BURAYU Gospel Crusade, DAY 1:
Burayu neighbours the capital city of Addis Ababa. The pastors warmly welcomed us yesterday, their embrace heartfelt and intense. While many conferences have been held in this town, no mass, soul-winning endeavour of this nature, involving all the evangelical churches, has ever taken place. These churches face great opposition from other religious groups and we are thrilled to be taking hands with them, helping to proclaim the glorious Gospel in the highways and byways of their communities.
During the preparation phase, our team trained and took groups of believers regularly onto the streets, engaging in one-on-one evangelism and turning closet Christians into red-hot witnesses. Stones were thrown at these born-again believers as they evangelised and yet, they persevered.
Their efforts resulted in close to 1,000 salvations before our crusade even kicked off. Praise the Lord!
This afternoon, the crusade started with a Holy Spirit bang. I preached from Isaiah 61, sharing many of the wonderful miracles that Jesus will work in the lives of all those who would call upon His matchless name. He will wash them with His precious blood, make them rich on the inside—the very dwelling place of the Almighty!—heal their broken hearts, set them free from every work of Satan, turn their ashes into beauty and transform them into oaks of righteousness. How glorious! Hands were raised eagerly to heaven and a multitude of voices called upon the Lord. Hallelujah! Follow-up material was distributed and prayer cards completed.
Prayer for the sick was packed with power. We will start taking testimonies tomorrow—we need to abide again by a strict curfew here—and look forward to hearing all the wonders that the Lord is working among these precious people.
Sincerest thanks for your continued prayers. We are expecting a weekend filled with avalanche after avalanche of salvation and healing. Amen and amen!
BURAYU Gospel Crusade, DAY 2:
Burayu is being saved! Our crowd is growing as word is spreading and we are expecting a spectacular Saturday and Sunday. We will hold morning and afternoon services on both days, allowing for ample opportunity for the people of Burayu to hear the Good News and receive their miracle from the Lord.
Today, I preached on Luke 15—telling the stories of the lost sheep, coin and son—and explaining how Jesus is the Great Shepherd, appointed by God the Father to be our rescuer from the devil and hell. Men and women, young and old raised their hands heavenward and Jesus was called upon.
“Please become my Great Shepherd, Lord Jesus!” was their prayer. What a glorious moment. I began teaching on the Holy Spirit thereafter, laying the first layer in a three-tiered assembly. I will continue teaching on Him tomorrow and Sunday, praying for the Holy Spirit baptism during our final service.
We heard spectacular testimonies after we prayed for the sick. A 35-year-old woman called Lalisa had been debilitated by a kidney disease for the past ten years, the pain intense and all-consuming. Tonight, the Lord touched her and, like the woman in Scripture with the issue of blood, she felt in her body that she had been healed of her affliction. The pain is gone and she is free. “I will invite those I know who are sick to also come to this crusade, so they can be healed too,” she voiced. Please do so, Lalisa. Hallelujah!
Bekele is 26 years old and a furniture-maker. He had been tormented by a strange disease for the past several months. He had a constant migraine and struggled to inhale, his chest tight and his breathing laborious. “I went from doctor to doctor,” he shared, “and took many medicines. Nothing helped me.” Today, Jesus performed a complete work in him. During prayer, his nose started bleeding. Suddenly, the migraine stopped and he felt in his chest, a tremendous release. Overwhelmed with joy, this young man praised the Almighty God. Dr Jesus had done what the human doctors could not do!
Meskerem is a young lady who is volunteering as an usher. She did so despite severe back problems. She was unable to stand for long periods of time and even sitting was a problem for her. Her willingness to serve the Lord was richly rewarded. Now, her back is strong and pain-free. She bent and stretched on stage with great glee, showing off her newfound mobility. “The people of Burayu must come and see the miracles that the Holy Spirit is doing here!” she expressed. Amen and amen!
Rahel testified that she had been delivered from insomnia and a relentless fever. After attending our service yesterday, she had slept soundly for the first time in three months. The fever is also no more. Hiwot shared of her deliverance from fear and anxiety, a great peace and joy having replaced these unsettled emotions.
Tomorrow, we continue. Your prayers are carrying us through every service. This harvest of salvations and healings is your harvest. You are labouring side-by-side with us and we are extremely grateful. Burayu for Jesus!
BURAYU Gospel Crusade, DAY 3:
What a mighty God we serve! We are witnessing a floodtide of salvation and healing here in Burayu. The people listen to each message with tremendous eagerness. One could hear a pin drop their attentiveness is so intense. This morning, Ev. Samuel Murrombe preached from John 5 and the Pool of Bethesda. He urged the people to respond to the Saviour of this world and not allow any excuses to get between them and Him. This afternoon, I preached from John 3 and the story of Nicodemus. I explained how our spirits are sick with sin and only Dr Jesus—using the matchless medicine that is His blood—can heal our spirits and make them brand new. In both morning and afternoon services, thousands called on the name of the Lord and were translated from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God. We are rejoicing!
