In this sermon, the preacher shares a story about a man who climbed a dangerous cliff to catch birds. The man tied a rope around himself to prevent falling and forgot about the birds as he climbed to the top. The preacher uses this story to illustrate how dangerous and depraved the world is, and how we are guilty before God for the souls that have been killed. He emphasizes that the most dangerous place is close to the mother's heart, referring to the sin and evil that can reside within us. The preacher urges the listeners to repent and embrace Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness and salvation. He also highlights the hypocrisy of the world, pointing out that while there is much attention given to the deaths of 44 people in Marikana, millions of innocent children have been killed through abortion. The sermon concludes with a prayer for God's guidance and a reminder of the preacher's upcoming journey.

Let's pray. We thank you, Lord, for another opportunity to gather around your word. Be with us, Lord, and speak through your word to the very depths of our hearts. I am going to speak about what I would have spoken about tomorrow in Durban. The hypocrisy of this world screams to heaven. The whole world is going on about 44 people that died in Marikana. Since abortion was legalized on demand in 1997, an estimated 1.2 million legal and 7 million illegal, that's 8 million innocent children, have been killed by abortion. In Marikana, there are 8 million people that have been killed. Here in our country, there are dangerous places in this world where one fears to go. The most dangerous place is close to the mother's heart. What do you say about that? We complain and cry about those 44 minors killed, but what do we say about millions who die, though they are so close to their mother's heart? So next Sunday, there will be a meeting in Durban, a pro-life march against the spilling of innocent blood of unborn babies. We will say that the biggest amount of people killed are those who are closest to their mother's heart. But there is silence about it. The blood of those innocents cries to heaven. I am an American. There is depravity in the land, and so there is the astonishing fact that women take their own babies, not those of others, but they kill their own babies so close to their hearts. Now we will turn to the scripture that I would like to speak from today. 2 Chronicles 7 Verse 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. This is an amazing word. It also contains a great and marvellous promise. It also contains a great and marvellous promise that is made in this place. God speaks directly to his people, he is not speaking to the gentiles or people in this world but to those who are believers. He says if my people return to me and humble themselves, they will find forgiveness of their sins. So among the children of God, the Lord sees what is sin. And if those sins are repented of, God says he will hear, he will open his eyes and be attentive to their prayer and forgive their sin and heal the land. This text is a great inspiration or challenge to every believer. The challenge being that the world is in our hands. If we repent, getting right with God, our land will be healed. God will hear our prayers and restore and heal our land. We are not to point to the sin of other people but rather point to ourselves for the Lord says if my people humble themselves, there is something that God demands of us, that humbling ourselves we would confess our sins. This word was spoken to Solomon. Where God says if my people would humble themselves and pray and seek my face, parting from their evil ways, then he will hear from heaven, bring about healing in the land. Our land is depraved. But though things might be wicked and bad, God is able to turn things around. If only God's people would have an ear to hear what he says, I remember brother Michael coming here, before he had murdered somebody at school, had stabbed him, he had wanted to go to witch doctors to get a potion strong enough to put a spell on the judge so that he would fall under his spell. But the witch doctor was so far away, Michael didn't have enough money to get there. So his aunt said, rather go to Kwasizabantu, you will find help there. He was troubled. He had cold sweats at night. He was so terribly troubled. Then he came here to the mission. We were meeting there in the upstairs room. Not the prayer room, but there where that upstairs is now for accommodation. In the very first service when there was preaching, the Lord showed him, you haven't killed just one person, you have murdered many. He said no, but Lord I only murdered one. Then he saw many corpses before him. The Lord said, you see these corpses, you have killed them all. He said, but Lord, I don't know that, when did I kill them? The Lord showed him that though he had killed one with a knife, all the others he had murdered with his tongue. You see when you gossip about somebody else, you are murdering him, you have a corpse. And he was so convicted, he repented of it. He had known before that by gossiping about others he had been murdering them. He was so remorseful and said to the Lord, I didn't know Lord that I had killed so many, I am sorry. When you speak something negative about somebody else, you kill them. You should have rather gone to that person and tried to help them, but instead you go to your friends and you gossip about them and the Lord says you have used a poison from your tongue to kill them. So listen, when God says that if his people return to him humbling themselves, he will forgive them. The land is depraved because of you, because of that sin that is in your heart that you are blind to, that you do not see. Rather say Lord expose the sin in my heart. If you do that, when you bring that sin to the Lord, the Lord will work in the hearts of the other people. The Lord says he will heal their diseases and send rain upon the dry earth. If you do that, when you bring that sin to the Lord, the Lord will work in the hearts of the