church. However, he was disgusted that during the church meetings they would
beg for money. So he stopped going there.
Then Erlo came to Tugela for a crusade. In his services they never take a
collection. The Zulus often refer to the Gospel that churches which take
collections preach as being"dead"; but they call it a living Gospel that Erlo
and his team preach. But to clarify things, the decision not to collect
offerings came from the Zulus, and not from the whites.
This reminds me of an example back home. 20 kilometres away from my
birthplace, in a village called Spöck, a revival occurred through a Reformed
Pastor. People would come near and far to Spöck. This was told to me by my
grandmother. The surrounding ministers and pastors accused Spöck's Pastor
Henhöfer:"He's taking all the members away from us." At that time the Archduke
of Baden was also the Bishop of the Reformed Church. Henhöfer and his accusers
had to go to the castle for interrogation. As the main charge was read, Henhöfer
defended himself by saying,"Feed your chickens, and they will stay with you.
They will recognise if their food is sand or wheat." That was the end of the
matter. The revival couldn’t be stifled.
The Zulus also know what sand or wheat is, or to express this in biblical
terms, what chaff or wheat is. That is why they go where they receive bread and
not stones. These are biblical truths:
Matthew 3:12:"…and…He will…gather His wheat into the barn; but He will
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Matthew 7:9:"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for
bread, will he give him a stone?"
There was tremendous change in the life of Gabajana when he accepted the
Gospel. He destroyed all his idols in obedience to the Lord, and professed his
faith in Christ. In 1972 when he became king, his influence spread.
His predecessor was a drunkard and remained a heathen. One day this
drinker went to a witchdoctor, but he couldn’t be helped. He died in his kraal.
The witchdoctor begged those who carried the king:"Please take him to hospital
immediately and say that he died on the way, otherwise this will mean jail for
me." The South African government at that time did not allow any witchcraft. So
the bearers granted the witchdoctor his request.
All the regiments came to the funeral to bury the king according to the
heathen rituals. But Gabajana, who was now the legal successor to the deceased
king, refused to have a heathen ceremony. He raised his hands and said to all
the people, including the soldiers,"In future we will not bury our descendants
according to heathen traditions, but with the Gospel and prayer and singing."
Some soldiers murmured, but the generals ordered them to be quiet. After
this courageous proclamation, no heathen funerals were held again. God granted
authority to this king, and the army and the people complied.
The king also got rid of all other evil traditions. At weddings, because
of the alcohol consumed, there would usually be fighting, even knifing. Since
Gabajana became king, these clashes have come to an end in his tribe.
King Gabajana also ended the 100-year-old war. This is no small matter
that the murdering, the plundering and the burning of houses have come to an
end. How did this all happen? One evening the king heard that a group of young
men intended to attack the Tembu the next morning. He sought them out and
pointed out to them how much grief this hundred year feud had caused, and he
strictly forbade them to attack.
The Tembu got news about this and sent messengers to the king, thanking
him. They said,"Never before have we experienced that a king was sober-minded
and willing to stop all this murdering. We respect this, and we will also not
attack again." This brought about peace between the traditional tribal enemies.
This all happened in mid-1972, not long after Gabajana had become king.
These marvellous things were not the result of diplomatic negotiations,
or the success of military action, but the grace of the Lord to His faithful
witness. It reminds one of Zechariah 4:6:"…not by might, nor by power, but by
My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."
These tribal feuds reveal the folly of many globetrotters, ethnologists
and adversaries of Christian missions. How often don’t we hear it said,"Let
the heathen live happily amongst their primitive races, and don’t force western
culture and religion on them. Two things are wrong with this: none of the
heathen are forced to believe in Jesus; secondly, we recognise how"happy"
these primitive races are without the Gospel. It was the Gospel that ended all
the murdering. Many would point to the terrible wars in the"Christian"
countries and say that they were not able to prevent them. It is easy to
contradict such arguments. Name a Christian country! There are none! There are
Christians but no Christian countries. Presidents are seldom Christians. There
are very few, such as South Korea's first president, Syngman Rhee, and King
Gabajana Mabaso.
THE PLANNING LORD
It should be emphasized again that this book was written looking up to
the exalted Lord. All ministries in the church derive from the Lord Jesus
Christ.
This chapter heading speaks about planning. God's planning in the Bible,
in the church and in mission work is predominant. If a book were written about
all the blessed planning of the Lord, it would make marvellous reading. We
would come to the same conclusion as John, who says:"…I suppose that even the
world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." (John
21:25)
A few examples of God's planning: In Genesis 15:18, God promises Abraham
-"…to your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the
great river, the River Euphrates." Because of God's planning there are still great
things in store for Israel - a country that will extend from the Nile to the
Euphrates according to God's promise, and no Arab or Russian will prevent this.
Let us consider some planning from the New Testament. Jesus promised His
disciples in Matthew 10:19-20:"But when they deliver you up, do not worry
about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour
what you should speak: for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your
Father who speaks in you."
On many occasions since then, in persecution, witnesses of Jesus have
experienced being the mouthpieces of God.
Erlo Stegen has often been mentioned because he has been the chief
instrument that God has used in the revival among the Zulus. Therefore we need
to describe his spiritual development. I have said to Erlo, if he or any of the
co-workers should become proud because of the many blessings of God, this would
mean the death of the revival.
1. Youth and Conversion of Erlo Stegen (FOR A MORE DETAILED BIOGRAPHY, CLICK HERE)
Through the Lutheran mission work, churches such as the congregation in
Lilienthal, about 55 km from Pietermaritzburg, came into being.
In the vicinity of the church of Lilienthal there was a farm called
Paardefontein, the home of Karl Stegen and his family. His forefathers had
immigrated from the Lüneburger Heide in Germany. They were strict Lutherans and
were attached to the Hermannsburg Mission. Karl Stegen's five sons (including
Erlo) and one daughter attended the Hermannsburg School, where they were given
a German education.
One day, at the age of four, Erlo had a terrible fall. He became
unconscious with a serious concussion and paralysis which lasted for eight
days. It was several days before he regained consciousness, and from that time on
he suffered ongoing severe headaches. The accident also left him somewhat
uncertain whenever he fell or bumped his head. It also clouded his whole school
career so that he had to quit after his ninth school year, although he would
have loved to go further.
