News & Photos
July Youth Week 2002
Wednesday, 10 July 2002
10 July 2002, evening service
CFT took the evening service, and stressed the important
issues Christians are involved in as a light of the world, like Education, Drug abuse,
Euthanasia, Abortion, Purity, etc. John Powys spoke about the danger of bad music, like
pop, rock and its different flavours.
10 July 2002, afternoon service
Preacher - Erlo Stegen
Text: Dan 9:24 - 26
The riches from God's Word is amazing. No pleasure from
sport or anything else can be compared therewith!
As Daniel confessed his sins and that of his people, the
angel Gabriel revealed this great secret of Christ's coming to him.
The incident that happened in Acts 19:13 - 20 is a good
illustration of this point. When the seven sons of Sceva were overpowered by the
devil-possessed man, because their lives were not in order, many of the believers feared
and brought their sins to the light.
Sin is the wall of separation between you and God. When you
try to pray, it is like hitting a wall. You must be cleansed and purified from your sins
to see God. We read in Mt 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see
God."
Gabriel revealed to Daniel the exact time when sin will be
ended, by the Messiah who will pay the full price. The total of 70 weeks mentioned here in
Hebrew is 70 sevens or 490 years. We see how that Jesus death on the cross was predestined
precisely after the "62 weeks" mentioned in verse 26.
God has chosen us as well from the foundation of the world,
as mentioned in Eph 1:4. In Ps 139:13 we see how God has fashioned us even in our mother's
womb. All of this did not happen by accident, but were planned from before the foundation
of the world. Even your calling and life is planned by God, as we can see from Jeremiah
1:5. Are you fulfilling God's predetermined plan for your life?
Your whole life hinges on
Jesus Christ. Even your birthdate is measured from Christ.
We have seen from vs 26 how that the time and death of Jesus for
sin was revealed to Daniel. At the appointed time Jesus was crucified at about 9 in the
morning. As it was drawing towards evening, the Jews wanted the bodies removed, lest the
Sabbath should be defiled. So the soldiers came to brake His legs that He might die, but
when they came to Him, He was dead already, so they did not break His bones, fulfilling
the scripture that "not a bone of Him shall be broken."(Ps 32:20) To make sure
that He was dead they pierced Him, and water and blood came forth, fulfilling another
scripture that "they shall look on Him whom they have pierced" (Zech 12:10).
This is why the matter is so serious and I cannot play around with
this precious, gracious Gospel. May my lips rather turn to mud, than that I should make a
mockery of the Gospel, allowing young people to flirt around in the church, and other sins
to enter in. God help me to preach the seriousness and truth of the Gospel, and that my
life might be as straight as a die. These 50 years I’ve been preaching this Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and am determined to continue to the end, not turning to the right or left.
So too you need to present your bodies as a living sacrifice to
God, as we read in Rom 12:1 & 2
10 July 2002, morning service
Captain Gounder
from the Child Protection Unit of South African Police Service in Durban addressed the
youth about the problem of child abuse. Dr van Eeden, who introduced him, mentioned that
an average of 30% of children today have been molested by someone older than
them - indicating the seriousness of the problem.
Captain Gounder opened his address with
a text from Romans 12:1-2 :"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service..."
He informed the youth about the
facilities that are available to help children and young people who are victims of abuse,
and who to contact for help. He also explained the role social workers and the
justice system play in prosecuting offenders and helping abused children.
Captain Gounder called on communities as
a whole to stand up against child abuse by reporting cases as soon as possible.
Children were given good advice on how to evade becoming a victim of abuse.
Rev. Stegen concluded the meeting by
sounding a warning against feeding one's mind with filthy literature and pictures -
which will lead to actions such as rape. He also reminded all that we will
"reap what we sow".
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