Kwasizabantu Youth Conference 1

Kwasizabantu Youth Conference 1 - 7 July 2005
Theme: `But know this...", `Kepha yazi lokhu' Eccl 11:9
(click here for photos)

Friday, 19:00 - `Being lost and found' - Kjell Olsen preached from Luke 15. Sinners and tax-collectors gladly listened to Jesus. When Pharisees and others complained Jesus told them a parable about being lost. The parable has 3 parts to it: a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. (read more here) more photos here

Saturday, 10:00 - `The necessity of knowing' - Rev Erlo Stegen preached from the theme verse as well as Proverbs 29: 18: "Where there is no vision the people perish". Without revelation from God, true knowledge people and even nations perish. When anyone or any group of people put God aside and try to live without Him their understanding is darkened and they end up floundering in the mire and misery and finally utter destruction. If we are so foolish as to destroy those who provide knowledge, or we are so prejudiced to think that we cannot learn from others, we are bringing destruction upon ourselves. May these services bring us to true knowledge. Our theme verse commands us to "know this".

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Saturday, 15:00 - Testimony by Phillip Senatle - This afternoon the growing crowd of approximately three and a half thousand young people heard the amazing testimony of God's grace in the life of Mr Phillip Senatle from Brits, north of Pretoria. Last year he met with an accident at work where he had an electical shock of 11,000 volts. Phillip shared how the Lord showed him grace and victory despite the suffering he had to endure in losing both arms. His right arm is amputed above the elbow and his left arm just below the elbow. Phillip is Sotho speaking and was able to share his testimony in English, Afrikaans and Zulu. ...(more photos here)

Sunday, 10:00 - Rev Stegen spoke from the theme verse of the conference, Eccl 11:9. He urged and advised the young people that true life, now and eternally, is only to be found in Jesus Christ ... (read more here)

Sunday, 15:00 - Talks by Dr Peet Botha and Dr A. van Eeden on homexuality and prostitution. Questions from the floor included: "my parents have died from Aids - what must I do?"; "both my parents have died and my extended family refuse me to get a government grant - can I approach the Social Welfare alone?"

Dr Peet Botha has recently published part of his Phd study into Homsexuality and the Bible. The Afrikaans version is available and the English one should be out by early September. Here is a summary of his talk. For more information go to his website: www.homosexuality.co.za

Dr Albu van Eeden told the youth about the ever increasing tragedy of prostitution in South Africa. The DFL centre is right in the centre of Durban. Family crises (such as alcoholism and other problems) and unemployment are the two main factors causing thousands of girls to flock to Durban to sell their bodies. However, business is tough according to one 16 year old prostitute. She only managed to get one customer a week because of all the competition, she told Dr Albu. Drugs causes these girls to blank out the "awful horror" of prostitution and made them slaves to their pimps. Dr van Eeden said that their research has shown that the average age for a girl's "sellable" life is 22 years of age. The men only want very young girls and by the time they are 22 years of age (80% have Aids by this time and are hooked to drugs) they are discarded "like an orange peel".

Sunday, 19:00 - Testimony by a girl from Durban, who was caught up in prostitution and drugs, but delivered by God through the work of DFL in Durban. Afterwards the film, "In Your Face" was shown - a film which exposes the "medical and moral consequenses" of immorality. Read more at their website, here.

Monday, 10:00 - Rev Stegen preached from Eccl 11:9. Wherever one goes in the world, there is a visible difference between those who are Christians and those who are not... [more]

Monday, 15:00 - The TNT (The Naked Truth about Drugs and Alcohol, www.tnt.org.za ) group spoke to the youth about the dangers of drugs. Drugs are portrayed as something nice, but once you're hooked, it enslaves, and destroys a person. The only way to get free and stay free is to go against the stream - be like a kite, which reaches the hights because it goes against the wind.

Richard testified how drugs destroyed his life, but by coming to Jesus for deliverance he was able to get free from it.

Monday, 19:00 - TLW (True Love Waits, www.truelovewaits.org.za ) presented a mime, where two girls are portrayed - the one values her purity and decides beforehand that she will keep herself pure. When she is tempted, she is able to resist the temptation. The second girl, however, is a cheap girl, flirts with the boys, and is robbed of her purity. It is a great loss to her, but by turning to Jesus for forgiveness, she is made whole again.

Many doctors and scientists are looking for a cure for AIDS. However, we have the solution in our hands - abstinence before marriage and faithfulness in marriage. It is 100% safe.

