I ran across this testimony today on the 700 club of a good friend of mine; Pastor Bob Mazeroski...and I thought it was worth sharing. You can view the reports from when I ministered at his church in Wierton, W.V. by clicking the links below.
November 15, 2007
May 6, 2007
TESTIMONY OF PASTOR BOB MAZEROSKI
I have just returned from another wonderful harvest in Nigeria. I finally have an internet connection so I am posting reports now for each of the previous crusade days as well as a video from Sunday night when the Holy Spirit fell.
What was so extraordinary about this crusade to me, was the number of lame people that were healed. More cripples walked, by far, then any other miracle we heard about. I don't understand how these things work, but what is for certain is that IT WORKS!
Now Im looking forward to spending the Holidays with my family before heading out once more to Korea and then Nigeria again in January.
Enjoy!
Today was the final meeting in Okitipupa. 225,000 people attended the finale. Daniel Kolenda preached the Word with authority and another mighty harvest of souls was brought in. Then the Holy Spirit fell in upon the hungry crowd filling them with power from on high. As the roar of new tongues went up a deaf man testified later that he suddenly received his hearing. This was the first of many miracles to come and it was obvious that God was at work in a mighty way. 
Who of us had heard the name Okitipupa before? Hardly anybody. But Jesus is a seeker and a determined Savior! He has invested everything in the work of salvation and said to us "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature!" If we do, the blessing and approval of God is guaranteed. We move along with Him in His greatest purpose and share as He does His saving work.
Yours forever in Him,
Evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke
With the whole CfaN Crusade-Team.
*Click Here: To link to this article on the CfaN website*
This morning the Fire Conference came to a climax with a glorious outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 25,000 delegates attended and were not disappointed. The fire of God truly fell. It is for today! Some people sigh and wish they were back in the days of the early Church, but it was neither the days nor the men which made the time special. It was the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Without it, the disciples would probably have gone back to being fishermen in Galilee and grown old telling tales of strange events when they were young. Instead, they changed the world. Tonight we had the proof that this baptism is also for today and that our generation will be saved as well.
The crowd grew to 175,000 tonight, but what God did was most wonderful. Daniel Kolenda preached the Word of God and gave a massive altar call. Then the prayer for the sick followed and so many lame people were healed. One after another they threw their crutches away and walked. The crowd spontaneously burst into praise when another crutch would go up in the air. It is clear that Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever.
Yours forever in Him,
Evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke
With the whole CfaN Crusade-Team.
*Click Here: To link to this article on the CfaN webpage*
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk
Tonight's attendance rose to 150,000. Okitipupa is gripped by the
life-giving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Evangelist Daniel Kolenda passionately preached from Luke 19 on Zacchaeus, where the truths of forgiveness and restitution merge. The huge crowd was deeply moved.
No matter what, truth remains truth and the Lord says, "Give me your heart," not your opinion. Jesus is the truth; He cannot be a controversy. We cannot judge truth; it judges us. It is a fact beyond debate. We expect many thieves to return stolen goods to their rightful owners.
Please pray for the conclusion of the Fire Conference tomorrow. We expect a mighty "firefall" with glorious long-term results. And please, help us to pray for the finance to pay the bills for this very crusade here in Okitipupa.
Yours forever in Him,
Evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke
With the whole CfaN Crusade-Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk
*Click Here: To link to this article on the CfaN webpage*
On the way to tonight's meeting, we sat in a traffic jam caused by all the movement towards the crusade grounds. it seemed as if the whole city was coming. The crowd doubled in size from last night and the stream of people flowing onto the field seemed almost endless. It is clear that we have extraordinary traction here in Okitipupa.
The people listened to the preaching of the Gospel with great intensity and responded with vibrant enthusiasm calling upon the name of Jesus for salvation with all of their hearts. I know many thousands of people were truly born again tonight.
The miracles followed; On young lady suffering from Sickle Cell, was brought to the crusade from the hospital by her mother. When she arrived she was unable to walk. But during the prayer, she received her miracle and walked up on the platform to testify! Another man came to the meeting on crutches, but after the prayer for the sick, threw his crutches away and demonstrated his healing to the delight of the crowd.
Today was also the beginning of the FIRE conference which continues tomorrow and concludes on Saturday.
Yours for the Gospel,
Evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke
With the whole CfaN Crusade-Team.
*Click Here: To link to this article on CfaN's website*
We have returned just moments ago from the opening service of the Gospel Crusade here in Okitipupa, Nigeria. Here, in this extremely remote place, many thousands gathered to hear the Gospel message and to witness the demonstration of its power firsthand. Evangelist Bonnke preached on the blood of Jesus and a massive outpouring of salvation followed. He then broke the curses over the land calling them out by name and the people responded with shouts of joy. After the altar call, Evangelist Bonnke prayed for the sick and by the stripes of Jesus the many were healed.
Tonight we have seen, once again, the utter predictability of the preached Gospel. There is no question; "...In my name they SHALL cast out devils, they SHALL speak with new tongues...they shall lay hands on the sick and they SHALL recover." "Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord SHALL be saved." etc. It is not a lottery and there is no rationing. It is guaranteed and freely available to whosoever will.
Tonight was the first fruits of a rich harvest that will continue through Sunday night and beyond. Please continue to lift up our whole team and the land of Okitipupa in your prayers.
Yours for the Gospel,
Evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke
With the whole CfaN Crusade-Team.