other people. But it requires that you humble yourself and that as a child of God you come before the Lord because he says it to his children. Humbling yourself, not defending your sin, but confessing your sin and asking the Lord to expose anything that you have not seen yet. If you do that, when you bring that sin to the Lord, the Lord will work in the hearts of the other people. If you do that, when you bring that sin to the Lord, the Lord will work in the hearts of the other people. If you want to help other people, bring them to restoration, then you need to get to grips with God and confess your own sins. Even if your children have gone astray, are not following the Lord, get your own life right with God. Even if it is a sin that has got nothing to do with them, it might be an old thing, but God remembers old sins too. Get it right with Him. We have a great guilt upon us because others are living in sin for we are the ones who have not repented of ours. What a problem it is. We enjoy speaking about the sins of other people, but ours, we sit upon our sins, we are silent about them. We are the ones who have not repented of our sins, we are the ones who have not repented of our sins, we are the ones who have not repented of our sins. So, if you want other people to come to faith, get right with God yourself. And so as you are right with the Lord, the Lord will touch other people. Remember that even if I am dead, never forget it, even for one day. Even if I am dead, never forget it, even for one day. Even for one day. Even if I am dead, never forget it, even for one day. If the wicked go into destruction, it is because you are not getting right with God. It is because you have not come to the Lord with your sins. Ask Him to search your heart, and as He shows you your sin, He will deal with the others. We complain others are hard, Satan is powerful. That the enemy has power is because we give them power through our evil ways. Colossians 2 verse 15 Colossians 2 verse 15 It says that Jesus exposed the devil to open shame, and He removed his weapons from him. Colossians 2 verse 15 Now, we don't understand in our modern era what the facts are behind this, but the people of that apostolic era, they understood exactly what was meant when it was said that Jesus disarmed and he shamed the enemy. Colossians 2 verse 15 The Romans rule the world. Colossians 2 verse 15 And if somewhere in their empire there was a rebellion against the government, Colossians 2 verse 15 Caesar would then send one of his generals and his men to go and quash the rebellion in that distant land. Colossians 2 verse 15 When they were victorious and had put that fire out, Colossians 2 verse 15 They would then capture the leader of the rebellion, Colossians 2 verse 15 Removing his weapons, Colossians 2 verse 15 They stripped him, Colossians 2 verse 15 And so naked, they then tied him to the chariot, Colossians 2 verse 15 Dragging him all the way back to Rome, even if it was far away. Colossians 2 verse 15 His weapons were gone. Colossians 2 verse 15 They had been removed from him. He was now in open shame. Colossians 2 verse 15 And two of those soldiers who were on horses, Colossians 2 verse 15 Would ride ahead to Caesar to tell him, Colossians 2 verse 15 That the enemy has been defeated. Colossians 2 verse 15 They wore incense that was with a wonderful fragrance symbolizing victory. Colossians 2 verse 15 And after quite a few days, the chariots with the soldiers would then arrive. Colossians 2 verse 15 Then they would drag him into the city square where there was a pillar right in the center. Colossians 2 verse 15 And tie him to the pillar. Colossians 2 verse 15 Hands and feet, his whole body. Colossians 2 verse 15 Everyone would then come and stare at this man who had the guts to fight against and rebel against the government. Colossians 2 verse 15 People would throw rotten tomatoes at his face. Colossians 2 verse 15 Even little children would spit at him. Colossians 2 verse 15 Laughing, mocking him. Colossians 2 verse 15 Open shame was and contempt was poured upon him. Colossians 2 verse 15 He could do nothing because he was bound. Colossians 2 verse 15 Jesus did that, he conquered Satan. He removed his weapons from him. So when Paul refers to this image, that is the imagery behind it. It is marvelous. Satan has no power except the power that you gift him with because of your sins, your gossiping. Colossians 2 verse 15 So let every child of God seek the Lord's face, asking that the Lord would convict them of sin because you are giving Satan authority. Colossians 2 verse 15 That is why the Bible says if anyone is sick, let him confess his sins, let him be prayed for. Colossians 2 verse 15 Prayed for by a righteous man, for the prayer of a righteous man has much power in its effect. Colossians 2 verse 15 When God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of its sin of homosexuality and depravity. Colossians 2 verse 15 Homosexuals, lesbianism. Colossians 2 verse 15 God said he wouldn't destroy Sodom and Gomorrah without having first told Abraham about it. Colossians 2 verse 15 The three angels went to him. Colossians 2 verse 15 Found him in the cool under a tree, in the shade. Colossians 2 verse 15 And God then said to him. Colossians 2 verse 15 I am going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, I will utterly annihilate them. Colossians 2 verse 15 For their sins have no end. Colossians 2 verse 15 For their sins have risen up to heaven. Your sins remember are like stabbing God in the eye, putting your finger into his eye. Colossians 2 verse 15 Abraham then said, what will you destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the good with the bad? Colossians 2 verse 15 The bad with the good? And then he said, Lord if there are 50 righteous people in Sodom, will you still destroy them all together? Colossians 2 verse 15 The Lord said no. Colossians 2 verse 15 Because of my children who believe in me, of that quantity, I will not bring fire down from heaven. Colossians 2 verse 15 Then