This congregation at Lilienthal had, in 1949 and 1950, a deeply-believing
minister, and the whole area was touched by his message. Through this Christian
pastor Erlo was converted, as a fifteen-year-old, in 1950. In the following
years he worked on his father's farm. One day his mother gave him a book by W.
Heukelbach, Vom Gottesleugner zum Evangelisten (From an Atheist to an
Evangelist) as a present, and it was a great blessing to him. Erlo at this time
began to feel the calling to serve the Lord. He shared this thought with his
minister, who took him shortly afterwards to a Christian conference in the
Transvaal.
During this conference a great struggle went on in Erlo's heart. He asked
himself,"Should I really become a preacher, or rather earn money as a farmer
and support the Lord's work financially?" At a quiet spot on the conference grounds,
he laid out his plans before the Lord. He asked,"Lord, please put Your seal on
this. I would like to convey this plan of mine to my pastor and my parents as
my final decision. Please give me a verse from Scripture confirming that this
is the right way for me." He randomly opened the Bible, and before him was
Matthew 4:19:"Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of
men.’"
After reading these words, Erlo became defiant. He told me as he related
this incident,"It was only the mercy of God that I didn’t throw the Bible
away. I was so annoyed that I thought: I will show You that I’m not going to
obey - I’m going my own way without You." Shortly afterwards, he went to the
minister and said,"I am going home." The minister asked,"Are you absolutely
sure that this is God's way for you?" He answered,"Yes."
So Erlo went home. After he had arrived, his mother asked him,"Are you
sure that this is the correct way for you?" He got so irritated that he replied
brusquely,"Don’t you want me here any more?" Then he went to his room and
slammed the door.
From 1950 to 1952 Erlo went through terrible torment. He had deliberately
gone against God's call. If he heard any unusual sound anywhere, he would
imagine that the day of final reckoning had arrived.
As he was kneeling one day in his bedroom, Erlo was reading a text about
the love of God. The resistance in his heart crumbled at the realisation that
God still loved him, in spite of his disobedience and rebellion. He burst into
tears, overwhelmed by the love of God. Shortly afterwards, he withdrew into his
room and asked the Lord for guidance. He opened the Bible at John 21:15-17 and
read,"Feed my sheep!" He stood up, went to his parents and said,"God has called
me." There was no doubt after this. He was enrolled at the Bible House in
Pretoria and was trained as a pastor and evangelist. However, his inward development
was by no means completed.
2. Disappointments in the Ministry
Erlo's first evangelical
activities took place over a period of about twelve years, from 1954 to 1966.
In 1955 the Bible School was moved to Claridge near Pietermaritzburg. This
lovely place became familiar to me during my two South African visits - KwaZulu-Natal
is, of course, known as the garden of the country.
Erlo's first depressing discovery was that the preaching of the Word
today and its results do not correspond with what the Scriptures say. Erlo
compared the Acts of the Apostles with Christian life today and had to admit
that we have sunk far below the standards of the New Testament. As he studied
the Bible he would stop at certain promises, asking himself why they are no
longer fulfilled today, especially three verses in the Gospel of John:
John 15:7:"If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask
what you desire, and it shall be done for you."
John 7:38:"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his
heart will flow rivers of living water.’"
John 14:12:"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the
works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,
because I go to My Father."
Erlo sought the key to the life of the first Christians. He read every
book on revival he could get. In biographies of great men of God he searched
for the secret of their authority and power. He practised intensive prayer and
used every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel.
Some believers had donated money for a tent. With this he began his tent
crusades, always with the yearning for revival. He extended the crusades to
ten, twelve and even fourteen months, thinking he could force a spiritual
awakening.
Perhaps it was not quite right to stretch these Gospel missions to fifty-two
or even sixty weeks, with services twice daily. Elias Schrenk preached six
weeks at the most. It is easily possible to preach people"to death", as it
were. In any case it worried Erlo very much that less people would come to the
meetings as time went by.
On a mission tour through South West Africa (now Namibia) he learned a
very important lesson from a farmer there. He showed him a bore-hole from which
the farm had its water supply. He said,"This water is so rich with minerals
and chemicals that plants die if they are continually watered with it." Erlo
thought,"That is just as it is with my ministry. The longer I preach, the less
people are attracted by the Gospel."
The thing most lacking, the young preacher realised, was power in
ministry and counselling. One day a mother came to Erlo after a service and
asked,"Is it true that Jesus is still the same today and still answers
prayer." Erlo confirmed the truth of this. The mother rejoiced and said,
"Please heal my daughter." The Zulus are childlike in their faith, and they accept
the Bible just as it is written.
Erlo accompanied the woman to her home. There he saw her daughter tied to
a pole with wire. The wire had cut deep into her flesh, because the demented
girl was tearing on the wire to get loose. Erlo asked the mother,"Why do you
bind the girl with wire?" The mother explained,"My daughter (about 20 years
old) runs around naked in the schools, breaks into houses and pulls out
vegetables in the neighbouring gardens, and she becomes violent." But Erlo
persisted,"But can’t you use a rope, which won’t cut into her flesh like
this?" The mother answered,"She breaks whatever else we tie her with." Erlo
decided to take the girl to his parents’ home in order to pray for her
continually. Her mother was very grateful.
At his parents’ home Erlo and three of his co-workers prayed. As she
wasn’t tied up, things quickly became chaotic. The demented girl smashed
furniture, tables, chairs and windows - even the bed and bedding. Eventually
they locked her in an empty room to prevent everything in the house from being
destroyed.
Four people prayed almost day and night for three weeks. Eventually, Erlo
was virtually a wreck, and at the end of his physical strength. Spiritually,
too, he was exhausted. Nobody was able to answer the questions and the cries of
his heart,"O Lord, why are we today so utterly powerless?"
That was the situation after twelve years of service."I’m on this side,"
he thought to himself,"and on the other side is the early church, which lived
in the fullness of Jesus and in the Spirit. ‘O Lord, if there is no access to
the events of the early church, if there is no bridge from the twentieth to the
first century, would it not be better to just give up?’" Erlo began to doubt as
he had done fourteen years before. Were the Bible critics and the modernists
right after all to claim that all these miracles were nothing but mythological
humbug, with no basis in reality?
