From ashes to praise: Jesus Dome gone but Jesus alive

kings park 2
Jesus Dome co-founder Pastor Fred Roberts preaches to a crowd of 7 500 believers who relocated their Sunday service to Kings Park stadium, Durban after the Durban Christian Centre’s Jesus Dome burnt down last Tuesday.

On Tuesday night last week the sky around the city of Durban was burnished with a bright orange blaze. It could be seen from kilometres away and vehicles stopped on a nearby freeway to gaze at the consuming fiery tongues of fire. It was spectacular.

At the scene of the blaze fire hoses rained down litres of water; firemen frantically fought the blaze under the glare of powerful spotlights and dancing red, blue and yellow lights from emergency vehicles. Hundreds of people huddled together to watch.

What they were witnessing was unthinkable and unbelievable.

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The Durban Christian Centre, Jesus Dome, was dramatically being destroyed.

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Members of the church who had rushed to the Jesus Dome, an iconic building at the gateway to the city, prayed and wept.

Some bravely sang, their voices thin and choked with emotion, while they watched the flames abate, leaving angry embers, and the acrid smell of smoke. The Jesus Dome was in ashes.

But five days later 7 500 voices were raised to Heaven in praise, adoration and thanksgiving.
Growthpoint Kings Park rugby stadium became the focal point for the saints of the Jesus Dome to give a triumphant response to the Tuesday night disaster.

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“We are coming back bigger and stronger,” was unequivocal cry from senior Pastors John and Joy Torrens. And the “amen” response was enough for passers-by to think there was a rugby match in progress.

Crossfire
An illuminated cross stands sentinel as towering flames engulf the Jesus Dome auditorium in Durban last week.

“Out of those ashes will come something glorious,” said Pastor John in his Kings Park sermon.

Using Joshua 1:3, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you…” he exhorted believers to “say what Heaven is saying about our city…let’s possess our land…”

He said the founders of Durban Christian Centre, Pastors Fred and Nellie Roberts, had imparted in the congregation and ministry the DNA that made the Jesus Dome a house of prayer for all nations and gave them an unshakable belief in the power and demonstration of God’s Word. The Jesus Dome was a “place where miracles happen”.

The calamity has ignited a great excitement and anticipation that God is going to do something special not only in Durban but also across the nation, added Pastor John.

Pastor John said that the church has been amazed by the outpouring of love and support from the people of Durban and from churches across the country and overseas.

“It’s also birthed a spirit of unity and if that fire does that then I’m prepared to see more fires,” said Pastor John with a smile.

Founder Pastor Fred Roberts, speaking earlier in the service, pointed out that as he watched the church burn down the signage with the name “Jesus Dome” boldly caught one’s attention amidst the ruins. The building is gone, but Jesus is alive.

He pointed out that people often prayed for revival. “We don’t need revival. If you pray for revival then that means you’re half dead. What we need is a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God.”

Prophet Richard Gray brought a word of encouragement saying that the Jesus Dome would become a “global testimony” and lead to multiplied thousands being swept into the Kingdom of God.

From Sunday, June 19, the Durban Christian Centre will be having church in 2 500-seater tent loaned to the ministry by an upcountry church.

The tent will be pitched on the parking grounds, opposite the shell of the burnt out Jesus Dome. Services will be held at 8 am and 10.30 am and the early evening service at 5pm.

