Breakfast with Reinhard Bonnke

[notice]Revivalist Shannon-Leigh Barry shares her wit and passion and the pursuits of her 20something heart in a monthly column that speaks to the desires of young adults in today’s Christian society. [/notice]

Saturday morning started at the unusual hour of 2am. I never slept much. I was invited to go road tripping to San Francisco for the day to hear Reinhard Bonnke preach.

For those of you thinking ‘Where is this girl now?’, I’m currently studying in California but I am a resident of South Africa. It was a last minute thing and there we were, five girls riding to San Fran. We arrived at the Hyatt and waited in line. Last minute means the tickets were sold out but we were taking the chance anyway. Please Jesus let there be cancellations because the tiredness has to be for something. I wished I dressed up more. With California you never know. We got in after everyone was seated and got really good seats with breakfast served to us. I was starting to get excited as I realised this spontaneous trip was a dream in my heart last year.

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 I was sitting in room with a friend. A really successful businessman who has come to love me as a daughter. We started speaking about dreams and what I would want to see next in my life. I said randomly I would like to meet Reinhard Bonnke and get impartation or go to his school. My friend laughed because he had personally met him and funded his ministry before. It was almost challenging in that the dream seemed so easy in my friend’s mind and in my own head logic I was thinking “How?” as I was still in South Africa.

I’m currently studying ministry in California and the opportunity just availed itself to me. First to take the stage was Daniel Kolenda. He is Reinhard Bonnke’s successor in a ministry founded as Christ For all Nations. This ministry started when Reinhard, a German man, received consecutive dreams from the Lord in the country of Lesotho saying “Africa would be saved”. If you have never heard of Reinhard Bonnke before this,  I would suggest viewing the YouTube links below. His ministry has brought over 50 millions souls to Christ. Jesus said we would do greater things than he. I think that verse applies to this man.

Back to Kolenda. Daniel has led 14 million souls to The Lord. For a young man in his thirties. He displays what a young Timothy would be to Paul. In this case it’s two Evangelists. Daniel pours his heart out about the desire to see more souls come to Jesus and how the Basics of the Gospel cannot be overlooked. That if people are not sent out others will never hear about Jesus. He shows a video of a deaf Muslim man who walked into one of their crusades by accident and had his ears instantly pop open. There is a video attached for you to see. The room is all teary eyes as we praise God for what He is doing in Africa. We watch videos of millions of souls getting saved in one day. Yes, one crusade led four million souls to The Lord. My heart felt like it was going to explode in my chest.

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They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’ — Luke 24:32 – New International Version – UK (NIVUK).

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke got on the stage and he really is a man possessed by God. He said that he is not a businessman. God’s business is his business. From that salvation account no one would dare dispute it. After all the sacrifice and time spent pouring his life out in Africa Reinhard announced that he will be now focusing on America after hearing The Lord say America will be saved. He asked the Lord for a sign to be given to him about going to preach in America. In one meeting while he was preaching a woman brought her dead husband to the meeting believing God could raise him from the dead. He had been involved in a car accident three days earlier and pronounced deceased. They put the dead man on a table in the another room not to alert the crowd and within minutes the man began breathing again. I just watched the full video. Thankful for technology. Reinhard knew that this was a sign for America. That God would raise America from the dead. After sharing about the sign Evangelist Reinhard then announced the crusades to come in the United States in the next two years. The last one was in Florida and 15 000 people attended.

Then I heard him say it. He would personally be giving us in the room impartation to access the anointing on his life to allow us to also lead millions to Jesus as well as receive impartation from Daniel Kolenda. For those of you who don’t understand impartation, it’s mentioned in Hebrews 6 as one one the elementary foundations of Christianity called the laying on of hands. What it simply means is the anointing grows with time in its measure and some people take years in growing themselves, their relationship with The Lord, favour with God, and developing their gifting. Through impartation what took someone 40 years to grow in might take you much less. The key in receiving is to honor what God has done in that person’s life and desire the same.

They made two lines and as we passed through the lines I felt this hand touch me and power shot through my body. It was like my right side was by plugged in an electrical socket and my head felt so heavy like a drunk person. The fire he carries transferred so instantly that my face needed cold air as it was burning up. I got to speak to Evangelist Bonnke later and I told him I was from South Africa. He was so happy. He said he lived in Boksburg before. I got his autobiography and got a hug. Needless to say I was a happy girl. I met one of the a Generals of the Faith and left feeling like there is so much possible. That God would orchestrate a divine setup just so I could have a dream come to life. I want to see a million souls come to Jesus in one call that’s the new dream.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? — Romans 10:14 – New International Version – UK (NIVUK)

Dreaming of the same experience? There will be a Fire Conference in Pretoria, South Africa in the month of March 2014 and it will now be held annually to the excitement of many. The Cape Town based Team from Christ for all Nations are hoping to take it from city to city to ignite believers to win souls. Reinhard Bonnke and Daniel Kolenda will be preaching side by side. Contact the Southern Africa CfaN branch on 086 123 2672 for details. The Gospel must be heard by the lost