Nevertheless, this spiritual bankruptcy was in Gods’ plan. As long as we
persist in doing things our way, even if we work with the best intentions,
fulfilling our duty to the utmost, the power of the glorified Lord cannot be
revealed in our ministry. The moment we come to a dead end, to the end of
ourselves, where self-reliance is shattered, then and only then can the Lord
begin. Erlo was to experience this. The Lord did not abandon him in his doubt
and distress.
THE BLESSING LORD
There are men in the Bible who fought hard for the blessing of God. We
would like to mention two of them.
In 1 Chronicles 4:10 we read,"And Jabez called on the God of Israel
saying, ‘Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your
Hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not
cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested."
This striving for the blessing of God is even clearer in Genesis 32:26,
where Jacob wrestled in Peniel. Jacob cried out:"…I will not let You go unless
You bless me", and his prayer has been an encouragement to believers throughout
the ages.
1. The Struggle for God's Blessing
Erlo was driven into this battle for God's blessing. As he travelled
around with his tent seeking for the believers he had previously counselled, he
would usually find them in a deplorable spiritual state. Often they had
quarrelled and were at enmity with one another. Sometimes it would take a
fortnight to straighten things out again. Those who did not belong to a church
he would organize into Bible groups. Often during later visits the same
corrections had to be applied. Often the troubled preacher would ask the Lord,
"Must things continue in this powerless and lifeless way? A continual life of
falling and rising? Not one victory after another, but usually one defeat after
the next?"
But the time of a divine new beginning had arrived.
In the fall of 1966 Erlo was in Mapumulo. After all the bitter
experiences of the past years, he began a Bible study with the Christians, so that
they might examine their lives in the light of the Holy Scriptures. They began
to read the Acts of the Apostles. The place that they were gathering in was an
old cowshed, and they had cleaned out the dung and whitewashed the walls.
In the third chapter they read about the healing of the man lame from
birth. Erlo related an incident he had heard about. A well-known padre held a
mass in a cathedral, and the people had given generously in their offerings. In
the vestry there was a table with a huge pile of banknotes ready to be counted.
The padre said to the young priest,"Peter can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold
have I none...’", to which the young priest responded,"Neither can he say,
‘Rise up and walk!’"
Those times of Bible study became hours of self-examination for all that
were present, and for Erlo as well. The shed in which they were gathering had a
window facing the tennis courts, where the more well-to-do of the town would
often play. As their prayers and pleadings could easily be heard outside, Erlo
wanted to close the windows. The Lord reprimanded him and said,"Then I’ll
remain outside, as it seems to be embarrassing to you for those outside to
hear. You worry about what others think." On another occasion Erlo was walking
past when they had already gathered to pray. He wanted to quickly shave and
change his clothes before going in. Again he was reproached in his heart,
"There is still pride in you. You are ashamed to come before the people
unshaven!"
The exalted Lord had begun to purify His children. The hours of prayer
became more and more hours of repentance and weeping over their uncleanness.
Things became so intense that everything else was forgotten. They often forgot
to eat, drink and sleep, and even Christmas was forgotten in these times of
prayer. Here were twenty to thirty people who were gripped by a spirit of
repentance and prayer.
2. The Heavens Open
A few weeks before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit a woman in the
prayer circle stood up and said,"I can no longer stand this condition of
powerlessness. Can’t I pray?" They willingly granted her request. Then this
woman, who had come to the Lord only three months before, tearfully pleaded
that the Lord would reveal Himself again as He had in the Bible. Erlo was
gripped by this prayer. Later he said to his brother,"My heart burned in me,
like it did in the disciples on the road to Emmaus when Jesus spoke to them. I
believe that this prayer was from the Holy Spirit, and if it was, then we will
soon experience what the early church experienced."
Erlo's impression was confirmed. A few weeks after the prayer of that
woman, those gathered together in prayer experienced something beyond
description. The Spirit of God came over them, and they sensed a strong wind
and heard a sound. A tremendous conviction of sin came over them and at the
same time an inexpressible assurance of the presence of God. All the trials and
anguish they had gone through were swept aside by the power of the Holy Spirit.
A new era in Erlo's and his co-workers’ ministry had been ushered in.
When the expression"the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit" is used, often there is criticism from conservatives
and the orthodox, who maintain that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred
only thirty-three years after the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ - never to be
repeated. They say that the Holy Spirit is alive in His Word and in His church.
I do not disagree with this theology, but I would like to say a few things in
this regard.
Why is it that things that occur during great revivals remind us of the
happenings in Jerusalem? For instance, in a meeting on the Solomon Islands in
August 1971, the Holy Spirit came down upon a gathering of 3,000 people like a
gale. People were lying on the ground weeping over their sins. American theologians
who were exponents of dispensation theology declared this to be an untrue
report. To me it is inconceivable that spiritual experiences which have been a
reality in the lives of many thousands of people can simply be discounted by a
few men who are caught up in their fruitless theologies.
The great event in Jerusalem does not have to be repeated. The point at
issue is that the Holy Spirit comes to dead congregations, to nominal
Christians and to the heathen. No orthodox theologian can prescribe to the Holy
Spirit how to act. We often forget the lesson that Nicodemus received from the
Lord in John 3:8:"The wind blows where it wishes…" (the wind being likened to
the Holy Spirit). We could just as well add,"…when and where He wishes". I
have the impression that certain theologians want to hide their spiritual barrenness
behind their theology.
Not only the orthodox, but some other spiritual enthusiasts will have
questions concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Mapumulo. They will
want to know,"Were there any spiritual gifts manifested?" This can be answered
in the affirmative. Many examples will be referred to.
The great happenings in Mapumulo in the beginning of 1967 have been repeated
on a smaller scale in other places. This can be fully supported by the Bible.
In Acts 2, we read of the outpouring in Jerusalem. Then in chapter 4:31 we
read,"And when they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together was
shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word
of God with boldness." This was a repetition of the occurrences in Acts 2, in a
smaller measure.
So those who hold that the occurrences in Acts 2 may not be repeated find
themselves corrected by the book of Acts itself. Those who haven’t experienced
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their lives can and may experience it.
This is repeated in Acts 8:17. 10:44 and 19:6. Paul writes to the Ephesians,
who had received the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 19, and, in Ephesians 5:18,
urges them again,"… be filled with the Spirit." All the theological problems
concerning receiving the Holy Spirit are not dealt with here. (But I have dealt
with them in my book"Charismatic Gifts".)