* Click Here: To link to this article on the CfaN website*
(By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear Mission Partners,
Today we arrived in Okitipupa/Nigeria in Ondo State. It was a six hour drive by road through costal regions from the city of Lagos. The Governor of Ondo, HE Chief Olusegun Agagu received and welcomed us in his office and assured us of the government’s total support.
In Okitipupa we made a Courtesy Call on the Traditional Ruler, His Royal Majesty, Oba George Babatunde Faduyile Adengun II, The Abidi of Ikale Land, and then met the crowds lining the streets. Overwhelming joy everywhere. Evangelist Daniel Kolenda and I had all hands full to wave and greet the people through the sun-roofs of our SUVs.
Everything is ready for tomorrow. Please pray that this whole state may come to Jesus and see the salvation of the Lord. JESUS saves! What could ignorance of the Gospel do for people? To know Christ and the power of His resurrection life could change their trivialized and smothered existences. Without the resurrection it’s all Good Fridays, but praise the Lord “Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph over His foes...” JESUS IS ALIVE.
Yours forever in Him,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda
With the whole CfaN Crusade-Team.
*Click Here: To link to this article on the CfaN website
I am in Frankfurt Germany now preparing to board a plane for Nigeria. The Crusade in Okitipupa will start on Tuesday. You may have heard on the news about the violence that has broken out in Jos, Nigeria several days ago. CLICK HERE to read the article. Please keep our team in your prayers and check back for regular updates.
This morning I will be flying to Germany for a couple of days and then on to Nigeria for another Great Gospel Crusade. I was blessed to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family on Monday, and now I am looking forward to the next glorious harvest. In a few days hundreds of thousands of new names will be written in the Lamb's Book of Life...that is something to rejoice about!
I noticed this year that many businesses were advertising today as "Turkey Day." The fist time I noticed this, it was on the sign for a business that said "Happy Turkey Day." I must admit I was a bit incensed. "How dare they try to remove the giving of thankfulness to God and replace it with a tribute to turkey!" Then in the midst of my righteous steaming it suddenly struck me...how often have I been more interested in the food and the friends and the football and forgotten to remember the faithfulness of God and give thanks to Him myself.
Ephesians 5:19, 20 says, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Today as every day, let us make it a point to remember the Lord and cultivate a heart of thanksgiving "For His mercy endures forever!"
My love to each of you and your families today. I am thankful for all of you! Please remember me in your prayers as I go into the harvest fields once again.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!
I want to let everyone know that on December 13, 2008 Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke will be in Tampa, Florida for an Impartation Breakfast. This is a unique opportunity to hear Evangelist Bonnke in an intimate setting and be prayed for by him personally. There will also be an opportunity to meet him and get a book signed, picture taken, etc. DON'T MISS IT!! Breakfast is included in the registration fee. To register NOW CLICK HERE
I have just returned home...very happy to see my family and rejoicing over the glorious harvest that took place in Ikot Ekpene over the last week. In spite of the rainforest-like weather conditions encountered in this Delta region of Nigeria, the crowd topped 400,000 in a single service! Below is a video shot by one of the tech team guys with his little personal camera. It will give you a glimpse into what it was like setting up the equipment on the muddy field. They literally pitched the platform where the trucks got stuck.
On the fourth night I preached about restitution. I told the people to return things that they had stolen and if they didn't know from whom they had stolen it, they could bring it to our team anonymously and we would give it to the police. The next night, the pile of stolen belongings was a big as the SUV they were stacked next to...a testament to the life changing dynamic that is inherent to the Gospel message. It is not simply a philosophy or even a doctrine and we dare not reduce it to mere cognitive ascent to the statutory definition of salvation. It is not embodied in a collection of words or ideas...but in a demonstration of real-life power. It is Zaccheaus returning 4 times as much to everyone whom he had cheated. It is the adulterous woman being rescued from execution. It is the demoniac of Gadara clothed and in his right mind. it is the cripples walking and the deaf hearing and the blind seeing and the dead living. Jesus said that his mission was to destroy the works of the Devil - that's the Gospel!
The final service was cut short by the rain, but not before I had managed to finish the message and altar call. Once again, an entire region has been impacted - one known for kidnappings, bloodshed and all sorts of crime. Tonight, I believe Ikot Ekpene and the surrounding region is a different place from the one we drove into one week ago today. Praise the Lord!
(P.S. even as I write this, one of todays headlines says that some of the hostages that were being held in this Delta region have just been returned.)
The video below is rough pan of the crowd on the final night of meetings with 400,000+ in attendance.
(By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear Mission - Partners,
We have just returned to the hotel from the last meeting of this glorious Gospel Crusade in Ikot Ekpene/Nigeria. Tonight 400,000 people attended the service. Although it rained in the meeting, Evangelist Kolenda again preached the Word of God with powerful results. 
The older I get the greater the wonder and blessings of our salvation become to me. When Jesus told Mary and Joseph, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Lk 2:49 NKJV), he was talking about the business of salvation. It was the Father’s business for the Son to be born and for salvation to be his immediate and direct business. He came to earth to be our Savior. He was the Word that spoke at Creation, but for salvation the Word came personally to us. His coming was life-long, a sustained sacrifice climaxing in the most horrible death. That was love in its most ultimate form. This Jesus is among us by the Holy Spirit.
Also: tonight great multitudes were baptized into the Holy Spirit and with fire – and many miracles of healing followed. It is salvation for the whole man, spirit, soul and body, spiritually, physically and mentally. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and contribution which made this crusade possible. And may I be so bold to remind you that we still need the finances for the next crusade which is to start in about 2 weeks time? Thank you for your commitment and love for the harvest of eternal souls.
