Tonight was the climax of the Gospel Crusade here in Isokoland, Nigeria and what a glorious finale it was. The crowd was teaming with 425,000 people hungry to hear the Word of God! After the prayer for salvation we prayed for the crowd to receive the Baptism into the Holy Spirit and the Fire fell. As the deafening sound of the crowd speaking in tongues rose to heaven, I could hear the words of the prophet Joel resonating in my spirit, “In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL FLESH.” What a glorious time we live in. These are the days that “many prophets and righteous men longed to see…”
After the prayer for the sick, the miracles began:
- A 35-year-old man deaf and dumb from birth could suddenly hear and pronounce words with astounding clarity (see the attached picture).
- Another man, 32 years old was born crippled. All of his life he had crawled from place to place on his hands and knees which were visibly calloused and as worn as an old shoe. Tonight the power of God came upon him and he walked for the first time in his life!
- Several epileptics were also healed along with another deaf girl and many other various ailments and sicknesses. Jesus is so merciful.
Tomorrow we will all be heading home, but not for long. Our next crusade here begins in two weeks in the city of Mubi. Thank you so much for helping us to bring the Gospel to this remote village in the one of the world’s “uttermost parts”. Your every investment will return to you in eternal dividends. We are asking ourselves, as we always do, “what if we had not come?”
Yours forever in Jesus, Evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke, together with the whole CfaN Team.
Tonight the miracles were amazing. I am still in awe of what the Lord has done. You will read a couple of the testimonies in the "official" report below:
Dear Mission-Partners,
The Fire Conference climaxed today. Peter van den Berg and Daniel Kolenda ministered – and the Holy Spirit fell as described in Acts 2. Tens of thousands of God’s people received the power that Jesus spoke about in Acts 1:8. What glorious reality!
In tonight’s service 300,000 people gathered with hungry hearts and again the Gospel was preached “with great assurance”, as Paul puts it. God majors in snatching brands from the fire of destruction. His heartbeat throbs in the gospel and sets the pulse-rate of those taking it to the lost world. This is what we feel inside. Passing years could have made us indifferent, but somehow the Lord makes us see the people as He sees them from the Cross. He said He had to do the work of the One who sent him (John 9:4). His imperative infects us! His Spirit imparts to us a little of the urgency of His all-embracing desire for the whole world to be saved. To be part of that work is our highest privilege. It brings each day to a close with a sense of the finest purpose and satisfaction available to us mortals.
Tonight the miracles and healings were flowing like a river:
- A young man testified that he was diagnosed with AIDS. Last night when the prayer was given, he received his healing by faith. Today he went to the doctor and asked to be re-tested. He brought the doctors report to the meeting tonight...HIV NEGATIVE!
- One pastor had been shot in the arm by robbers and the arm had died. He had spent a small fortune on doctors trying to save the arm, but they were unable to restore it and so he was scheduled to have it amputated. We saw him yesterday, and his arm was withered and decaying...it was a gruesome sight. Today after the prayer, he received feeling in his hand again and use of 2 of his fingers, and his hand was still improving in real time as he gave his testimony.
- A woman, crippled from an accident leaped for joy on the platform (see the attached picture), two deaf mutes were healed along with several epileptics and many other wonderful miracles.
There was to end in sight to the miracle testimonies and even as we left the crusade grounds the crowd was bursting into praise...miracles were still happening!
Thank you so very much for standing with us, praying and helping us to keep going for Jesus. The Lord Himself will reward you for your part in this great work in a special way.
Yours forever in Jesus, Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda, together with the whole CfaN Team.
As you may know, all our Gospel Crusades are paired with a Fire Conference, in which church-workers are prepared for a life of effective witness for Jesus and for evangelism in general. This culminates in a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in fulfillment of the Promise of the Lord. This morning was glorious. Thousands upon thousands of wonderful Christians were soaking up the Word of God. Our Mission is power, not routine. Our role is that of power men, laying the power lines into powerless lives. Then Jesus does the rest.
Tonight’s Gospel Crusade was another glorious highlight: 225,000 people attended in this highly rural “village-setup”. Daniel Kolenda was the preacher, and he ministered with authority. Many souls got saved, filling up the barns of God. When the prayer for the sick rung out, many wonderful miracles happened. A girl, deaf and dumb for 20 years heard and spoke clearly. Her brother saw her giving the testimony and ran onto the platform to embrace her and they rejoiced together (see attached picture). Another girl, crippled for years was brought to the meeting from the hospital. She told her mother to take her to the Gospel meeting where she believed Jesus would heal her. During the prayer the power of God came on her, and she began to walk. There was no end to the miracles that continued to take place...even until the very last moment of the meeting.
Jesus says “GO YE...” and here we are in Isokoland! Faith is not just waiting for God to move. Faith is to move for God. Any doctrine or philosophy that does not lend itself as conductor of the power of God is a waste of time. We have no time to waste, because the world is desperately waiting for the Good News of Salvation. Thank you for agreeing with us – and helping us to go. Yours forever in Jesus,
Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda, together with the whole CfaN Team.
Today is DAY TWO in Isokoland/Nigeria. The venue is between two villages and people from both sides have to walk for many miles. When Chief Solomon Ogba, State Secretary of the PDP, Delta State, saw the huge crowd, he was thunderstruck. “This happens on a village-level”, he said, “it’s beyond belief.”