3. Results of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The great spiritual experience in Mapumulo immediately began to yield a
rich harvest of blessing. Such fruit can be compared with Luke 9:1-2. Authority
and power became apparent in a threefold manner: in preaching, healing and
deliverance.
a) Preaching
The power of the Gospel was so apparent that people from far and near
streamed in to hear the Word. At times, when Erlo came out of his house, two
hundred people were already waiting, without any invitation - simply out of an
inward compulsion to come and hear the Gospel. After the preaching, many would
stay behind for counselling, confessing their sins and making their lives right
with God. This repentance and confession continues up to the present. As I
travelled with Erlo and the team I witnessed personally that hundreds, even
thousands, found the Lord. One of the co-workers, previously a storekeeper,
counted 3,900 people who remained behind for counselling in a period of nine days.
It is not a matter of focusing on numbers. The angels in heaven rejoice over
one sinner who repents. The numbers just reveal how mightily the Lord is at
work in this revival.
Once I was at a place called Nyanisweni in the Transkei. A white South
African travelled from far away to meet me. He had read my books and wanted to
see me personally. When hundreds of people stayed behind for counselling at the
end of the meeting, he said to me,"Only God can do that - such a thing only
occurs in times of revival."
I experienced the same in one of the meetings. On Saturday, March 27th 1976, Erlo asked me to speak at KwaSizabantu. I spoke on witchcraft, because
all heathen Zulus are affected by this from childhood. After the sermon, Erlo
addressed the crowd of about a thousand,"All who haven’t confessed their sins
of witchcraft can stay behind for counselling." In Germany perhaps four or
five might stay behind, but at this meeting, between four and five hundred
remained behind. Now this was definitely not the result of my preaching, but
the presence of the Spirit of God and the atmosphere of revival which was experienced
by Erlo and his team. Erlo travels with a large team of co-workers because of
the many people seeking to be counselled.
b) Healing
In Nqutu Maposwane two sick women lived next door to one another. One of
them suffered severe internal pain. She needed to be picked up and brought back
after the service by car. As she heard the Gospel, she opened her heart to the
Lord Jesus. At a later stage Martin Stegen took this lady to a service in
Tugela Ferry. Erlo prayed with her and immediately this woman was free of her
pain.
This instantaneous healing encouraged her neighbour to ask for prayer as
well. She was completely paralyzed and unable to provide for her six small
children. She asked if someone from the team would come and pray for her. Erlo
was busy with a service in the Kranskop area, so Martin Stegen offered to take
her there. They carried the lame woman on skins to a truck which took her to
Kranskop. As they were travelling, she lost her scarf when the wind blew it
away. They drove back, picked it up, and just made it for the beginning of the
service, which was held in the open. They carried her to a place among the
people. She listened to the message and remained for counselling. One of the female
co-workers spoke with her, and afterwards the whole team prayed for her
healing. After the prayer, she stood up and walked back to the truck. They
arrived back at her home late that night, and her relatives came out to carry
her back into the house. She climbed down from the truck without any help, and
walked back and forth in front of the headlights of the truck. Nobody uttered a
word at first, and then eventually somebody said,"Do you see? God really does
exist!" There will be more examples in later chapters.
c) Deliverance
Erlo had no previous counselling experience with demon-possessed people.
After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Mapumulo, a witch came for spiritual
help. She had a school for training young witches, and she possessed strong
mediumistic power. When she requested help, Erlo called five of his co-workers
into the room. They sat down in a circle and prayed and sang the song,"My
Jesus lives, why should I be afraid?" As they sang, the witch stood up and
moved into the centre of the circle. Then she went down on hands and knees, and
the expression on her face became like that of a ferocious animal. This is what
spiritists would call a transfiguration, a change of appearance. There are
examples of this in my book Occult ABC (Kregel Publications,
Grand Rapids, MI, USA, www.kregel.com).
When these six believing men and women saw this devilish appearance on
her face, fear clutched their hearts, so that one of the co-workers jumped up
to leave. However, Erlo called out,"The Lord is victor! Don’t leave!"
The witch came from an area where no English is spoken, so she was unable
to speak any English. While they carried on praying for her, she suddenly began
to speak in excellent English. Then the sounds of many animals were heard
coming from her. At first it was dogs barking, and afterwards pigs grunting.
Erlo then commanded the evil powers to leave her, in the name of Jesus. A
mocking voice said,"We will not leave; no power can drive us away!"
As they continued praying, Erlo repeated the command to leave in the name
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The spirits then said,"God the
Father we know and God the Son we know, but we have not encountered the Holy
Spirit until now, and because He has come, and because of the Triune God, we
are in the fire. We have to leave the battleground."
The witch's appearance changed immediately. Her face beamed and she cried
out,"How wonderful! I am completely free!"
The evil spirits never came back again, and after this many witches who
had heard about Jesus’ victory came to be delivered.
Salvation - healing - deliverance. This was the threefold message and
authority of the first disciples of Jesus. Theologians often say that this is
no longer applicable in the 20th century. But they can keep their
theology. It is better to have the living Lord -"Jesus Christ, the same
yesterday, and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
We experience the blessing Lord as a fulfilment of God's Word in Malachi
3:10,"’And try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for
you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing that there will
not be room enough to receive it.’" Blessing in fullness is here indeed
in the revival among the Zulus.
d) The Extensive Blessing of the Gospel of Christ
The Apostle Paul speaks (in Romans 15:29) about the fullness of the
blessing of the Gospel of Christ. As we have noticed, this blessing has a
threefold impact. It is a great gift of God in the Zulu revival that this
threefold stream of blessing has been manifested in very real experiences. Here
is an example of it:
A fourteen-year-old heathen girl by the name of Mjuda had lain ill for
three years. Witchdoctors, fortune-tellers, Zionists and doctors were
consulted, but to no avail. The witchdoctors said the reason for her sickness
was that she hadn’t brought a sacrifice for her deceased mother. If she didn’t
perform this duty quickly, the spirits of her ancestors would demand her life
as a sacrifice. This illness, they declared, was the beginning of that process.
Mjuda had the same symptoms as her
deceased mother and grandmother. Her sister had also been ill for a long time.