Yours forever in Jesus Christ,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk
(By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear Mission - Partners,
Today the crowd reached the mark of 300,000 people – so many! I wished you could have been here in person. It’s not really the number that thrills us so much, but what God is doing on such a great scale! It is mind-boggling. Again the Gospel was declared with authority. Tonight’s theme was RESTITUTION, a powerful and necessary truth. The Holy Spirit moved in and touched every heart. 
You know, the message is not measured by the messenger. Its wisdom is not the wisdom of the person who brings it; it is the wisdom of God. We may go about the task in fear and trembling like Paul in Corinth, but the Word is a hammer that shatters the rock. Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.” Whoever hears the Word of God and speaks it is a bastion of the truth. Moses was not convinced that the Israelites would listen to his word, let alone do what he said, but in the end even the mighty Red Sea reacted to his voice and the waters fled when he spoke with God’s authority. The Gospel has the same word-quality, glory to God.
The final meeting of the Fire Conference was also a great breakthrough. The Holy Spirit fell with power. Thank you for all your prayers and all help. THIS HARVEST MUST AND WILL CONTINUE – in the name of Jesus.
Yours as God’s reapers,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk.
We have just returned from another wonderful crusade tonight. The response of the people was overwhelming and full of faith. What a privilege it is to preach the Gospel to such hungry people. Below is Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke's report from tonight:
(By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear Mission - Partners,
Although it was a very rainy day today (I’ve never seen such horrendous downpours), in the evening the crowd jumped to 250,000. The Word of God was powerfully and clearly proclaimed – with innumerable salvations. What an honor to preach to such a vast and open-hearted congregation. Next Jesus stepped in as the Healer of the sick, releasing each time mighty salvoes of joy from the crowd. The blind saw and the cripples walked just as in the days of the New Testament.
Yes, the impossible happens when God is around. It is His hallmark. Creation itself began when He passed by. Job speaks of the universe as ‘but the outer fringe of His works’, or ‘the skirts of His ways’ like a track left by walking on the wet grass. So it was with Jesus. You could tell when He had passed through a Jewish village. There were no sick people left! Where He is there’s no problem about walking the waves, raising the dead, or feeding five thousand with a boy’s packed lunch. It just happens. The elements bend to His will. ‘He makes ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love the Lord.’ One thing is undeniable: Tonight Jesus was in the crowd, hallelujah!
Tomorrow the Fire Conference comes to a climax. The Holy Spirit will fall! We are rejoicing! Please pray for dry weather – and also for the finance still urgently needed for the next Gospel Crusade, which is to start the first week of next month. Our eyes are on Jesus, the Lord of the Harvest.
Yours as God’s reapers,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk
We have just returned from the second evening of services here in Ikot Ekpene. As we drove to the crusade ground we could see that it would be a challenging night...the rain was falling and the people were huddling together wherever they could find shelter. When we arrived the crowd was quite disappointingly small. Yet we pressed on. When I took the microphone, I was determined to preach as though there were a million people there. Half way into my message the field was quite full and thousands of people continued streaming in throughout. In the end there was a glorious harvest and I am sure that the Gospel message landed in the hearts of the people who received it with great joy!
Here is Evangelist Bonnke's report from tonight's meeting.
(By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear Mission - Partners,
This is day number two here in Ikot Ekpene/Nigeria, but we drove to the crusade-ground while it was raining. Still the crowd reached 140,000 people in eager anticipation of the preached and demonstrated Gospel. They were not disappointed. Daniel Kolenda ministered tonight with great authority and brought in another wonderful harvest of souls. Many miracles of healing followed simply because Jesus is forever the same.
This morning the Fire Conference commenced. We teach and preach for God’s men and women to understand and receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in connection with the Great Commission. The Holy Spirit is not an extra. Nor is the Spirit an occasional presence, nor even an item in the creed. He is the all-essential, and only intended means by which the Church can live or move or be what it is supposed to be. Many will agree with that statement but then relegate the Holy Spirit to a mystical area moving unperceived, neither felt nor shown. Yet, if we want the Holy Spirit He must be the Holy Spirit described in the Bible: the wind of heaven, the tongues of fire, God in manifestation. There is no other kind of Holy Spirit. These Fire Conferences often have a greater impact than the actual crusades, because they compound the multiples and develop extended explosive thrusts in the harvest of souls.
Yours for a lost world to be saved,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk
Here is the report from Evangelist Bonnke from tonight’s service along with some pictures:
(By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear CfaN - Partners,
The first crusade-meeting today drew 125,000 people – and it was an excellent start. I preached my heart out – and the Lord gave a mighty harvest of souls, as well as glorious healing-miracles…like the 12 year old boy who couldn’t speak from birth. When he repeated every word loud and clear, the crowd went wild (please see picture). What a mighty God we serve! Tonight was a night of truly great deliverance from sin and Satan. Salvation flowed like a river when repentant souls called on the name of the Lord Jesus. It touched us deeply.
When God forgives sin, He forgives the madness of trying to do without Him. He saves us from ourselves, our suicidal, lemur-like independence. It is also a personal affront to Him. Sin is rebellion. It was summed up by the mob when Pilate offered Christ to the crowd. They screamed ‘We will not have this man to rule over us.’ It was spiritual UDI, a Unilateral Declaration of Independence. We were never designed to carry on solo. Our nature was not designed that way, but that we should ‘live and move and have our being’ in God who made us. Without Him, we cut ourselves off from the source of our existence. The acceptance of the Gospel changes all that, and that happened tonight a hundred thousand times!