After I preached the Gospel this afternoon, I continued teaching on the Holy Spirit, telling the story of the burning bush in Exodus 3. Just as God filled that little bush and used it for His glory, so He will fill every believer with His Spirit—regardless of how small and insignificant they may feel—and use them with tremendous power! Tomorrow, we will pray for the Holy Spirit baptism and everyone is extremely expectant.
Prayer for the sick yielded many mighty miracles. Kasahun had suffered from unbearable lower back pains for the past five years. She is only 22 years old. “I could not sit or stand properly,” she shared, “the pain was too great.” How encumbering for so young a lady! During prayer, she felt the power of God moving through her body, freeing all from her ailment. “Burayu must come and experience this salvation!” she expressed.
Fekadu is a 26-year-old wife and mom. Two years ago, she started struggling with a kidney infection that would not relent. “I have not been able to work, I have not been able to look after my family or home,” she voiced, overcome with emotion. “I came to this crusade because I needed prayer. I praise the Lord, I am now completely healed!”
Kumera is 36 years old and a driver by occupation. Several months ago, his legs began growing increasingly weak and unresponsive. “I was scared that I would lose control of my car,” he said. A married man with three children, losing his ability to earn an income was a scary prospect for Kumera. However, thankfully for him, Jesus is the Healer of broken bodies. After prayer, his legs feel strong once more. “I can feel in my body that I am free from this disease. Thank you, Jesus!” he proclaimed.
Tomorrow, we will gather for a mass service with all involved churches and then in the afternoon, we will hold our final meeting. Burayu is being transformed by the might and magnificence of our Maker. Hallelujah and amen!
BURAYU Gospel Crusade, FINAL DAY:
Our crusade in Burayu has come to a glorious conclusion. Thousands flocked to the local stadium to attend both our mass morning church service and final afternoon crusade service. Ev. Samuel Murrombe ministered this morning and I preached in the afternoon. In both services, the Gospel message went forth with crystal clarity. Samuel preached from Matthew 12 and how Jesus is the Supreme Sign sent from Heaven, pointing the way to Heaven. I ministered on John 4 and the Samaritan woman, explaining that Jesus freely gives the gift of everlasting life to all who ask for it. The response to both Gospel messages was glorious. Our ushers worked very hard to distribute follow-up material and help with the completion of prayer cards.
I continued teaching on the Holy Spirit, teaching how the believer should work with Him to witness to the lost and pray for the sick. When we prayed for the infilling of the Spirit, the people received with ease and enthusiasm. It was a splendid sight, bearing witness to them being saturated with His power and presence! An army of soul-winners has been born that will continue shaking Burayu—and Ethiopia—for our Saviour King. Hallelujah! We prayed over all the prayer requests that had been submitted during the crusade period as well as for Ethiopia and the Oromia Region. We prayed for the sick as well and heard some fantastic testimonies, including these few.
Buse is a precious, 60-year-old lady who had been suffering from an issue of blood for the past three years. Like the woman in the Gospels who had endured the same condition, she had also been to many doctors but was still no better. Marvellously—and also like that woman in the Gospels—she experienced the miracle-working power that only our Jesus can exert. During prayer this morning, the bleeding stopped completely. She was jubilant! This evening, she returned to testify on stage. In fact, she brought with her to the crusade a reference letter to yet another specialist which she cast enthusiastically on stage. “I do not need this anymore!” she confessed. “I am free!”
Tamene is 39 years old. Several years ago, he disappeared from his home and family. When he was eventually found—that was two years ago—he could not speak at all. His brother had brought him to the crusade, desperate for a miracle. The Lord honoured that step of faith. Tonight, Tamene started speaking once more! His brother was ecstatic and brought him to testify on stage. Tamene voiced, “Amen!” into the microphone and the crowd rejoiced.
Zelalem is a young man who had been tormented by an unyielding migraine headache for the past ten years. Sometimes, he thought he was going crazy. Depression was his constant companion. Wonderfully, during prayer, that migraine suddenly stopped! In awe of the goodness and greatness of His God, Zelalem praised the Lord.
Today, we also handed out Certificates of Appreciation to certain lead pastors and volunteers. They will hold their own ceremony to distribute to the other pastors and leaders who were involved in the organising of this crusade. We also handed over the 330 Amharic books that their will distribute to these leaders. The titles include my book, “Spirit of Fire” and well as John Bevere’s books, “Multiply Your God-Given Potential” and “God, Where Are You?!” that were kindly donated by his ministry.
Dear friend, thank you for crusading together with us! You have been here on the mission field through your prayers and financial support. Heaven is rejoicing. Let us rejoice together with the angelic hosts! Amen and amen.
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