The witchdoctor said that the spirits wanted her sister to become a witch. It
is an amazing thing that sick Zulus often recover quickly when they surrender
themselves to the spirits. However, Mjuda's sister strongly resisted that
suggestion. Things became worse with Mjuda's sister, and she walked about
stooped and twisted like an aged woman. Her skin colour darkened, almost
turning black. Then a Christian woman told her about KwaSizabantu. She came to KwaSizabantu
and experienced a sound conversion, and was also healed and set free from the
attacks of the evil one.
Here again is clear evidence of the threefold nature of divine help:
Salvation - Healing - Deliverance.
The healed girl immediately hurried back to Mjuda to tell her about
Jesus, that He is the only Saviour. Mjuda was at this time under the care of a
Zionist. In order to avoid any misunderstanding, I must point out that the
Zionists in South Africa have nothing to do with the Zionist movement in
Israel. The South African Zionists are a sect, mixing the biblical with the
occult. For example, they practise fortune-telling and call it prophecy,
believing it to be a gift of the Holy Spirit. This is a grotesque distortion of
the truth!
Mjuda was brought by her sister to KwaSizabantu. As she was being prayed
for by the team, it was revealed that she was possessed. When the demons were
commanded to leave her, they asked:"Allow us to take Mjuda with us, because
she has been our dwelling and our home. We are her rightful owners and have
lived in her since childhood." They then laughed scornfully. The expression
"Take her with us" meant that the demons planned to kill her as they were
driven out.
With great determination, the team commanded the demons to leave Mjuda.
Then the demons pleaded:"Let us sleep in her for another day, for we are now
burning - it is extremely hot here. We also fear this place KwaSizabantu and
all who live here." Again the team commanded them to leave. This time the
demons asked,"But couldn’t we at least return to her parents’ home? There it
is nice and cool - not burning hot like here. There we will be able to rest."
After this battle with the demons, Erlo asked Mjuda if she was still
clinging onto any hidden sins. Then she brought two more things to light. After
she was prayed for, the Lord Jesus set her completely free and healed her at
the same time.
The conversion and deliverance of Mjuda also had a sequel. Her father,
also a heathen, had forbidden his daughters to attend school, with the result
that they were illiterate. The heathen believe that schooling simply makes
their children proud, so that they no longer honour their parents. The father
was also convinced that the heathen belief was better than Christian teaching.
Mjuda really suffered under this conviction of her father's. She had already
tried to get friends to teach her how to read and write before she became a
Christian, but without success. She was just unable to grasp it. When she
surrendered her life to Jesus, a miracle occurred; she found that she was able
to read, write and count money.
This account shows that Mjuda and her sister had experienced a threefold
miracle - the threefold blessing of the Gospel: salvation from
the power of sin, the healing of a long illness and deliverance from the power
of demons.
THE SAVING LORD
The sign of a genuine revival is that thousands of people repent,
recognising and acknowledging their sin, and in faith accepting Jesus as their
Lord.
A person's salvation takes priority over his healing. We dare not reverse
the biblical order.
Artificial and emotional stimulation of spiritual power is a sign of a
fake revival. Outward tumult with a lot of noise often covers inward poverty and
need. I have encountered more fake revivals than genuine ones.
In the great biblical theme of salvation, it is not compromising the
truth of John 3:16 (“…whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have
everlasting life") by also including 1 John 1:9:"If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." It is the same apostle who brings both truths.
I have become acquainted with all the revivals of the present day. In
God's undeserved mercy He has allowed me to visit them all, on every continent.
As a result I am able to compare them and notice their different
characteristics. The revival among the Zulus is especially sober and free from
sentimentality. The fundamentals have remained, namely that we must acknowledge
that we are lost, and that we must accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and
allow Him to rule in our lives.
I am deeply grateful that through the years this revival among the Zulus
has not waned. Many revivals, especially in the western world, have cooled off
after a short period of time!
The next chapter will be looking at this central theme - salvation for
the lost, in this life and for eternity.
1. Dubulile Zuma
Dubulile was a cook in the Scottish hospital at Tugela Ferry. Over the
years she stole a lot of groceries. All in all it amounted to fifteen full
sacks. At night her mother would come to the fence and pick them up. This
simple system proved to be very effective. As time passed this larcenous cook
stole two dozen cups and plates, also four to five dozen knives, forks and
spoons. She even managed to steal six steel-tube chairs.
In 1974 her mother passed away. The daughter was twenty years old at the
time. The evangelist Barney, whose testimony we shall hear
later, conducted the funeral. Among other things, he mentioned that one should
put one's life in order before one died, even stolen things. This wouldn’t be
possible afterwards, in hell. He knew nothing about the daughter's thefts. He
was obviously preaching under the guidance of the Spirit.
After the funeral service, Dubulile could find no rest. For six months
she endured the torments of an aroused conscience, then finally she went to see
Bill Larkan. He is one of the leading Christians in Tugela Ferry, and he was a
witness of these happenings.
Dubulile confessed all that she had done. She then asked Bill, who speaks
both Zulu and English, to accompany her to the hospital. (The hospital
supervisor only spoke English.) Bill had to take his pick-up to load all the
stolen things. The cook knew that this could land her in jail if the police got
to know what she had done. Nevertheless, she wanted to confess everything.
The matron who had been summoned wept for joy and forgave her everything.
However, the supervisor looked at her sternly. Bill couldn’t make out his
reaction as he listened to the confession, but he, too, forgave the girl. He
took back all the stolen articles - chairs, plates, knives and forks. Then
Dubulile sought to pay for the stolen groceries, but the supervisor was happy
to write off the whole amount.
Afterwards, the supervisor called
the whole staff together, including the servants, and told them what had
happened. He said,"This is the first time that a black thief has ever come and
confessed everything." To Bill he said,"Every year we have things worth
thousands of rand stolen. We don’t know how to stop all the thievery."
During this public confession the
supervisor showed himself to be a spiritually- minded person. In front of all
who were present, he took a stone and placed it on his desk and said,"I have
put this stone on my desk to remind me continually of what Jesus said, ‘He who
is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.’"
This Bible passage has great meaning for me, too. I wish that many of our
fellow ministers had a similar attitude, and would also have such stones on
their desks. Less harm would be done.