Tomorrow morning the Fire Conference starts and the evening meeting will be another mighty highlight in Akwa Ibom State here in Nigeria. Please keep praying for all of us over here.
Yours for Africa to be saved,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk: Tonight’s attentive crowd, and the dumb-born boy who received perfect speech.
Please visit our websites at http://www.cfan.org
Here is the report from Evangelist Bonnke from tonight’s service along with some pictures:
(By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear CfaN - Partners,
The first crusade-meeting today drew 125,000 people – and it was an excellent start. I preached my heart out – and the Lord gave a mighty harvest of souls, as well as glorious healing-miracles….like the 12 year old boy who couldn’t speak from birth. When he repeated every word loud and clear, the crowd went wild (please see picture). What a mighty God we serve. Tonight was a night of truly great deliverance from sin and Satan. Salvation flowed like a river when repentant souls called on the name of the Lord Jesus. It touched us deeply.
When God forgives sin, He forgives the madness of trying to do without Him. He saves us from ourselves, our suicidal, lemur-like independence. It is also a personal affront to Him. Sin is rebellion. It was summed up by the mob when Pilate offered Christ to the crowd. They screamed ‘We will not have this man to rule over us’. It was spiritual UDI, a Unilateral Declaration of Independence. We were never designed to carry on solo. Our nature was not designed that way, but that we should ‘live and move and have our being’ in God who made us. Without Him we cut ourselves off from the source of our existence. The acceptance of the Gospel changes all that, and that happened tonight a hundred thousand times!
Tomorrow morning the Fire Conference starts and the evening meeting will be another mighty highlight in Akwa Ibom State here in Nigeria. Please keep praying for all of us over here.
Yours for Africa to be saved,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk: Tonight’s attentive crowd, and the dumb-born boy who received perfect speech.
Please visit our websites at http://www.cfan.org
I just received this message by email from my good friend, Pastor Russell Benson who pastors our Covenant Community Fellowship church in Indiana. It is about the elections yesterday and I thought it worth posting. Our hope is in the Lord
(By Pastor Russell Benson)
As I write this, Sen. Barack Obama is being declared the winner of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. We have heard that this was the most historic and important presidential election of our time. Whether it was the most important election or not, one thing is for sure, it certainly will have a profound effect on the future of our nation!
I know many of you reading this are disappointed at the results of the election. The decision that America has made can potentially have a deep and profound effect on issues like the sanctity of marriage, freedom of religion, abortion, and many other issues that we as Christians are so concerned about. It is easy to get discouraged about the future of our nation. What will happen? How about the Supreme Court? Abortion, etc…
I feel impressed at this time to direct us to the true Hope, the true answer. There is only one hope for our nation and he is not the president of the United States. We know as Christians that our hope is in the LORD. We should not expect to have any real hope outside the Lord Jesus Christ. The answers for America do not lie in Washington or in a political party. The only hope for America and the entire world is Jesus Christ.
Scripture tells us that it is Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Despite the political speeches, it is the church that is the city shining on a hill, not Washington D.C. The church is called the Salt of the earth. We hold the answers for this nation and this world. We must remind ourselves in this time that no matter what comes our way, no matter what is ahead, we can stand strong in faith. We do not need to let up or waver despite the darkness of the situation.
We will not be shaken and we will not be moved. Now is the time for the church of Jesus Christ to stand stronger than ever. We must stand for righteousness and holiness no matter what comes our way. We cannot be surprised when the majority of people around us reject holiness and reject the ways of the Lord. We cannot be surprised when they embrace a culture of death. We are not to be taken off guard, but we will be motivated even more to pray, even more to stand out in the darkness. We will let our light shine in a dark world, we must! Friend, we must shine in the darkness.
Church, we are not to be shaken but we are to understand the times and seasons we are in. We are to discern what the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to the Church of Jesus Christ. Now it is time to get our marching orders and press forward. The body of Christ must prepare for what is ahead for us. We must be the voice crying in the wilderness Prepare the way of the Lord. It is not the church that is a reflection of the world, but the world is a reflection of the church. This is why judgment begins in the house of the Lord. We must be the church, God has called us to be and in turn America will be effected by the church. In these sober and prophetic times, now is the time for the church of Jesus Christ to rise up in true holiness, Holy Spirit power, and boldness. Get ready, now is our time to shine!
Russell K. Benson
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld
Today we arrived in Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria and I am SO happy to have internet access this time! It was a long day that began a 4 am and just finished at 10 pm! It included a procession into the city, courtesy calls on three government officials (including the governor and the King) and a pastors banquet. We are now settled in and ready in our spirits for the kick off tomorrow evening! Please continue to remember us in your prayers.
Below is Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke's report from today along with some pictures that he sent out a few minutes ago. You will notice that the last picture is of the crowds teaming around our vehicle as it drove into the city. I have included a video of the crazy view from INSIDE the vehicle:-)
Enjoy!
(From Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke)
Dear CfaN - Partners,
Today we arrived in IKOT EKPENNE, Akwa Ibom State/Nigeria. The Governor received us in the Council Chamber of the State together with his cabinet and gave us a very hearty welcome. “For this week I am handing our State over to you, Rev. Bonnke. Do what God has told you to do. We thank God you came and welcome you,” he said. Again the streets were lined with people rejoicing and shouting praises to the Lord. We rejoice with them, together with you.