Tonight again the Gospel was powerfully proclaimed, with masses of people receiving Jesus as their personal Savior. Have a look at tonight’s crowd-picture. The Bible presents the gospel as the wisdom of God, the only saving truth. No man made it up, just as no man invented water. No philosopher ever conceived equal hope. Preaching the Gospel releases the saving power of God. Those who are dead in trespasses and sins hear it and are raised to new life – glory to God!
After the prayer for the sick numerous miracles happened. One young man, mute for 26 years suddenly discovered he could speak. A mad woman was instantly healed and testified with astounding clarity of mind. Many cripples were also healed including the one in the above picture who fell in a well and broke his leg 2 years ago. Since that time he had been unable to walk until Jesus healed him tonight. Like the lame man in Acts 3:8 he went walking and leaping and praising God.
When looking at these dear people, compassion grips us. Compassion must be preached with compassion and love with love – “sincere love,” as set out in the evangelists’ charter in 2 Corinthians 6. We are determined to continue this ministry alongside the Lord of the Harvest, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, and together with you. Please continue to pray for a Blood-Washed Africa.
Yours forever in Jesus, Evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke With the whole CfaN Crusade-Team.
Our Gospel Crusade in Delta State/Nigeria, an obscure little place called ISOKOLAND, began tonight. 85,000 people showed up this very first meeting and God's power of mercy and love exploded gloriously. A huge number of people received Jesus as their Savior! And then the miracles of healing followed. Look at the picture of the young man whose sister was delivered from madness of mind.
The cripples walked and blind eyes saw. We ought to have a blazing neon sign in every church with the words: “THIS SAME JESUS”. The Jesus we point to is the Jesus of saving grace, miracle power and healing mercy. What He was in the past He still is today. What He did in days gone by He still does in our day. When we preach Jesus as He is, He reveals Himself in confirmation of what is said.
We continue tomorrow. Please pray for us. It all looks as if this Crusade is going to shake everything this area has ever heard or seen.
Yours forever in Jesus, Evangelists Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda, together with the whole CfaN Team.
(Posted on Jan 17, 2009) I am sitting in the airport in Washington D.C. waiting for a connecting flight that will take me on to Nigeria for another Gospel Crusade (beginning on Wednesday the 21st). It is just 2 days before the presidential inauguration that will take place just a few miles from here, where an estimated 2 million people are expected to attend.
Barack Obama's face is plastered EVERYWHERE I look. Posters, mannequins, books, pin-on buttons, and T-shirts are on sale in every shop...not to mention the complete Obama saturation of every news network being played here. It is obvious that there is an enormous swell of optimism surrounding this new administration, but I think it is so much more then that. To me, it seems as if people are looking to Obama as a Messiah...a savior of sorts; and for this reason I think I feel bad for him. How can any man live up to such unreasonable expectations? Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope differed makes the heart sick..."
I must admit that I do not understand this sort of naive certitude in the ability of one man to rectify the problems of an entire nation, and in some cases, the world. When Obama was elected several weeks ago, I was in Nigeria watching an African news report where one woman from Kenya was rejoicing because now, she said, they would have new roads and running water, etc. As misguided as this quixotic optimism is, I have also seen similarly inappropriate reactions from the other side of the aisle. Some Christians are so distraught by this election that they are declaring the end of the world. Both reactions are wrong, because they put such consummate reliance in the abilities and character of one man...the President of the United States.
Christians in America find themselves in a sensitive position. On the one hand we need to take seriously our unique responsibility to influence the government of our nation in a positive way. In that sense we need to be involved politically. On the other hand, we must remember that our kingdom is not of this world, and our King does not rule from the White House. On the one hand, it is good to be patriotic, but on the other hand we need to remember that all the kingdoms of this world will pass away...including the United States. In Revelation 11:15 we get a glimpse into the near future as we hear the seventh angel declare, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever." It is that eternal Kingdom that we are invested in, and all of our hope lies in it's King.
Paul says of Jesus in 1 Tim 1:1 that "...He is our hope." With the inauguration of President Obama some people will put great hope in what they see as the dawning of a new day, while others will grieve over what they see as the beginning of the end. But for Christians, our hope does not rest in the Democratic party...or in the Republican party or Independent party for that matter; our hope is in Jesus. I am so tired of supposed prophets who, in the face of economic and political uncertainty have started prophesying out fear. I have no feelings of doom and gloom. Today is the day of Salvation!
So many people are embracing Obama as a sort of Messiah, and I believe it is because because the whole world is looking for a savior. The Good News is that a Savior has been found. He is the only One we see hanging between the two criminals on the cross, suspended between Heaven and earth. He is the only One between God's wrath and the human race. He is the only Intermediary, the only Advocate and the only Mediator. He is the Savior that hundreds of thousands of people will embrace in just a few days as we preach the Gospel in Nigeria. He is the Savior that the world is looking for: One who has a proven track record of restoring hope and mending hearts in Billions of lives.
This inauguration day, you have something to celebrate. Regardless of who is sitting in the White House...Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father! His Kingdom is coming! And He shall reign forever and ever!
Come on Church! Lets stop worrying about who is the President and start declaring the name of Jesus, now more then ever. He is our hope and the hope of the world!
Hello everyone...I have created this blog especially for evangelists. Here you will read many of my, impressions, devotional thoughts and ministry testimonies as I travel throughout the world preaching the Gospel. This blog is intentionally informal and personal. Many of the pictures you will see here are taken from my small personal camera from a viewpoint rarely seen...the perspective of the evangelist. I aim to update this blog frequently and hope it is a source of inspiration and a resource for your own ministry. Please subscribe or check back often.
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