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Nr 04/11
April 2011
Dear Member/Guest
Content of Edition
- Monthly devotional - The Thorns that entangled our Faith
- Quote on the Month
- Establishing a Youth Fraternal
- Request from Kehrhahnministries Executive: Nigerian Prayer Request
- Japan recent earthquake catastrophes
1. MONTHLY DEVOTIONAL - THE THORNS THAT ENTANGLED OUR FAITH
The thorns that entangled our faith
Devotional text: 2 Corinthians 12:5-9 (NIV)
I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I will not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Dear Friends
Have you ever had a thorn in your foot or any other area of your body? Then you would understand how much discomfort it can cause. Eventually when someone manages to get that thorn out, we show appreciation to the one who manages to relieve us from the discomfort caused by the thorn. There however is a kind of thorn that remains with us, which causes us to go rampant in our effort to get it removed. A thorn that causes us to do the things we shouldn’t and not to do the things that we should. A thorn which also if we manage to live with it and acknowledge its presence can be used to people’s advantage, especially when we allow God to work within our lives, making positive in roads into ours and other lives and thus restore our entangled faith.
Paul knew all about the effects of such a thorn, since he was driven by his hate for the Christians and thus it led him to persecute them and yet when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was taught how to manage it. His thorn was anger, rage with a seemingly unusual passion. Realizing that he had this weak spot and how it started to disappear, he realized the work God did in his life and this gave him sufficient and well directed reason to boast. However by no means it was easy since he had to wrestle with it for a considerable amount of time. Paul pleaded with the Lord to take away this thorn, however the reply remained the same and that is that God’s grace was sufficient for him during that time of wrestle and thus even though having the thorn, being part of his life, Paul needs it to remind himself that God’s power is made perfect through his weakness. It is his weakness that makes him painfully aware of the fact how much he is in need of a gracious God. His thorn has thus become a faith building mechanism, which will lead him to his knees, humbling himself in the presence of God when his ego takes hold over his life again. In realizing that Paul can have a reason to boast, because he becomes aware of God’s continues presence in his life and only the real object for his boasting is not self-centered anymore, but it has been replaced by a God centered attitude and thus he is focused on the One who really deserves it to be receiving the boasting, since it is Christ’s power which not only rests upon him, but that it is being revealed through him as well.
Dear Friends
In the light of this, let us embrace our weaknesses, let us befriend it and praise God when the fruit of embracing it is revealed as we familiarize ourselves with the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Let us acknowledge it, and people around us will see how much we need them to help us to remain firmly grounded in our faith, relationships and ultimately our lives.
Amen
2. QUOTE ON THE MONTH
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself” - George Bernard Shaw
I’ve recently seen a remark one someone’s facebook profile a statement which asks the question: Is there more to life than only work and socializing? And was alarmed by that simply because more and more people start to ask questions about life. This shows that within each person asking this question, the need to mean more to someone else becomes increasingly higher as we speak.
The increase in suicide, substance addiction and depression screams this reality into the outside world by those who struggle with this issue and very often the answer they get is find yourself and that they are suppose to do without help from people who gave these individuals this command. For many it is a struggle to do that, simply because they know what they want, they know what they are capable to contribute, but they fail to experience the help or willingness to have assistance in the process because they are left to do that on their own. Is that possible. The answer no, since a person in a crisis does not necessarily realize that he or she is in a crisis and for some it might be too late, since those who gave them this command are withholding vital information that could be useful for the individual. Every individual knows their strengths and weaknesses and as a result of that they venture on the “so-called” epic journey of self discovery and to their amazement they realize that doors are opening as a result of mind-set changes that occurs and thus their lives are taking its course which is new and exciting. Based on that, action is being taken and thus it shows to those individuals that change did happen, they just do not necessarily see it.
Finding oneself is a call to expand your knowledge, finding oneself means that you find your place within the world, which is based on your level of education (your passion), bringing them into dialogue with your gift’s and when this happen a chapter is on the verge of closing. I know a lot of people who already closed this chapter, but who struggles to create that world, because they lack the believe of others which they need to take hold of that reality while becoming creative at the same time. I also know people who got all the qualities to make it work, but fail as a result of fear to take the first steps. This can thus lead you back to the question, which set this all in motion: Is there more to life than work and socializing? And this brings you back to square one again and because of that George Bernard Shaw’s opening statement in our phrase becomes a good and honest statement because one comes to a point where finding yourself and your place in the world becomes totally irrelevant, since you have already exhausted that point.
In the process of creating oneself, one will experience highs and lows and those experiences serve for a totally different purpose. It serves in a cementing capacity even stretching your limits within that particular area and knowing how you would relate to the pressure of your choice will only become clear then, creating new strength’s and destroying negative thought patterns, which we came to believe during our “finding ourselves” period.
George Bernard Shaw with this statement shows that the challenge of life is thus finding balance, which is humanities ultimate desire and therefore by putting more emphasis on one aspect and not involving the other easily creates a situation where an individual finds it difficult to establish the desired balance, causing a person’s life to become unstable. In essence an unstable life is the result of an unbalanced life. This also shows how easy human beings can unstabilize one another and how it impacts dangerously on the life of an individual, and this happens through uttering something without careful consideration setting in motion a string of destructive events even though that was not meant to happen.