What an honor to be an ambassador for Christ. We will continue to preach the Gospel with all that is within us. Jesus has given us power over all the tricks of the enemy. Our task is not mere demon hunting, miracle mongering and playing games. The church is not a show business. Demons must indeed be cast out and miracles do take place, but as Kingdom people we challenge the world’s forces of unbelief and godlessness, darkness and wickedness. We, mere mortals, make up God’s squads of troops, his men at arms, his answer, his Kingdom ambassadors, crying, “Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Please pray for us. We are in an area in Nigeria which is known for kidnapping and extortion. Police and army have been beefed up for our safety - but we rely on the angel of the Lord who camps around those who fear the Lord.
Tomorrow will be the first day of the crusade! Thank you for your love and support. Your sacrificial giving is making this harvest possible.
Yours for Africa to be saved,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk: In the State Council Chamber of Uyo, the State Capital, and some of the welcome crowd along the road in Ikot Ekpene.
Here is the view from INSIDE THE CAR!
"The Devil is so much more earnest than we are. He buys up the opportunity while we are wondering how much it will cost."
-Amy Charmical
Ephesians 5:16 (Amplified): "Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil."
When my son, Elijah, was 3 years old, he visited his grandparent's church one day during the week. They were walking through the empty sanctuary and when he saw the pulpit, he asked if he could preach. He climbed up the steps to the platform, took the mic and told his Grandma and Grandpa to sit down. Then he began to preach his first sermon. His entire message was unintelligible except for 5 words; "There's a price to pay." Im not sure where he got that from, but when I heard about it I thought, "that will preach".
Yes, there is a price to pay for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus has redeemed us to redeem the time...not to sing songs on padded pews in climate controlled churches while the world burns. There is indeed a price to be paid and even if it would cost us everything, that price would still pale in comparison to what is at stake if we don't buy up the opportunity before us. That is why we spend. That is why we go. That is why we risk. For the sake of His eternal Kingdom.
Ill be in Africa in a few hours!
Please keep us in your prayers once again as I head off to Nigeria for the next crusade which will be taking place between the 5th and the 9th (Wed-Sun) of next week.
The village we are going to is called Ikot Ekpene in the Delta region...known for kidnappings and violence, but we are trusting that the Lord will go before us and grant a mighty harvest of souls.
Below is an news update I received several days ago:
Bonnke’s visit: A’Ibom police beef up security
• Tuesday, Oct 28, 2008
The Akwa Ibom Police Command said that it was beefing up security, ahead of next month’s crusade by the international preacher, Evang. Reinhard Bonnke. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Gab Ngban, who said this in Uyo, stated the command’s concern about security with the eagerness of the people for the visit. Our correspondent recalls that militants abducted an expatriate staff of Julius Berger Construction Company last week at Abak, near Uyo. However, Ngban assured that the police would ensure that no incident of kidnapping would occur during the four-day gospel campaign, scheduled to begin at Ikot Ekpene on November 5, 2008. Our correspondent also reports that Bonnke is the founder of Christ For All Nations(CFAN), an international evangelical ministry with headquarters in Frankfurt. Meanwhile, the central planning committee for CFAN, Ikot Ekpene, said at a press conference, that it had constituted several sub committees to take charge of the events. The committee’s chairman, Rev. Innocent Otuk, told journalists that no fewer than 500,000 people were being expected to attend the crusade. (www.thetidenews.com)
As London was being born yesterday this song was playing (click audio player above) by Christ for the Nations (on their Glorious album...which I highly recommend). The words:
Look at the way the flowers bloom for you
They want to show you their beauty Lord...
Running waters dance,
You and I romance
Unto You be all the glory...
I heard the words of David in Psalms 139:14 We are fearfully and wonderfully made and Psalm 19:1-6 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun. Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof”.
All of creation from the birth of a newborn baby to the most gigantic galaxy declares God's glory. The moment that a newborn begins to cry a rush of awe comes over everyone in the room. The genius of the design and creativity of this feat of biological engineering is obvious and dumbfounding. In the baby's cry we hear the most convincing apologetic argument of all for a God that is not only existent, but good and wise. In everything around us we see and hear and touch and taste the glory of God. UNTO YOU BE ALL THE GLORY!
I AM ONE PROUD DADDY! Tonight my 3rd child (and second son) was born. London Sky Kolenda came into the world at 10:15 PM. He is a big boy weighing 8ibs 10oz and measuring 22 1/2 inches. Rebekah's labor was extremely smooth and easy...an answer to prayer. We are rejoicing and looking forward to getting to know our new little friend. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and love. 
John 3:16 is perhaps the most well known verse in all the Bible...and rightly so. I am not tired of it...I wish the whole world knew it by heart. It captures the endless wealth of the entire Gospel message in one verse. I have been meditating on just the first statement of that verse today and what inexhaustible riches are there. “For God so loved the world that He gave...” To say, “I love you” is one thing. But to express love through tangible transaction...that is another thing altogether. Love is a matter of action and not words alone. When a man proposes to a woman who he wants to marry, he bends his knee and holds out a diamond ring as a gift. He has said, “I love you” a thousand times before, but this time is like no other. No longer is it simply spoken words, now it is accompanied by a gift that is representative of his very life. Until the gift of life is given, true love has not been fully expressed.
