Okene, Nigeria - Reinhard Bonnke
October 29, 2003
Okene, Nigeria (August 2003)
Written by: Adrian Bradshaw
Healed from blindness!
On the Wednesday evening, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State formally opened the Okene Gospel Campaign "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." With that, the simple, yet profound ABC of the Gospel was narrated to the crowd, who responded with vigor and enthusiasm. Although the message was simple, it urged the crowd that saying "Yes" to Jesus, also meant saying "No" to sin. The number of decision cards completed that night testifies to their understanding of that concept.
The healing of the sick that followed gave glory to the power of the living God, in demonstrating that His Word is true. An old man, who had been unable to walk for seven years, literally ran onto the stage. That evening his friend had brought him to the campaign ground by car, and then, helped by a couple of ushers, carried him to his place. When the power of God touched him, he was up and away.
A young girl who had been deaf and dumb from birth was healed of her defects, and repeated numbers after Reinhard, who then walked behind her and clapped his hands in various patterns, to which the young girl responded.
Sending, Receiving, Delivering
Items of witchcraft destroyed!
By six-thirty the following morning, the road to the site of the Fire Conference was thronged with church workers, yet it would be a further two hours before Reinhard Bonnke and Peter van den Berg would address this zealous crowd. Fire Conferences activate and empower the church into evangelism and outreach. The Fire Conference theme can be summed up in the following words: "Since Pentecost, we no longer wait on God. He waits on us to GO, in accordance with the Great Commission!"
In the evening meeting, as Reinhard called out the names of various gods and demonic powers in the Ebira language, bound their activities, and cast them out, the crowd went wild with delight. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can bring peace and freedom from those bound by the power of the devil, and it was the reaction to this loosening that made the crowd so happy. The truth of the Gospel once again had brought many thousands into that peace and security that only the saved can know. Now, in order to confirm His word, the Lord brought physical release to many, many people.
A young man, paralyzed for three years, ran across the stage. An old lady chased Reinhard around the stage, something she could not have done in the past two years of total blindness. Another young man, deaf and dumb for four years, can now hear and speak, to the glory of God. These are only some of the witnesses amongst many who testified to the goodness of God in their lives.
A committee member said that although the teaching was profound, it was also very simple. This sums up the true preaching of the Gospel. Each night miracles continued, in accordance with the words of the Lord Jesus, who said "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them (Luke 7:22).
Friday night saw the burning of fetishes, charms, and other occult equipment. All these items were put into two large oil drums and set on fire. After the binding of the various powers of darkness the previous evening, people were only too happy to be freed and released from the oppression that these symbols of evil convey. As the flames reached high into the sky, the jubilant ushers danced around the drums singing praises to Jesus, the One who is all in all.
35,000 pastors and church leaders receive the Holy Spirit
For the final day of the Fire Conference, the crowds arrived early in anticipation of a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God, and they were not disappointed. God is so faithful to His word! As tens of thousands of voices called out to the living God to baptize them in the Holy Spirit, the power of God came over the crowd and powerfully granted their request. Multitudes went home that day praising God, speaking in new tongues, and empowered as witnesses to the truth of the Gospel.
That evening, there were two elderly white women on the platform who, between them, had been missionaries in Kogi State for over 100 years! They said that tears of joy had come to their eyes when they saw the thousands of people coming to hear the Gospel. For years, they had faithfully worked with small groups of unbelievers, and now it was harvest time. The results of their endeavors and those of others had come to fruition. It is harvest time in Nigeria.More Miracles
Set free from her chains!
One of the most remarkable miracles (if one can say that) of this campaign was the sight of an emaciated body walking onto the stage. It was that of a young woman in the advanced stages of AIDS, who looked like a victim of the Holocaust. It is fully understandable why the slang term for this disease is "slim". Her legs could hardly support her, and her arms would have had difficulty in lifting food to her mouth. For the past four months she had not walked, and suffered constant diarrhea. When the power of God touched her, she immediately stood up and walked. She came onto the stage to witness and testify to the goodness of Almighty God.
A former maniac, who for four years went around stark naked, now stood on the platform fully clothed and in his right mind. The crowd was asked by Reinhard if they knew him, and if it was true that he went around naked; they responded with a mighty "Yes!"
Another mad person, this time a woman, who had been bound with chains in order to restrain her, now stood in front of Reinhard in full possession of her faculties, and handed him her chains. On her wrists, thick scar tissue had formed from the constant rubbing of the chain.
Healing of both land and people!
Unable to walk for 3 years, but now healed!
Just after five on Sunday afternoon, over three hundred thousand people crowded onto the campaign site for the final evening meeting. They heard a powerful plea from Reinhard from Revelation 3:20 that if they heard Jesus knocking at their hearts, then to let Him in! As a graphic example, he made a parable based on Noah's Ark; the strongest animal outside the ark was lost, whereas the weakest animal inside the ark was saved.
When those who had received a verifiable miracle of healing were asked to come to the front to testify, the whole of the area in front of the stage was soon thronged with eager witnesses. Amongst those who came onto the platform was a teenager who had been a powerful wizard and, through his magic, caused the death of two people. During the campaign, he gave his life to the Lord, and repented of his wizardry. Two soldiers assigned to CfaN duties confirmed his testimony as a wizard to one of the CfaN team. They were aware and fearful of his apparent power, and would have nothing to do with him.
Another of the more memorable miracles seen during this week was that of a young boy who had not been able to walk for three years. His only means of transportation was either being carried on his mother's back, or shuffling along on his haunches. When asked by Reinhard to show the crowd how he moved, he sat on his haunches and by rocking from side to side was able to propel himself rapidly across the stage. From that position he also managed to get his torso on the stage (as though in a sleeping position) so that he was flat to the stage. At Reinhard's command to get up and run, he leapt to his feet and ran across the stage. Reinhard then scooped him up into his arms, gave him a kiss, and prayed for him.
By the time that Reinhard left the platform for the last time in Okene, not a single drop of rain had fallen on the grounds or the crowds. As the technicians began to dismantle the equipment, a fine shower of rain began to fall, but it did not hinder the work in hand. That is how God looks after His own.
Last year a prayer crusade was held throughout Ebira land for its healing. The committee chairman of this prayer crusade said that surely Evangelist Bonnke's Gospel Campaign was one of such answers to their prayers. We serve a prayer-answering God. O God, heal Ebira land! (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Christ for all Nations 2000 - 2003 | All Rights Reserved
Location: Okene, Nigeria
Website: http://www1.cfan.org/
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