It thus shows how important it is to live in the truth, because it is in the truth even though painful where stability is created. Living the truth means that once its being challenged all information which could help seeing the whole picture can be provided without any hesitation and avoidance of the one who asks the questions. Without the truth and accountability, an unstable life becomes a searching life since it is a natural instinct of human beings to want to live in a stable and safe environment.
With Regards
Georg Kehrhahn
CEO: Kehrhahnministries
3. ESTABLISHING A YOUTH FRATERNAL
The youth across the world are faced with many challenges. This becomes clear as an increase in drug use become more apparent among even younger children daily. When a youth fraternal is established by specialized young men and women who can guide them by becoming “youth coaches” a small difference can be made. Kehrhahnministries being an ecumenical organization can make a difference by encouraging youth leaders from different denominations within a particular town or city to create programs which shows the youth that through community projects and volunteering a possible solution can be found to help our youth to get off the streets and away from drug dealers, thus protecting the vulnerable for the vultures who is only willing to pray on their victims. It also brings a solution especially when it comes to career choices and other youth related issues, especially where our youth are victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and child trafficking.
Not only does the youth create new community projects, but it serves as a link between NGO’s who is always in need of volunteers gaining life and work experience. A youth fraternal thus will become a safe haven for the youth to turn, while it promotes worshipping together, which is good for the formation of good Christian friends. Thus, through a well organized youth fraternal the following objectives are achievable:
- Life and Skills development
- Re-generation of our youth, by keeping them focused
- Leadership and Project management/training through assistance and counseling.
Through community service, it’s been reported; the youth had found their passion and interest, which even they themselves weren’t aware off. A youth fraternal could also serve as a concept of bridging generation gaps, bringing old and young to the discussion table to discuss issues which concerns us all. It has been reported from towns where these fraternals is in place that a major decline in substance abuse and other social evils of our time. It came under our attention that in Green Bay Wisconsin in the USA, an Assemblies of God congregation does wonderful work through youth café’s, where the youth can come together, playing games while enjoying coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages with a meal. Such initiatives needs financial assistance and since they serve the community, young people from all other denominations are benefitting as well, which creates a wonderful opportunity for other denominations to get involve. With a youth fraternal in place getting volunteers isn’t a problem, since there is a fair assumption which can be made that it is a place with activities for the youth runned by the fraternals own members. Youth fraternals therefore should work hand in hand with the pastor’s fraternal, who in return would help financially to keep such initiatives up and running.
The youth fraternal established within a particular town, needs to be aware of the challenges the youth are facing in that particular town and therefore what helps for the one fraternal might not work for another. Thus, every youth fraternal is therefore unique and it will therefore be helpful if fraternals in close towns meet with one another for brain storming sessions as well as sharing about programs etc. Kehrhahnministries representatives will be glad to assist in training where a representative is present and from an Executive position, we will be glad to answer questions, which you may have via our monthly newsletter publications. The starting criterion is as follows:
- Gathering youth representatives from different denominations
- Identify youth concerns locally
- Identify resources for the youth work and how it could be contributed towards the common aim of the fraternal.
God Bless your youth work!!!
Georg Kehrhahn
CEO: Kehrhahnministries
4. REQUEST FROM KEHRHAHNMINISTRIES EXECUTIVE: NIGERIAN PRAYER REQUEST
Kehrhahnministries has received a prayer request from a Nigerian Christian citizen in Jos, requesting prayer for the Christian persecution which is happening in that region of Nigeria.
Kehrhahnministries executive, thus request the individual to send us an update on what is currently happening in that region, which we can publish in our May edition of “Igniting Christ’s Compassion” newsletter. Please e-mail us that detailed update to us at:
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. , and we like you to know that your people are in our prayers. E-mail address is available with a direct link, when you click on the “Contact Us” icon.
We look forward to hear your story soon!! Some guidelines to report.
--Cause of the Christian persecution in Nigeria
--Nigerian Christian response up to this point
--Current situation in that region
With a prayerful heart!!
Kehrhahnministries executive
5. JAPAN RECENT EARTHQUAKE CATASTROPHES - KM EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
Kehrhahnministries executive would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the people of Japan for the recent earthquakes, which hit that nation. We hope that all cleaning, humanitarian and rebuilding is running smoothly and pray that the power of God’s light and love will fill the hearts of all the people in their dark hour of need.
It is for no nation a pleasant event and would like to thank the international community for their assistance and hard work in their relief program, that they have already implemented and is still doing. We call upon all humanitarian agencies who isn’t involve in the process to assist and get involve. Any relief worker in Japan or citizen is also requested to send us an update on the work, which is currently done as we would appreciate to hear about it from the people on the ground. This can be done through the following e-mail address if possible;
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. A link is also available on our website. Upon receiving the update it will be published in the May edition of our newsletter “Igniting Christ’s Compassion.”
Best wishes and with restoring hearts!!
Kehrhahnministries Executive
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