A story is told of a young Catholic, German girl whose father was a printer. He was printing the German Bible that had just been translated by Luther against the will of the Catholic church. One day his young daughter found a scrap of paper that had fallen to the floor in the cutting room. The paper contain words from John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave...” but the rest of the verse was missing. She was intrigued by this statement. She read it to herself over and over, “God so loved the world that He gave.” She liked it so much that she kept it close to her heart and read it every day. She was raised to know that God was just, and Holy, that He hates sin and is angry with the sinner, but she had never read that God loved her so much that He gave...although she did not know what exactly He had given. This revelation brought such joy to her heart that she was singing, and her mother noticing the happy little girl asked, “What is the matter with you?” “Oh mother it is wonderful,” she said, pulling out the little sliver of paper. “Read what it says...‘God so loved the world that He gave.'” “Gave what?” her mother asked. “I don't know, but if He loved me enough that He gave anything at all, I will never be afraid of Him again.”
John says that God loved the world so much that He gave. But what was His gift? A diamond? A kingdom? A planet? A universe? no...so much more. Something priceless and beyond imagination. He gave His Son. And not one of many, but the only one that He had. If you think this was an easy sacrifice think again. God gives us a glimpse into His own pain in the story of Abraham and Isaac. A.W. Tozer describes the scene: “‘Take now thy son,' said God to Abraham, ‘thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.' (Gen 22:2) The sacred writer spares us a close-up of the agony that night on the slopes near Beersheba when the aged man had it out with his God, but respectful imagination may view in awe the bent form and convulsive wrestling alone under the stars. Possibly not again until a Greater than Abraham wrestled in the Garden of Gethsemane did such mortal pain visit a human soul. If only the man himself might have been allowed to die. That would have been easier a thousand times, for he was old now, and to die would have been no great ordeal for one who had walked so long with God. Besides, it would have been a last sweet pleasure to let his dimming vision rest upon the figure of his stalwart son who would live to carry on the Abrahamic line and fulfill in himself the promises of God made long before in Ur of the Chaldees. How should he slay the lad! Even if he could get the consent of his wounded and protesting heart, how could he reconcile the act with the promise, ‘In Isaac shall thy seed be called'? This was Abraham's trial by fire, and he did not fail in the crucible. While the stars still shone like sharp white points above the tent where the sleeping Isaac lay, and long before the gray dawn had begun to lighten the east, the old saint had made up his mind. He would offer his son as God had directed him to do, and then trust God to raise him from the dead...”
Oh, the agony that must have pierced the heart of God to see His only Son whom He loved so much bleeding and dying between two criminals on Calvary! God rescued Abraham’s Son, but He did not spare His own. He loved so much that He gave.
The biography of D.L. Moody tells of how his life was changed by a revelation of the Love of God. He had invited a young “beardless” preacher come and preach in Chicago. He lacked confidence in the young man’s preaching skill, and since he was going out of town, he told the officers of his church, “There is a man coming here Thursday and Friday who wants to preach. I don’t know whether he can or not. You had better let him try and I will be back on Saturday.” When he returned home, he asked his wife, “How is that young Irishman coming along? How do the people like him?”
“They like him very much”
“Did you hear him?”
“Yes.”
“Did you like him?”
"Yes, very much. He has preached two sermons from John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,' and I think you will like him, although he preaches a little different from what you do.”
“How is that?”
“Well, he tells sinners God loves them.”
“Well,” said I, “He is wrong.”
In spite of his disagreement with that young preacher’s views, he went that night to the church to hear Mr. Moorhouse.
“‘My friends’ began Moorehouse, ‘if you will turn to the third chapter of John and the sixteenth verse, you will find my text.’” For seven nights in a row Moorehouse preached out of the same text. Finally on the seventh night he stood again in the same pulpit and said, “My friends for a whole week I have been trying to tell you how much God loves you, but I cannot do it with this poor stammering tongue. If I could borrow Jacob’s ladder and climb up ito heaven, and ask Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Almighty, if he could tell me how much love the Father has for the world, all he could say would be: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”
Moody had a revelation of the love of God. “I used to preach that God was behind the sinner with a double-edged sword, ready to hew him down. I preach now that God is behind the sinner with love, and that he is running away from the love of God.” Moody said that he found that the love of God was “irresistible.”
You might think that to be an evangelist is a boring job. Preaching the Gospel over and over would seem to be a mundane assignment. But I have discovered that the more I preach it, the more I see it, and the more addicted I become to its beauty. It is the love story of all love stories. It is a story that has captured the human heart for 2,000 years in an unprecedented way. Napoleon said, “...Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions will die for Him....Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others to satisfy; He asks for that which a philosopher may seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself. He demands it unconditionally; and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful! In defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable, supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is accountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man's creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength nor put a limit to its range. This is it, which strikes me most; I have often thought of it. This is which proves to me quite convincingly the Divinity of Jesus Christ”.
Fredrick Lehman wrote, “Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made. Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade, to paint the love of God above, would drain the oceans dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole through stretched from sky to sky.” It is this love that makes the Gospel so irresistible. I don't understand why anyone would not want it!
I met a young Indian man at one crusade who had been born into a Hindu family, but had become a Christian in the face of great opposition. He told me that the Hindu gods would take from those who worshipped them, but he decided to become a Christian when he realized that Jesus had come to give. What a difference! Other religions and their gods take. Our God, loved us so much that he gave. Jesus...the tangible expression of God’s love; this thought moves me. “Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so Divine demands my soul, my life, my all.” (Sir Issac Watts)
I have just returned from Nsukka, Nigera a few hours ago (where the clips in the video above are from) where we were overwhelmed, once again, by the goodness of the Lord as multitudes were saved delivered and healed. The final count of the decision cards indicates that 1,109,900 people received Jesus as their savior during the 5 days of meetings which were attended by over 1.5 million people. During these meetings I preached the Gospel in 3 of the evening services and 2 of the FIRE conference meetings which were also very well attended.