Back to the cook Dubulile. Her confession and putting things right had
three consequences. From that time on, she was given a position of
responsibility in the hospital, with the matron putting a lot of trust in her.
Other thieves in the hospital, however, troubled her, simply because they were
unable to steal as before, the supervision having been tightened.
In addition, Dubulile's confession encouraged other employees to confess
their thefts and begin a new life with Jesus.
The hospital was blessed by this cook's conversion. Bill Larkan visited a
village 300 km away, where he was asked whether Dubulile was still following
the Lord Jesus, so far had the news spread. Bill was able to affirm this. Later,
when Erlo's crusade tent came to this village, there was a great haul of souls.
Many came to faith in Christ. This, too, was the fruit of Dubulile's
conversion.
The cook worked in the hospital for another year and then was called into
full-time ministry. She has been in the Lord's service ever since.
2. Barney Casuyise
Barney is a member of Erlo's team, and I had the privilege of being with
him daily. He was the man who conducted the funeral of Dubulile Zuma's mother.
Barney told me that his father was a leader in ancestral worship. As a
heathen he wore heathen clothing. He even forced his children to wear heathen
skins instead of the usual clothing. When Barney came from school he had to
change immediately. When he was sent to the neighbouring village he also had to
wear these skins. On the way he would undress behind a tree, having taken his
trousers with him secretly. On his way back he would change again. During one
of these walks to the neighbouring village he met another youngster with whom
he began to quarrel. This is quite common among the proud, aggressive and
heathen Zulus. His opponent hit him over the head with a bush knife, causing a
deep wound. He still has the scars.
One day Erlo's tent came to his
village. Barney opened his heart to the Gospel, but was terribly afraid to
become a Christian. His father, who worked in Johannesburg, had threatened to
stab any of his children who abandoned ancestral worship.
Then the tent arrived a second time. This
time Barney decided to follow Jesus, forgetting all fear for his father. When
his father came home, he asked for forgiveness for all his wrongdoings and
confessed everything. The father was so impressed he forgot about his threat.
This was the first son of the family who turned to Christ, and he became
a living example to the others. By and by, all seven brothers and sisters came
to the Lord. Eventually he went into the ministry of the Gospel full-time,
working with Erlo in their different evangelistic campaigns. His father is also
a believer now.
3. Thembani
Thembani visited me with her son, and Erlo was the interpreter. Her
husband was an alcoholic, and the family suffered extreme poverty because of
it, not even having blankets to sleep under. They weren’t able to buy
themselves food or clothing. Their first three children died of hunger - there
was nothing to eat. Before they died, a doctor had been consulted, and had
diagnosed malnutrition.
When the husband came home he would often beat his wife and children, and
they would flee into the forest. After the three children had passed away, the
tent came to their village. Thembani attended the meetings and was spiritually
stirred, eventually going for counselling to Erlo. The Lord's servant said to
her:"Don’t look at your husband. Trust fully in the Lord, and God will take
care of him and lead him." The woman got converted.
The second change in the family came about when she asked her husband for
forgiveness, having often been ill-tempered with him. Her husband then became
restless, following this confession.
He went to Erlo and said,"I am sick." However, he wasn’t sick at all,
but half drunk. In his jacket he still had a half bottle of liquor. Erlo knew
nothing about this, but learnt about it later.
The counsellor then said to him,"If you are sick, then let us pray and
ask Jesus to touch you." They then knelt and prayed together.
When the alcoholic went back to his hut, he gave the left-over liquor to
his neighbour, who was amazed and asked him,"Why do you give me this liquor?"
He answered,"A man prayed with me, and I cannot drink alcohol any more." The
liberated drunkard then went to the tent and gave his life to Jesus.
Thembani had another three children. She prayed,"Lord, give me a sign
and grant that at least one of my children gets saved, in order to kindle a
fire among the others." Her prayer was answered. The oldest son came to the
Lord, and soon the others followed. The fire kept going further. A grandchild,
the son of her oldest boy, is a four-year-old boy who is already working for
Jesus.
I also came to know Thembani's husband, the one-time drunkard. After
quitting his drinking, he began working diligently. Today he is a wealthy man.
This is a family finding salvation through three generations. This
reminds us of 2 Timothy 1:5 where Paul, writing to his co-worker Timothy,
refers to Timothy's believing mother Eunice, and his believing grandmother
Lois.
4. The Testimony of an Illiterate
A young man frequently attended Erlo's services, but he was impenitent.
He opposed this way of preaching the Gospel. One day, on the farm where he
worked, he had a unique experience, in bright sunlight. Suddenly it became dark
around him, and he saw a slate on which all his sins were listed. He is
illiterate, so he cannot read, yet at this moment he was able to recognise all
his wrongdoings. Deep conviction of sin came over him and his whole body
trembled. Then it became bright around him again.
That very moment he determined to get his life in order. Immediately he
wanted to go and see a Christian nearby, but then he remembered that he was to
be a faithful servant and complete the assigned work given to him by the
employer. After work, he rushed to see this Christian, who was able to write,
and explained to him this experience."Please write all my sins down on paper.
I want to send it to Erlo." This was done. The next step was, as far as
possible, to set about putting right all the wrong things he had done. To
reconcile with his family and relatives he had to walk 172 km.
The enemies of revival say that Erlo compels people to confess. This is
nothing but slander. Often such enemies opposing confession are nominal
Christians, not prepared to bring their sins to the light as mentioned in 1
John 1:9.
5. The Conversion of a Minister
In a place called Nxamalala there was a pastor serving in a church, with
his wife also helping with counselling. One day the pastor had a stroke and was
paralyzed down one side.
A Christian lady recounted this to Barney, and he and Bill set off to
visit and to conduct a Bible study at this man's house. There were about ten to
twelve people present. Suddenly the pastor broke out in tears and confessed,"I
haven’t understood and grasped the Gospel up to now. For the first time it is
becoming clear to me."
He brought many sins to light, after which he said,"I cannot preach
until my life is sorted out completely." After this confession, the pastor
received forgiveness and salvation. His paralysis disappeared as well. Since
then, he is a transformed man, his life witnessing that the Lord is with him.
6. Schools Experience the Gospel
During one of my travels with Erlo, we stayed with his brother Heino near
Mtunzini. From there visits were made to different schools.