Abraham said Lord, well if there are just 40 righteous people, would you still do it? Colossians 2 verse 15 The Lord said no, even if there are 40 people, I will not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Colossians 2 verse 15 Then Abraham said, if there are just 30 righteous people then found, or 20 Colossians 2 verse 15 Abraham said, but Lord, if there are just 20 righteous people, will you still destroy Sodom? Colossians 2 verse 15 The Lord said, even if there are 10 righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, I will not destroy it. Colossians 2 verse 15 For Abraham thought, surely there should be 10 righteous people in Sodom which would cause the cities to escape. Colossians 2 verse 15 When the angels went there, they could not even find five. It was just Lot and his two daughters. And so God destroyed the whole land, the whole city. Colossians 2 verse 15 The land can be destroyed or saved through you, whether you are right with the Lord. And all the others, and even your own children, God can save them all. What does God require of us today? Colossians 2 verse 15 Of God, we who claim to be saved, what does God require of you? Colossians 2 verse 15 Ask God by His Holy Spirit to search your heart and all that you have done from your childhood up to this present day. Colossians 2 verse 15 Ask God by His Holy Spirit to search your heart and all that you have done from your childhood up to this present day. Colossians 2 verse 15 Ask God by His Holy Spirit to search your heart and all that you have done from your childhood up to this present day. Colossians 2 verse 15 Forget the sins of other people. Deal with your own sins. Even the women we say are guilty, those who commit abortion, well you are more guilty if you don't deal with your own sin before the Lord. But we Christians are hard, we don't see our sins. It's so difficult for us to express, I have sinned. Colossians 2 verse 15 This is why God will not send revival if His people are still living in their sins. Colossians 2 verse 15 Sitting in our sins, if we are still in our sins we will never reach the goal. Colossians 2 verse 15 It is God's command that we examine ourselves. Now you children of God, do that. Ask the Lord to show you if there are still sins that need to be dealt with. Confess them, part from them, separate from them. Don't say it's too difficult, it's hard. Remember the young man in the UK? Who loved rearing beautiful birds? One day he came across birds that were spectacular in their beauty. He thought it's the first time he's seen them. He thought how will I get them? Because those birds were so valuable. And whenever he got close to them, they would fly off. So he decided one day he would try and find the source there where they nest and there where they have their young. Then one day he noticed that they flew down a cliff. And then he realized that they were nesting in the cliff. Half way down the cliff and the sea was below. It was a very high cliff, about two or three hundred meters. And as he peeped over the edge of the precipice, he saw that they were nesting on some rocks down there on the cliff. So he decided to go and get a rope and tie himself onto it from a tree and then let himself down and get to the eggs of that bird. When he was half way down the cliff face, half way between the sea and the sky, he noticed that they were the birds that were nesting in the cliff. The bird had its young inside the cliff. It wasn't there where it was accessible, but an indent into the cliff. So he thought he would swing himself like people who swing themselves. Like people who on a swing where the momentum gains with every push of the swing. So he swung himself, he wanted to get to that very place where the babies were hatched. And as he swung, he then swung and he lost the rope as he tried to jump. So he thought he would swing himself like people who swing themselves. He had landed then on that ledge, but as he looked back at the rope, he noticed that with every swing, its momentum was growing less and less. So he thought he would swing himself like people who swing themselves. Then he decided he better leap and catch the swinging rope before it was not able to swing far enough for him to jump onto it. Because he said to himself, nobody knows that I'm here, nobody will even hear if I cry for help. And fortunately, with the next swing, he jumped, he leapt out at it and could catch it. Had he not caught it, he would have fallen to the rocks below. He tied the rope around him, that he wouldn't slip out of it. And he said, relating the story, that as he climbed up, he forgot all about that bird, all about catching those birds. And he climbed and was able to get to the top, he forgot about those birds forever. He never attempted to go to those birds again. He was thankful to God, he said, I would have crashed to the rocks below. Do you understand that? God throws out the rope to us in the form of Jesus Christ. Let us catch hold of him, let us embrace him, otherwise there is no hope of survival. He says, I will forgive your sins. I will open my eyes towards you, I will be conscious of you, and I will hear your prayers. Even if you have been intending to do some evil, repent of that instantly. Repent instantly, repent completely, otherwise there is no hope, you will fall into the bottomless pit. I don't know if you have understood, because I need to now end, I still have a long journey to make. You know your birds with those beautiful coloured feathers, you know what it symbolises in your life. God throws out the rope to you, catch it, cling to it now, bow your heads and pray. Lord may each one jump now to catch your rope of salvation, to be released from death and be saved. For those birds with beautiful feathers will destroy him. Work O Lord in a marvellous way. May each one examine himself and go down on his knees before you, show everything that needs to be dealt with, so that Satan would find no power in us. So that open contempt would not be thrown upon us, but upon Satan. Amen.