Below is a video pan of the vast crowd as I was preaching in the 4th evening meeting.
Since I did not have internet access on this trip I was unable to post the pictures as they happened. I am now posting the reports that went out from Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke each evening after the crusade. Once I receive the pictures from the photographer, I will post more plus more healing testimonies.
DAY ONE
We just returned from the first crusade-meeting here at Nsukka. 125,000 attended on the university-field. God’s power simply came down. It was such an honor and also pleasure to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A huge number of people received salvation and many notable miracles happened: cripples walked and blind eyes opened! Have a look at the attached pictures – you will be blessed!
DAY TWO
Dear Partners in the Harvest,
Tonight the crowd grew to 280,000 people, which is more than double last night’s. Evangelist Daniel Kolenda ministered the gospel with great authority and fantastic results! I am proud of my young colleague.
But something happened the night before I have never seen in my entire ministry: Mrs. Regina Attah came with her 3 children Umeka (12), Chinwendu (10) and their brother Chukwudi (7) to the meeting – all three children totally blind; Umeka for 8 years,Chinwendu for 2 years and litte Chukwudi for 1 year. When I prayed for blind eyes to open in the name of Jesus, all three children received perfect sight at the same moment, “at the twinkling of an eye”, so to speak! It is almost not to be believed, but everything was checked out with great care. Please have a look at the attached picture taken by Oleksandr Volyk. The crowd went wild for joy. We will report more details of this glorious miracle later.
DAY THREE
Dear Partners in the Harvest,
It rained tonight, but the crowd still grew to 300,000. The Gospel was boldly proclaimed and a rich harvest of souls reaped! Since so many sinners find salvation, there must be great joy in heaven. Many miracles followed the prayer for healing for the sick, like a little boy of 7 years old, deaf and dumb from birth, completely healed. Remember last night’s testimony of the Attah-family with three totally blind children who all received perfect sight at the same moment? We followed this story up and went to their village… It is absolutely true and glorious what Jesus has done and everything is completely confirmed.
Jesus “was moved with compassion when He saw the multitude…” the Bible says, and He still is until today. What an expression of love. Mount Calvary was the volcano-heart of God. I thank the Lord that He is not an extinct volcano and did not burn out there and exhaust His love in one supreme effort. Calvary fire is still as fresh as ever, eternal and inexhaustible. In our eyes, Calvary was the high peak of Divine love; we cannot point to any greater act. “Greater love has no man than this.”
The Fire Conference attendance by church-workers reached 35,000 and had tremendous impact today. It will be concluded tomorrow. We believe in a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as the Lord has promised.
Yours for Africa to be saved,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures: Tonight’s crowd and the deaf and dumb boy healed with his father. Also: parents and children of the 3 who got healed from blindness the day before. First row from right to left (with badges).
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk 
DAY FOUR
Dear Partners in the Harvest,
Today 400,000 gathered on the University Ground at Nsukka/Nigeria for the CfaN Gospel Crusade (see attached picture). I really wonder myself were they all came from, because Nsukka is a relatively small town. Daniel Kolenda preached again and did very well. The love and grace of God for the salvation of the lost was overwhelming. We truly serve a mighty God. We are evangelists and want to be true to this calling and the Lord of the Harvest. Christ died for us. That event was a cosmic explosion of love and goodness, shattering the rock-solid walls and iron gates of every bondage that ever tyrannized humankind.
A check for a billion dollars would seem nothing when crammed into a pocket, but it opens vast possibilities to the payee. That Good Friday-act of redemption in the darkness of the Cross changed everything: Jesus the Carpenter from Nazareth turned the wood of his cross into the door of heaven. Only Jesus saves because only Jesus died to be able to offer what he offers. Nobody else stands where he stands – glory to God!
Speaking again of tonight, a flood of miracles moved in, confirming the preached Word of God mightily.
This morning the Fire Conference had its climax in a massive Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 45,000 delegates crammed into that small stadium (see attached picture). Wow, it was awesome! I am absolutely sure that God laid the foundation for very many future-ministers and future-Gospel-ministries.
Tomorrow is the last day, and we expect even greater things. Please continue to pray for us – and especially for the finances so that we can continue with this glorious harvest of souls.
Yours forever in Jesus,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
Pictures by Oleksandr Volyk 
Fire Conference
DAY FIVE
Dear Partners in the Harvest,
Nsukka: We just returned from the final meeting, where 425,000 people had tonight gathered to hear the Word of God. It is amazing, that during this whole event over 1,500,000 people attended. Our counselors are still counting the completed Decision Cards, but it will be a terrific number. The churches have braced themselves for the influx of new converts – we are sure that nothing will be the same as it was in Nsukka-Land. Have a look at the crowd-picture of tonight. I am sending only one photo today so that you may see the “full blast” of what the Lord has done. We truly serve a mighty God.
We also prayed for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit tonight, and the fire of God fell wholesale. Then followed the prayer for the sick and miracles upon miracles took place. Healing proves that long ago the work was done, by the mighty act of God in Christ. To give us his Son was greater than making the stars. It was the greatest act of a God who performs the impossible. To suggest that he could not or would not heal a sickness is ludicrous. A mountain in labor does not bring forth a mouse, and Mount Calvary did not bring forth a minor effect; God’s labor produces more than words, or a text book doctrine; it produces power, hope, forgiveness, and healing.
