The week-long KwaSizabantu Youth Conference started on Wednesday, 28 June and by Thursday evening the next day over 4,000 youngsters and children were registered to attend.
The highlight of the Thursday sessions was the special message that Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi (MP, founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party and traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch and nation) shared with them.
The theme for this year is, Let's Lift Jesus Higher (Masimphakamisa uJesu). The conference features keynote speakers and services which provide valuable insights into biblical principles and were designed to deepen an understanding of faith and strengthen a relationship with God. Prince Buthelezi said during his presentation, “When we talk about lifting Jesus higher, to me that means placing Him in a prominent position so that no matter what we are facing, what we see, is Jesus.”
He continued by referring to the fact that he had to grow up without seeing his father too often and was raised mainly by his mother – something that many youngsters of today are challenged with. He continued his message by saying, “My mother was a devout Christian and she instilled in me the importance of living by biblical standards. I knew the fifth commandment, to honour my father and mother.”
Prince Buthelezi’s message was designed for the challenges young people have to face daily. He said, “The theme of the conference is perfectly chosen for a time such as this. But we know that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to God and that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. How then can we lift Jesus any higher?” He referred to the challenges he faced during his childhood but confirmed that he did not allow them to overtake his life. He said that despite the many challenges that he was faced with as a youngster he kept believing in God’s plan for him, and that helped him to persevere. He encouraged the more than 4,500 young onlookers, “What do we do when faced with a challenge? We lift Jesus higher. We look beyond the circumstances to the truth of Christ and what He is calling us to do. When God makes a promise, He always fulfils it. He has promised that you will thrive in what He is giving you if you will honour your father and mother. It is certainly worth doing.”
Listen to the conference presentations on the Radio Kwezi live streams daily on www.radiokwezi.org.za
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