One afternoon the team was scheduled to be at Impande High School. As the
Gospel was presented, the students and some teachers were overcome by the
Spirit of God and began to confess their sins. There was such sorrow for sin
and weeping that Erlo had to comfort them. All the students confessed their
sins. The team, consisting of forty co-workers, had been brought by Friedel
Stegen (Erlo's brother) in a bus. They helped with all the counselling, which
took about three and a half hours. One person could never have coped alone.
Among the counsellors were Erlo, Friedel, Joe, Horst, and Trevor. The others
were Zulu co-workers.
Friedel observed how a girl, after putting her life right, went to her
boyfriend from the same school, and said,"Now it is finished."
The students were between the ages of 14 and 20. Erlo and his team were
asked to return soon by the principal of the school.
That same evening, the team was at Kwa Dlangezwa High School. This too
was an all-Zulu school.
The principal, with whom I was able to speak, was a respected man among
the students, No student had ever seen him agitated. The whole school had
exemplary discipline. I asked him how many students were gathered, and he
responded,"Six hundred and forty - the entire school is present."
After the preaching, Erlo, as he usually did, announced,"Those who want
to surrender their lives to Jesus may stay behind."
Only about thirty students left the hall. For forty to counsel so many in
one evening is not an easy thing. So Erlo said,"Because so many have stayed
behind, I propose that some of you write out your confessions. It isn’t
possible to counsel so many in one evening. The ones that really need a
counsellor can stay behind." About seventy remained and were counselled by
various co-workers. Because I do not speak Zulu, I waited nearby. Immediately
some students came for counselling, and began to put their lives right in
English. All the students in this high school speak English.
The experience we had at a third school needs to be reported. The
principal of this school wasn’t prepared to have the team come, but because of
the persistence of the vice-principal, the team was allowed to speak to the students
for fifteen minutes, but without any counselling.
Thoko, a 22 year old co-worker, took the message. In closing she said,
"All who want to make their lives right with God may write to the team." She
then gave the students the address of the mission.
What happened? The team received 611 letters, all containing confessions,
seeking to straighten out their lives. Because it was impossible to answer all
of them, the students received a general letter.
Never had I heard of such happenings in revivals, where after just one
meeting, hundreds of young people at such a critical age turned to the Lord.
Only our exalted Lord, only the Holy Spirit, could work in such might and
power to humble young people. Any human praise has no room here whatsoever. Anyone
who claims even a smattering of credit insults the Lord.
I ask all readers to pray that no human honour creeps in. Such a thing
would bring a quick end to revival.
The exalted Lord is the Saviour, and not one successful missionary.
THE HEALING LORD
So often, healing through faith has developed into a false doctrine.
Extremists reject doctors altogether, although God has given us understanding
to use. Others make healing by faith a criterion upon which to decide whether a
church is alive or not. Some go so far as to say that illness is a result of
specific sin.
Erlo and his co-workers, and I include myself, reject such extremes. Many
healings through faith do occur in revivals, especially among the illiterate.
These parallels have been noticed in Timor, Indonesia, and among the Zulus.
The Bible often refers to extraordinary healings - there are 125 recorded
in the New Testament alone. We shall mention just two from the Scriptures:
The healing of Naaman's leprosy (2 Kings 5)
The healing of the two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31)
It is not possible to mention all the healings performed by the Living
Lord among the Zulus. Just as an introduction, I would like to mention two that
I was privileged to witness myself.
On 29th March 1976, I accompanied the team to Mahambeni in the
Transkei. After the service, the tribal chief, Sibizani, Erlo and I sat in a small
tent. Then a young man, 22 years of age, came and reported as follows:"Five
weeks ago you were here. During the message, I realised that something was
happening to me. I had been an epileptic, and from that moment on I have been
healed." Then he added,"I have come to thank you." Erlo responded,"You have
to thank the Lord. It was He who healed you - follow Jesus from now on."
The second example in Mahambeni stirred me even more. A man arrived on
horseback. He stopped in front of Erlo and me and said,"When you were here
five weeks ago, I received my sight during the service. I have come to thank
you. I want to follow Jesus." He then put his life right, being counselled by a
co-worker because Erlo was busy.
Many Christians in Europe and America do not believe such accounts. Erlo
and his co-workers and I are not liars. There is a judgment on those who do not
believe the truth. Because of their unbelief they do not experience the full
blessing of the Lord's salvation.
I would like to report on the following different kinds of healings:
1. The Healing of Leprosy
In one of the meetings at
Kranskop, the following incident took place. The gathering place was crowded to
capacity. Martin Stegen stood at the door to allow the seriously ill to gain
entrance. As he was standing there, a leper came, his whole body full of ulcers
(as the Bible says, full of sores). Martin considered warning the other people
not to touch the man lest they become infected, but it was too late. The throng
just pushed the man forward. Martin prayed:"Lord please grant that nobody
becomes infected."
When the man with leprosy left the meeting, he was healed and beaming
with joy. The scars were everywhere, but his skin shone like that of a small
child.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:8,"…cleanse the lepers…" Why do so many
Christians, especially those who hold to dispensation theology, believe that
this only applies to the first century? Does the Bible need to be divided into
the time of the early Christians and our modern age? The devil is full of guile
and he is wily. He well understands how to use apparently biblical theology to
undermine the Bible. This robs Christ's’ church of much fundamental truth.
Those Christians and theologians should unconditionally read Revelation
22: 19, where it says,"And if anyone shall take away from the words of the
book of this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the book of life, and
out of the holy city, and from the things that have been written in this book."
2. The Healing of Kidney Disease
Martin Stegen is my reporter, not a relative of Erlo's, but a blessed
co-worker.
The Gospel spread in the Mfolozi valley as people heard of the miracles
that were happening in the revival. A sick man returned from Johannesburg,
having been discharged from hospital. The doctors were unable to help him any
more. He was so weak that he was unable to walk, and he had blood in his urine.
His relatives had heard about the tent campaign and planned to bring the sick
man to Erlo.
Transporting him was exceedingly difficult. On the first part of the
journey there were no roads, and he had to go to the main road by sled pulled
by an ox over rough terrain. This was a distance of 18 kilometres and it took
hours. After some time along this bumpy trail, the man lost consciousness.