3 Comments

  1. Elizabeth van der Westhuizen

    This proves that satan is afraid of Christians. By doing this ,it only makes Christians bolder and more zealous to win souls. Virtually burning their hands as they clutch souls out of his grip.Greetings in the name of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. I have been given an urgent message for all the saints who are looking to the appearing of our Lord and King. Please share this message with your congregation, your families and friends. It’s time for the watchmen, on the walls, to sound the shofar and awaken the sleeping virgins. The bridegroom is coming. I am just the messenger, the watchman on the wall. The message is important but not the messenger. Please contact me on email, peregrinasa@yahoo.com so that I can be sure that the message has been received. What I’m about to share with you, is something that has made me feel so humble but blessed beyond anything I could imagine. The very thought that the Almighty god, Who created the heavens and the earth, has favored someone like me, a 76 year old granny, with such a great gift of love, is so awesome. I am not a preacher or a prophet but just an ordinary Christian woman but I feel it is His will that I share my story with you all. I hope it strengthens and edifies whoever reads this and makes them realize that nobody is insignificant to God and that Jesus has loved us all in giving His life, instead of ours, for all, on the cross.
    Since the beginning of the year, I have been fasting and praying for the children of God to wake up, like the ten virgins, and trim our lamps to make ready for the coming of the bridegroom, the Rapture. I have also been praying for Israel and for all my family and friends who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have been baptized in His Name. God has put a burden on my soul for the lost and I weep for them before God because my heart breaks for those who mock, persecute and kill Christians and blaspheme the name of my Lord Jesus. They don’t realize what is waiting for them in the future.
    Since a child I have longed to see Jesus, as my mother was converted after Jesus appeared to her in an open vision. On the evening of 2nd March, 2016, while I was praying, I asked Jesus if He would just show me His eyes and, almost immediately, portion of His face appeared showing His forehead, eyes and His cheeks as far as halfway down His nose. I cannot explain the intense emotion of seeing Him! It felt as if my heart would burst with love. I just cried, “I see You, my Jesus! I see your eyes. Thank You, thank You my Lord, my beloved Savior, my very life.” The vision only lasted for less than a minute but will forever be etched into my mind and heart.
    On the 10th of March, in the afternoon, I was resting on my bed but wide awake. Suddenly I felt an indescribable feeling, that was kind of scary. I just said, “I am in Your hands Father ,whatever happens.” The next moment I was looking at a scene of a street, that could have been in Jerusalem. A young mother, dressed in Biblical times clothing, was bending down and picking up a little toddler. She was hugging it to her bosom with great, tender, love. Suddenly the scene changed and I was looking into somebody’s house. There was a television playing at the far end of the room. Some sort of talk show was on and two, fair headed, men were having a discussion. The one on the left said to the other, “Jesus is coming. Lift up your hands/heads!” I am not sure if he said hands or heads as the sound was not too loud. Then the other man ,seated on the right side, turned to look out of the television set, straight at me and shouted excitedly, “JESUS IS COMING!!!” Then I was back to normal, lying on my bed. Many people have shared similar experiences but, the message was always “Jesus is coming soon!” or “Jesus is coming very soon!”, but the message to me just said, “JESUS IS COMING!!!’ with a sense of extreme urgency.
    On the 17th March at around 00.30am, I was watching a Christian program on my laptop when I got that same queer feeling and again said, “I am in Your hands Father, whatever happens.” Suddenly I was near a side door of a very large auditorium or hall. A man came out of the door and walked past me to the left. He was wearing a black suit and white shirt. I then was standing in the door and looking into the great hall. There were hundreds of men all dressed in black suits and white shirts. The hall was absolutely packed ,wall to wall and the men were in groups, talking together, back to back and shoulder to shoulder, in tight circles ,almost like the pattern of a honeycomb. They all seemed very peaceful, happy and excited and looked as if they were discussing something wonderful and important. Instantly I was at a large window that overlooked a field of grain, ready for harvest. The field stretched, as far as you could see, to the left and to the right and to the front it stretched all the way to very distant blue mountains. The grain in the field was very light in colour, whitish and not the golden colour of wheat. The whole field was so bright that it looked as if it was lit up by neon lighting from underneath. Then a gigantic sickle came down from Heaven and went into the harvest. The sickle was very shiny silver, like the chrome on motor cars, and the handle was made of a very blond, beige coloured wood. Then it all disappeared and I called my daughter, who was still awake, and told her of my vision.
    I looked up on Google for photos of different grains, ready for harvest and saw that barley looked like the field in my vision. It is also ripe to harvest, weeks before the wheat. It is the first to ripen, then the wheat and lastly the grapes. This all lines up with the three harvests mentioned in the Bible, according to many Christian sites on the internet, the first being the Rapture of all God’s sanctified children. On looking up Israel News, I see that a certain ,highly revered ,Rabbi has told the men to prepare for the coming of Messiah and that they must wear their Sabbath attire. Again the black suits and white shirts like the men in my vision were wearing. Also on the Israel news, they were celebrating the completion of the handwritten scroll of the Torah, which has been specially made for Messiah to read when He arrives. Again, all the men were wearing black suits and white shirts. “Jesus is coming!!!” Get ready to meet the bridegroom and trim your lamps. Soon it will be all over and the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdoms.of our God. MARANATHA AND SHALOM.
    This morning, 16th April 2016, God gave me these three verses and I was awed that He should show this in agreement of the vision, He gave me. Revelations 14:14-16. 14. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15.And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest is ripe 16. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. April 19th . God gave me another verse. 2 Timothy 4:5. ‘But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” The word Evangelist means anyone who shares the message of the Gospel. Now I’m extra sure that He wants me to share the message in the visions. I pray it spreads to encourage God’s children to hold on and endure, for it won’t be much longer now, we are in the final lap of the race. It is always the toughest part, but keep your eyes on the winning post and the reward that awaits you.
    You can contact me on FB or email at peregrinasa@yahoo.com. Please share if you can as it is quite an urgent message. Shalom and Maranatha from Elizabeth Victoria van der Westhuizen.
    PS. I have been wondering what the significance of the mother and child was, so have been asking God to explain the meaning to me and God gave me a verse today, 10th May, that explains the woman and child in my second vision. Isaiah 66: 13 “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

  2. Charlie Parsons

    NO WEAPON that is formed against you will prosper”…if God is for us WHO can be against us…The FIRE in us is the ONLY FIRE that matters….GOD is FOR US…the “fire” which seemed to ruin a “building” ONLY brought UNITY in the BODY of Christ.

  3. Allan verreynne

    Praise the Lord for trusting God in the midst of adversity! Faith building testimony!