Afterwards the young people were challenged to keep themselves pure by signing a pledge card. Hundreds responded. (more photos here)

Tuesday, 10:00 - Rev Erlo Stegen spoke about one of the greatest Africans ever, Augustine (read more from Pastor Stegen's notes here). At the end of the message he invited the youth to make a decision like Augustine did in his desperation when he cried to the Lord: "How long, how long? Tomorrow and tomorrow? Why not now? Why is there not this hour an end of my uncleanness?" Many hundreds of children, teens and young adults streamed to the front of the auditorium to repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

Tuesday, 15:00 - Young people from Smithfield in the Free State conducted the service. One of their young ladies, Nono, gave her testimony about how she never knew her father until towards the end of her life. At his funeral she discovered that she was one of 10 siblings, born of him, from 7 different mothers. She challenged the young people not to live immorally and cause heartache to their children. Girls should realise that boys lie to them when they claim to love them but just want to sleep with them and go to the next girl who they'll also lie to.
Then, Station Commissioner for the Midlands, Captain Chonco, introduced a guest speaker, Mr T. Mkhize of SANCO. Mr Mkhize said that SANCO, which is now 50 years old, is fighting drugs and alcohol. One of the ways they do this is to speak at schools and set up groups (TADA, Teenagers Against Drug Abuse) to counter the peer pressure that pushes young people into taking drugs or who need support because of abuse. SANCO can be contacted at: 031 303 2202.

Tuesday, 19:00 - Rev Stegen had invited the premier of KZN, the honourable, Dr Ndebele, who unfortunately was not able to attend. At the last minute Rev Stegen invited an old friend of the mission, Dr M G Buthelezi, to address the youth on the subject of HIV/AIDS. At such short notice Dr Buthelezi graciously changed his programme and was willing to address the youth on the topic. He pointed out that this whole topic of HIV/AIDS, is not something distant, but very close to his heart, having affected his very own family.
Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi spoke to the youth about the importance of chastity, citing examples from Uganda. He cautioned the youth that "if we place our trust to be saved in a piece of rubber, we are already destroyed." Read his full speech here (pdf).

Wednesday, 10:00 - Rev Joseph Chauke preached from Luke 15:11, about the lost son which "came to himself" and decided to return to his father and ask forgiveness. His decision was both vertical and horizontal, when he said, "Father I've sinned against heaven and against you". He received forgiveness both from God and his father. So too, you should come to yourself, realise your lost state, and make a decision not to leave as you came. Do not await the arrival of tomorrow, for when it comes, it will be called today. Act today, and receive forgiveness and redemption. (Rev Chauke also introduced his wife Elizabeth, whom he recently married.)

Wednesday, 15:00 - Young people testified what the Lord did in their lives. Afterwards a speaker from SANCO warned the young people once again on the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Wednesday, 19:00 - A film was shown on Jesus' death and resurrection - how He paid the full penalty for our sin, broke the power of sin, and took away the sting of death.

Thursday, 10:00 - Rev Chauke spoke from Rom 14:12 and Rev 20:11-15. Each one of us will have to give account to God for ourselves. We will have to answer to everything we've done, spoken, our intentions and even our thoughts.

There are some questions which no-one will be able to answer for you - you have to answer them yourself.

We read in Rev 20 that there are books and the Book of Life. All you deeds are written in the books, and only the Blood of Jesus can whipe away the evil deeds, thoughts, etc. written therein about you.
When the disciples came to Jesus, rejoicing that the demons are subject unto them in the name of Jesus, He replied, "I saw satan fall down from heaven like lighting; but do not rejoice in this that the devils are subject unto you; rather rejoice that your names are written in the Book of Life."

Thursday, 19:00 - Rev Stegen warned the young people that it's a fearful thing to reject the grace of God. It's a popular message these days that God is love, but that's only the one side of the coin.

The story is told of this wonderfully talented girl, who was famous and became the beauty queen at her university. Her parents was very proud of her. However, she had a terrible car accident, and on her death-bed she told her mother, "mom, you taught me how to behave like a lady; you taught me how to dance; you taught me how to throw a cocktail party, but you never taught me how to die". Her mom was at a loss for words, for she had never prepared for death, and so her daughter passed into eternity.

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The Gideons graciously, at very short notice, gave 900 Zulu Testaments (and about 100 English ones) to the children who needed them. Mr Spencer James, Mr Walter Redinger and Mr U. Huntziker were the representatives for the Gideons.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO PRAYED FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE. MANY HAVE REPENTED AND OPENLY MADE A DECISION TO FOLLOW THE LORD. PLEASE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THESE CHILDREN IN PRAYER AS THEY GO HOME.