HOSAENA Gospel Crusade, DAY 1:
We have kicked-off dear friends and already, multitudes are saying “Yes!” to Jesus. We have come to a country in which a state of emergency was declared less than one week ago. The police here are nervous and insist on placing the people far away from the stage (for our own safety, they say). While the crowd stands afar off, their hunger for Jesus and wonderful response to the Gospel is still abundantly apparent. I preached on John chapter 3 tonight and the miracle of being born again. Thousands raised their hands and surrendered all to Him. Their desperation to become sons and daughters of God was great. It felt as if all in attendance prayed the salvation prayer as one. What volume, what unity, what zeal! “Wash us now in the precious blood of Jesus!” we prayed. “Come and live in our hearts, Almighty God!” It was fantastic. We were busy collecting the names of the new converts and distributing follow-up material when the rain started to fall. I prayed for the sick and the power of God manifested mightily. With the rain beginning to descend more intensely, we will hear miracle testimonies from tomorrow. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord has already worked wonders. All are expectant for the weekend meetings. Four services lie ahead of us. Three evening meetings and then the Sunday morning combined church service. Please continue praying with us. Pray for good weather. Pray for tens of thousands to come and receive salvation. Pray for every chain of sickness and bondage to break. With your help, we will not leave Hosaena any less than forever changed!
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HOSAENA Gospel Crusade, DAY 2:
Our hearts are overwhelmed with such joy, dear friends! The crowd has grown exponentially. Word has spread and thousands are flocking to hear the glorious good news of salvation. We have convinced the authorities to allow the crowd to come forward. “Only if they behave,” was the condition. Well, they are behaving wonderfully – and getting saved! I preached on Isaiah 61. I dived into the Gospel with the people, unpacking all the wonders our Jesus wants to do for those who accept Him as Lord. They responded with as much enthusiasm as with which I preached. Thousands and thousands raised their hands and called upon His matchless name. “Jesus, save me now!” we prayed. What joy rippled across the crowd! The devil lost his hold over so many tonight. They are no longer his slaves. They are sons and daughters of the Most High. I preached briefly on the Holy Spirit before praying for the sick. I shall continue teaching on the Spirit tomorrow and Sunday night, following the Gospel messages. After the final teaching, we will pray for the Holy Spirit baptism. How exciting! The rain rushed in swiftly after prayer for the sick and we were only able to hear one testimony. A precious young lady named Ibeba had been suffering for the past three years from such severe ear infections in both ears that she could no longer hear properly. A constant migraine added to her suffering. The Lord touched her tonight. She felt a foul presence leaving her head and her ears popped open, all pain vanishing, her hearing returning. How marvellous! She is free, stunningly free! Tomorrow we continue. Thank you for your prayers. We are witnessing the hand of God in action here in Ethiopia.
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HOSAENA Gospel Crusade, DAY 3:
Tonight, heaven touched earth. Our crowd continues to grow and the atmosphere was charged with Holy Spirit power from beginning to end. I preached on the Samaritan woman and thousands responded to the invitation I gave to receive the gift of salvation. Among them was a witchdoctor. This dear man had surrendered his soul to the devil, not even marrying or having children, so great was his commitment. Tonight, he came to our crusade with a pile of witchcraft fetishes (animal teeth, bones, charms and the like) intent on causing mischief. “The power of God was so great,” he professed. “I could do nothing. I have now become a child of God.” Hallelujah! The crowd exploded with jubilation. I taught again briefly on the Holy Spirit. All are expectant for tomorrow night when we will pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. The Lord held back the rain beautifully this evening and prayer for the sick was followed by a stream of testimonies. A little 12-year-old girl, Elroe, had suffered from epilepsy since she could remember. “During prayer, I fell down,” she explained, “and when I woke up again, I felt so light. The epilepsy has left me. I can feel it has left me.” A woman named Beletech came forward and shared how after five years of horrible mouth pains, her doctor suspected that she had cancer. The pain had become unbearable. She pressed her hand hard against her lips over and over again. “There is no more pain! I could not even touch my mouth lightly before. Now, I can feel no more pain!” A gentleman named Felke had suffered a stroke which left him reliant on a crutch to walk, unable to properly use his one side. Now, he has no more need of that crutch. How wonderful! Another man came forward bubbling with joy. He spoke so quickly, gesticulating wildly and with great excitement. Having struggled with hepatitis for years, he was in constant pain and could not eat certain foods. Last night, he felt the power of God touching him mightily and all pain disappeared. This morning, the pain was still gone and wanting to test his healing further, he intentionally ate the types of food that would usually worsen his condition. Yet, he remained strong and without any discomfort. “I am healed!” he declared. “I really am healed!” Tomorrow morning, we will hold a joint service on the crusade field with all the churches that have laboured with us. In the evening, our final service will take place. Thank you for your continued prayers. Hosaena is being saved!
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HOSAENA Gospel Crusade, FINAL DAY:
Today was spectacular. This morning, all evangelical churches in Hosaena closed their doors and both pastors and congregation members flocked to the crusade field. Even the mayor attended. Together, we celebrated what our Lord has been doing in the crusade services. Ev. Samuel Murrombe preached a soul-stirring, soul-winning message to a sea of umbrellas and the thousands of unbelievers who had wondered into our “church without doors” accepted Jesus as Lord. It was fantastic! This evening, the crowd more than doubled. They sat everywhere, surrounding the stage. I felt as if I was floating on a sea of earnest faces. I went through the stories that Jesus told in Luke 15 – the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son – and took those eager listeners on a little journey to salvation. When we arrived at the tipping point, whether to choose to become children of God or remain slaves of Satan – the entire crowd, it seemed, tipped in the right direction. Tens of thousands became children of God, turning their backs on the devil and all his sin-filled, fear-fuelled torments. How we rejoiced! Then, something extraordinary happened. The weather had been fine throughout my sermon, a few dark clouds gathering in the distance. Returning to the stage to teach my final message on the Holy Spirit and pray for the fire baptism, those clouds swept in suddenly like a typhoon. Leaving the teaching, we jumped into the prayer. As the Spirit fell, the rain fell and what we witnessed was stunning. Shouts and torrents of new tongues rose heavenward as the rain poured downward. Precious people were filled with his power. Some collapsed in the mud, overwhelmed. Demons manifested. It was perhaps the most chaotic – and certainly the wettest – Holy Spirit baptism I have ever experienced! Yet, the job got done, we have no doubt of that. We know that an army has been born, an army of Spirit-filled men and women. The pastors are so grateful. The chairman of our crusade committee is not only a pastor but a commander in the police force here. He called my team and I on stage and prayed for us and embraced us with such sincere passion. “Thank you!” he said. “Thank you! I love your Gospel. It is the pure Gospel of God.” It is indeed. We add no frills or fluff to it, we take nothing away from it. It is the power of God unto salvation. Heartfelt thanks, dearest friends for making this crusade possible. The fruit that these meetings have born is eternal. Hosaena has been forever changed!
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