Thank you again for all your prayer and help to bring about this event. The harvest shall continue next month in Ikot Ekpenne/Nigeria – please help us to pray for the rest of the needed finance.
Yours for hell to be empty and heaven full,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda,
together with the whole CfaN Team.
As many of you know, in addition to evangelism, I have been involved in church planting initiatives for several years. Three wonderful churches have been planted as a result. This past weekend I traveled to New Albany, Indiana (just outside the city limits of Louisville KY) to minister in one of those churches...Covenant Community Fellowship.
Even though the church is only a few months old, the Lord has blessed them with an incredible facility, a highly anointed (and talented) ministerial staff and a bunch of wonderful people. They have been experiencing notable signs and wonders there, and I felt Sunday that they have only seen the beginning. If you live in the "Kentuckyanna" area I would highly recommend their "Crave" services that take place once a month on a Friday night. Please visit their website for more information: www.ccfindiana.com
After the service, on the way to the airport the wind began to blow. Bands from hurricane Ike came raging through shaking our car as it drove down the road. I made it out okay but received reports later that the wind had gotten worse, power was out and a lot of damage was done. The picture below is from the house of one of the pastors.
Please pray for Covenant Community Fellowship in New Albany Indiana and the staff there. If you would like to help them financially, please email us. USA@CoverTheEarth.org
Last week I had the privilege of ministering in Charlotte, North Carolina at FIRE Church and FIRE School of Ministry, led by Dr. Michael Brown and Rev. Bob Gladstone. I myself am a graduate of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry of which FIRE School is an offshoot. Most of the faculty members at FIRE were my professors in the Brownsville days, and the atmosphere of fire and revival is the same. I felt very much at home.
On Thursday night I ministered to the church, encouraging them to live dangerously for God. Then on Friday morning I was able to speak to the senior students of the school. I know they will go on to do great things for God.
I would encourage anyone who has a desire for ministry or who looking for a good Bible School to consider FIRE School of Ministry in Charlotte. To view their website visit www.Fire-School.org
Also, Dr Brown has a fascinating radio program that airs locally in Charlotte. He tackles current events and a broad range of subjects from a Biblical perspective taking phone calls and even accepting challenges to live debates. If you would like to subscribe to the podcast, CLICK HERE
Ten years ago Kafanchan, Nigeria was ground zero to a bloody rampage of Islamic extremism against the local Christians that left hundreds of churches burned to the ground. These acts of aggression were world news at the time and the one event for which the region was known…until recently. This August, Christ for all Nations held a Gospel Crusade in this very city. Aware of the volatility of the region and unsure of what awaited us there, we went, knowing that the heart of God is to seek and to save those that are lost. As we approached the city, still miles away, crowds were lining the streets and burst into joy at the sight of our caravan approaching. Finally, Evangelist Bonnke poked his head out of the sun roof of his SUV and the people were ecstatic. It was evident from that very moment that we had landed on some extremely rich soil and a mighty harvest would surely follow. 
This Crusade fell into the Nigerian rainy season where daily downpours are the norm. The CfaN team calls this the "Out-of-season" crusade because of the inevitably unfavorable weather conditions. Our crusade organizer, who was in Kafanchan for 2 weeks prior to the event, told us that every day they were receiving heavy rains from morning until night. He said it was "heart-breaking." We were praying that the Lord would hold back the rains enough to allow the Gospel to be declared and a harvest of souls to come in. Our prayers were answered in a most spectacular fashion. On several occasions it rained for a couple hours prior to the meeting. But when the preaching started, the rain stopped. And as soon as the altar call was over, the rain started once again. It happened too often to be coincidental, and although there were a couple of occasions during the five days of meetings when it did rain during the service, it was mild enough that it never hindered the preaching of the Gospel.
I preached two of the five evening messages that were each accompanied by a wave of salvations and incredible healing testimonies. One night after I had finished praying for the sick, I was already taking testimonies on the platform when I sensed the voice of the Holy Spirit prompting me to pray for those with HIV AIDS. I took a break from the testimonies and prayed once again for those with this terrible disease that has ravaged the African Continent. As I was praying, one young man with AIDS was suddenly hit by the power of God and fell to the ground. That night he had a dream. In his dream, Jesus came to him and told him that he was healed. The next day, inspired by the dream, he went to his doctor and requested another blood test. The following evening I interviewed him on the platform as he held his doctors report in the air. There on the report were the words so clearly written. HIV NEGATIVE!!! Praise the Lord. 
One woman testified that she had been unable to bear children, but three years ago she attended a CfaN crusade in Jos/Plateau state. Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke prayed at that meeting for women with barren wombs. She received it by faith and 9 months later her beautiful baby “Mercy” was born.
A deaf mute, handicapped from birth suddenly heard and spoke. A 7 year-old girl blind from birth was suddenly able to see. We saw her wince as the bright lights on the platform hit her newly healed eyes. Many more testimonies were given…too many to mention. And each night as we left the field there was a huge line of people still waiting to testify of all that Jesus had done. 
In spite of the reputation Kafanchan has for violence, we were protected by the mighty hand of God and felt very much at peace the entire time. In the end there were exactly 738,615 decision cards collected from people who had responded to the call of God and received Jesus Christ as their Savior…not bad for a week's work – In the rainy season. Thank you for your prayers which really do make a difference all over the world.
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