"Shall we return or continue?" his relatives asked themselves. Opinions
differed until the majority decided to continue."If he dies," they said,"then
let him die where the Word of God is preached."
At last they made it to the main road. From there it was another 260 km
to KwaSizabantu, the centre of the revival. Amazingly, the desperately ill man
survived the perilous journey.
At KwaSizabantu he heard God's Word. The following day he was counselled
spiritually. After twenty-four hours he could feel life in his feet. He swung
his legs out of bed, stretched them and sensed that he had strength to walk. He
got up, dressed himself, and walked. He was healed.
After hearing of this miracle, many people from the Mfolozi valley,
including those that were sick, were drawn to hear God's Word and experienced
the power of the Lord.
There was a family named Sibiya who brought their 15-year-old son, who
was mentally deranged. Martin picked him up from his home village and took him
to his home to stay for the night.
Before going to sleep, Martin suddenly thought,"What would happen if
this young boy died without hearing the Gospel?" So he got up again and spoke
to him about his salvation. The youngster was prepared to make his life right
with God, but didn’t confess everything. Nevertheless, the following morning,
when he went to the toilet, a cluster of worms came away.
Martin brought the boy to KwaSizabantu, where he confessed everything.
His mind became completely clear, and he went home healed.
3. The Healing of Dropsy and of a Cripple
A man who grew up in a Christian home rejected his parents’ faith and
went back to witchcraft. He used his black magic on blacks and whites, but said
that it was especially difficult to treat whites with it, because with them he
needed especially strong medicines. When asked what type of medicines these
were, he answered,"Flesh, fat and hair from white people."
“Where do you get these things from?" one of the team asked,"Surely you
can’t murder a white person just to get some flesh."
He explained it this way,"I bribe a black helper in an operating theatre
to provide the necessary body parts. The second procedure is less difficult.
From these parts I create a ‘medicine’ which is put into the white person's
food - this really works."
The quality of the ‘medicine’, however, is shown by the fact that he
himself could not cure his own illness. His dropsy became worse and worse, and
his body was so badly swollen that it was impossible to find suitable trousers
for him. In the end he wore a large coat. This condition caused him to seek
Christian counselling. After his confession and his declaration to part
unconditionally with witchcraft, things became better. Within a day he lost a
great deal of water.
After having dealt with the main problem, his faith began to cool, and
immediately the dropsy began to return. He now realised that he was dealing
with a holy God, so he once again confessed and made his life right, becoming
serious about his discipleship. This brought relief and complete healing.
He now ceased all witchcraft activities. When people came to him seeking
help, he would point to Jesus and recommend that they go to KwaSizabantu. This
is how he helped a woman who had been ill for 23 years. He testified to her of
his healing by Jesus, and she was encouraged to seek help from Him as well.
This then is her story:
This woman comes from Busisiwe, a village 20 kilometres from Tugela
Ferry. She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, and was so crippled that in
order to move from one room to another she had to be supported on either side.
If there was no one to help, she would crawl around in terrible pain. Her
husband was a well-known witchdoctor, earning a great deal of money from his
craft. He used to spend about R30 a month on medicine for his wife, but without
success.
In the 23rd year of her illness, she had a dream. She saw a
huge tent in which a white man was preaching the Word of God. There were one or
two whites, but otherwise the tent was packed with Zulus. Among them were many
women with sicolos. (Sicolos are beautiful but uncomfortable
hairstyles, often worn by married Zulu women. The hair gets woven together with
coloured fibres to create a hat-like form; this is worn for life, and they even
have to sleep with them. They also carry burdens by placing the burdens in
empty cans balanced on the front part of their heads. I have been able to take
many photos of women with sicolos).
In her dream, she heard a voice saying,"Find this man - he will show you
the way of salvation." This rather worried her because she had no idea how to
go about the matter. Then this former witchdoctor explained the dream to her,
and spoke to her about the Gospel. He promised to inform her when the tent came
back to Tugela Ferry. It was to be another two years before that happened.
When Erlo returned to Tugela Ferry this former witchdoctor asked one of
the co-workers to get this lady. At first this brother hesitated to drive such
a distance for one person, but in the end agreed.
So the woman was brought in the co-worker's car and carried into the
tent. Here this woman recognised that which she had seen two years before in
her dream. Without anybody in particular praying for her, the power of God came
over her, and she was able to walk without any help. She was a bit disappointed,
though, when it was said that there was to be no special prayer for the sick at
the end of that service. But Bill carefully explained to her,"Don’t worry;
your time will still come. Ask God to reveal the sins in your life, and then
put them right." Bill visited her several times, and she confessed her sins,
her health improving after each occasion. Three weeks later there was a meeting
in Kranskop to which she was brought. As they were travelling there, the Lord
touched her and she was fully healed without anyone praying for her.
This completely changed her life. She needed no further medicine, and she
opened her home to the evangelists. Six months after her healing she testified
in front of a large congregation and brought all her witchcraft articles to be
burned.
Her husband was overjoyed at his wife's healing and that the Gospel was
preached in his house. However, he wasn’t prepared to make a decision himself
yet. The woman was unperturbed at the resistance of her husband and
wholeheartedly followed the Lord. It helped that her husband seldom came home,
because he worked in Johannesburg.
Martin Stegen told me of another man with dropsy. When the revival reached
the area around the Usinga Mountain, there were three sick men in the vicinity.
One was blind, another lame and the third had dropsy, and was already bed-ridden.
The first two had help from their families - the blind man had someone to lead
him about, and the lame man had someone to care for him. The condition of the
man with dropsy was so serious he was not expected to live much longer.
The three men heard that a preacher was holding services in their area
and that he refused to accept offerings, but advised the people rather to spend
their money on Bibles and songbooks. The three sick men said to each other,"If
such a man doesn’t love money, then we have to hear him."
All three came to the service. It was a real challenge for the man with
dropsy, because he could scarcely breathe, let alone walk.
All three asked for prayer. Naturally they were told that spiritual
matters were to be dealt with first. The first session of prayer for the man
with dropsy had no immediate effect. After some time he came again, went for
counselling and was prayed for - this time, within a day, he recovered
completely from his illness. A huge amount of water came away.
However, there was yet another, a third experience. After his recovery,
he slackened in following the Lord and his abdomen became swollen again. This
AUTO BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHIES