Power of God moving in school, malls and hospital
A Uitenhage church that has been experiencing an increase in miraculous healings, salvations and transformed lives has become a launching pad for a revival fire that is spreading to schools, families, businesses, church leaders and the wider community.
Since its beginning in the Eastern Cape industrial town near Port Elizabeth seven years ago, Spirit Life Church has pursued a mandate to become a church in revival, says its leader, Pastor Monto van der Merwe. But things really started to hot up six weeks ago after he felt God impress on him to declare the reality of revival.
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“Since then we have seen an incredible increase in the anointing which resulted in more powerful healings, creative miracles, salvations and people being filled with the ‘revival fire’ and they have started to touch the community!” says Van der Merwe.
In an example of the fire spreading, a powerful move of God has been taking place at Fountain Of Life Christian School in Uitenhage for the past six weeks, after the principal, Desireé Joubert experienced personal revival at the church. The revival which is radically impacting teachers and learners of all ages at the school is beginning to touch other schools. Uitenhage pastors who recently attended a ministers’ fraternal meeting at the school were amazed when 18 learners at the school prayed for them and shared words of knowledge and visions with them. Pastors were moved to tears by the experience and one asked whether the learners whose words about his life were so apt did not know him. They didn’t.
“Our members have experienced such a revival anointing and a need to see the lost saved, that we are hearing testimonies of how they are praying for people in the Pick’nPay stores, malls etc. Some have started up prayer-meetings in their workplaces” says Van der Merwe.
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Indeed, a member of the church displayed great boldness yesterday according to the following account which was posted in Facebook yesterday, by Van der Merwe’s wife, Claudia: “REVIVAL!!! Nolene Burger, one of our members, went to visit someone in Hospital today. She decided to visit another patient, whom she led to the Lord yesterday. As she was standing beside her bed the doctor arrived and Nolene, filled with the Holy Spirit, led him to the Lord! Soon after that the Physiotherapist walked in and Nolene led her to salvation as well! As she was leaving the ward she bumped into a nurse and guess what? You guessed it, she led her and her friend to Jesus! People, this is REVIVAL!”
Confirming the incident, Van der Merwe says that Burger was a quiet and reserved member of the church for six years. Since the outbreak of revival she has changed dramatically, joined the church’s hospital ministry and boldly introduces people to Jesus wherever she goes.
“We have increased our Sunday morning services, first to a Wednesday night and now to a Sunday evening service as well. We are seeing many people coming to see and experience the Revival or coming to get prayer for healing etc. and it is so amazing to see them encountering the Holy Spirit and His Awesome Power!”
I attended the inaugural Sunday evening service at Spirit Life Church last Sunday (May 26), and visited Fountain Of Life Christian School yesterday, to experience the revival atmosphere first hand.
There were indeed a number of miraculous healings during the three-and-a-half hour service. Some of those healed went up for prayer after Van der Merwe called out their health problems through words of knowledge. A number of people also made first-time commitments to Jesus. The most striking feature of the service for me was the visibly passionate involvement of young people from small children to teenagers and twenty-somethings. Several Fountain Of Life Christian School learners shared testimonies. The school principal, Desireé Joubert, and a teacher, Christelle Surtee, also testified; other teachers who were expected to speak were not available because they were resting on the floor after falling under the power of the Holy Spirit.
My visit to the interdenominational Christian school yesterday was an education in revival. Joubert explained that after moving from Pretoria to Uitenhage she taught for three years at Harvest Christian School in Port Elizabeth. She realised that Uitenhage needed a Christian school and so she founded Fountain Of Life in 1997 with 10 pre-schoolers. Today there are 240 learners ranging from 3-years-old to Grade 12. The school has outgrown the space it rented from a church for the first 16 years and has plans to build a new school for 650 learners on property it has bought. This year it is renting space from Winterberg Primary School, a struggling Government School that serves poor communities. The two schools are running on the same property and as I explain later in this report, God is using Fountain Of Life to bring life and hope to Winterberg.
Joubert says that after going through the pain of a divorce eight years ago – “something that I never expected and which was against my Biblical worldview” – she lost her spiritual passion. She married again and two years ago she started attending Spirit Life Church where she started experiencing restoration.
In early March this year Van der Merwe had a word from God for her that her time had come. Soon afterwards at a church conference she was moved to tears when a visiting preacher spoke about standing in the gap for your seed. She realised that all of the children at her school were her seed and that she had a responsibility to equip them to keep on producing fruit into the next generations and becoming the Christian leaders of tomorrow to change the nation.
Days later during worship she had a vision of a man carrying burning coals in a skottel. She asked him for a coal saying she wanted to be a revival carrier. A month later at a midweek revival service she had another vision: this time she was carrying the skottel of coals. Her passion and her calling were restored.
At a weekly Monday chapel meeting at school at the start of the next term she got her teachers to step out and pray with every child in the school – laying hands on them and praying as the Holy Spirit led. Many of the children cried as it was the first time they had experienced the touch of God. For many of the teachers it was also a first to pray aloud for the learners and to flow in gifts of the Spirit.
The next Monday Joubert invited Monto and Claudia van der Merwe to minister at the chapel meeting. More than 100 children were baptised in the Holy Spirit and started talking in tongues. The ministry continued for two and a half hours.
The spiritual temperature continued to soar. Staff and learners began praying for revival together at break times and later also began worshiping together at breaks. More learners were baptised in the Sprit. Grade 1 children who were excluded from the ministry time with the Van Der Merwes because they were considered too young, began to join in the break time prayer and asked to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. Learners of all ages prayed with one another and many fell under the power of the Spirit.
“To me its not about falling down. It’s not about manifestations. Its about lives changing and that’s what I am experiencing,” says Joubert.
She says that the staff now display a greater passion for the things of God and for ministry.
“There is also an outpouring of love. I can see the staff’s hearts are stirred for the children. And I can see it being imparted to the kids.”
Joubert says the learners at the school have a passion for the gospel and a passion to pray for people.
“Ive seen children’s countenances change — then you know that God is doing a thing inside. I’ve just seen that these children are bursting with life. They are drawn to the things of God. There are children you just know that are called to ministry.
“And there have also been changes academically. There are some who have been battling who have testified how God has stimulated their thinking and their understanding.”
Joubert says that most of the feedback she has had from parents has been positive. Parents are noticing an improvement in their children’s behaviour and attitude. One mother called her expressing concern about long chapel meetings interfering with academic time. Another mother visited her with mixed feelings.
She says she understands and has addressed the concerns about the school’s academic time. As a principal academic matters are important to her and she is proud of the school’s academic record.
“My challenge in this is that I know God is moving, the Holy Spirit is stirring. I want the Holy Spirit to to have free rein but I also know that the ordinary business of the day has to happen as well.
Last week at a regional meeting of ACE schools Joubert had an opportunity to share about what was happening in her life and in her school. A principal and teacher from a Christian school in Port Elizabeth asked her to pray for them and to impart what she had to them. A principal of a Christian school in Alexandria asked her to come and minister at her school and to ‘impart that which we carry to her students and staff”.
“It is SO not about us, but ABOUT HIM! All He wants are WILLING VESSELS who will step out in faith…And HUNGRY HEARTS that HE CAN FILL…!” writes Joubert in a Facebook comment about her experience praying for the spiritually hungry teachers from other schools.
Closer to home, Danie Olivier, principal of Winterberg Primary School which is renting space to Fountain Of Life says the Christian school’s presence is an answer to prayer. Every year for the past four years he has wondered how his school will manage to keep going in the face of financial lack. He says he was tired and discouraged and planned to retire in February 2014 when he turned 60. But Fountain Of Life’s rental payments have provided a financial lifeline to his school this year. And the revival spirit of the Christian school has revived him to the extent that he has decided to carry on leading the school until he has to retire at 65. For the sake of the community he wants to throw his energy into rebuilding a section of the school that burnt down.
Recently four learners at Fountain Of Life, together with Joubert and her secretary, laid hands on Olivier and prayed for him. The learners prophesied over him. He says he has never experienced such prayer in his life but he was mightily blessed by it!
Joubert says that a teacher from Winterberg who is also a pastor has joined her and her staff in their daily prayer time before school.
Praise God! All Glory and Honout to God!
Praise the Lord! His Spirit will NOT be quenched. All HE is looking for is us to be willing to surrender to HIS will completely. May this revival spread throughout Africa
Hi Des, Let Go and let GOD have his wonder full way.
He is the LORD – the Famous One! Great is His Name in all the Earth..
Desiree, keep going honey, keep on your knees, remain a humble willing servant, he will lift you up and keep you on the right road. God Bless you darling much love Libby…..xxxx
AMEN!He will live on.I pray this ministry will grow more and more
God is groot,dankie God dat U ook besig is met my,gee my die krag om te doen soos U wil amen
Praise the Lord, we serve a wonderful God
God is Great nd only needs a willing nd receptive heart
Let revival break out in our shores. It is about time we experience the fire of God. The Church has become too predictable.
Time is running out…we need2 do what God has called us 2 do..the word says ‘those who win souls are wise’ I want2 be part of this revival!
God is great. Out of the ashes will rise revival fire. REVIVAL!!! Can’t wait to see what GOD do next. All I can say is LORD use me.
Alle eer aan die Heer en seeninge vir sy diensknegte wat Hom soek in all erns. God wag net op ons om Hom te nader.
“EYEWITNESS To REVIVAL”
-Frank Bartleman ‘Azusa Street’
The Lord will visit those willing to yield to Him.
We must keep humble and little in our own eyes. Let us get built up by a sense of our own importance and we are gone.
God has always sought humble people. He can use no other.
There is much need always of heart preparation, in humility and separation, before God can consistently come. The depth of any revival will be determined exactly by the spirit of repentance that obtains. In fact this is the key to every true revival born of God.”
I have a very soft spot for the people of Uitenhage and therefore I must ask the following questions:
1. Are the children and adults being born again/being saved from the wrath to come/being converted through confession and repentance of specific sins, baptised in water for the forgiveness/remission of sins and baptised in the Holy Spirit to enable them to be witnesses and to enable them to stay remain and continue in a love relationship with Jesus Christ until the day they die or until the Lord Jesus Christ returns?
2. Are the manifestations being experienced in Uitenhage found in the Bible? For instance the only instance that I can think of where people were “slain in the Spirit” is in the story of Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Holy Spirit.
The only indication that I know of where people possibly fell over backwards in the presence of the Lord is in the Garden of Gethsemany in John 18:6 where Jesus said to the soldiers who came to capture Him: “I am He” and they drew back and fell to the ground.
Yes there are cases in the Bible where believers in the OT and the NT fell to the ground in the presence of God, but they never fell on their backs, but on their knees or on their faces in the presence of an Awesome Most Holy God.
I trust the the Revival that is being experienced in Uitenhage will not be a temporary thing, whereafter the usual backsliding will set in again, but that it will be an ongoing and lasting revival to the ongoing Glory of the Most High God through His Son Jesus Christ and in the ongoing outpouring of the power of The Holy Spirit.
Please remember that God is not looking for people having experiences and making decisions, only to fall away or backslide later. God is looking for disciples/saints who will submit fully to His Word and the leading of His Holy Spirit and who will stay, remain and continue in a love relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ, with the help of and through the power of The Holy Spirit right up to the end.
To those who have been entrusted to lead the Uitenhage revival I wish to respectfully request that you be very careful with how you deal with the people of Uitenhage and how you apply the Word of God to them.
I have heard people say that the revival that SA needs will start in Bloemfontein, Jeffrey’s Bay and even Port Elizabeth and I think to myself that I am not so sure.
Now that something is stirring in Uitenhage, the thought that comes to mind is: CHURCH, PLEASE DO NOT MESS IT UP!!! Be kind and gentle to one another, and especially with the people to whom this kind of thing is strange.
Let us pray that a Spirit of repentance will descend upon all the people of Uitenhage, so that the revival that South africa so badly needs can take off.
However, that can only take place if the Gospel is preached to all and for everyone to hear, not only in churches, but with wisdom where the people live and work also.
Rom 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…….
(NKJ)
Selah
Warm regards in Jesus Christ
John Saunders
Its time to go out and find the lost,for those people who find it hard to get out of their situations,to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. ” Lord let Your Revival Fire burn inside of us. “Can’t wait to see what surprises God has for us next.”It happens under the anointing!!!Awesome God!!!
wow great to sea how revival fire burn in Fountain of life Christian school it is the power of the Holy Spirit and how He work in Spirit Life Ministries and I now it is not Finnish we only see the tip of the iceberg and as it say in the article we must sprat what happen in Spirit Life Ministries as someone sad one day to me sheep make sheep
Praise God! We rejoice with you in what is happening at Spirit Life Church, Fountain of Life Christian School & in the Uitenhage Community. This is what we are praying for! May Revival Fires burn throughout our beautiful Land – South Africa! And may God bless you, as you continue to seek His Glorious Face.
I was a pastor in Uitenhage for 13 years and often prayed at Fountain of Life school. I simply praise God for what is now happening. May it continue and spread!
We give thanks for what God is doing and changing lives @ Fountain of life and Spirit Life.Monto & Claudia are people that for many years have being listening & praying for God to Move. Desiree has also longed for Children to know and walk in the fulness of the Holy Spirit and be an impact on the community.
May they continue to be channels for Him. But may we see it spread through out the metro which is in desperate need of the Spirits move in every area of society,
A fire Revival is approaching, warriors of the Lord need to stand up, It is time we become a GODly nation and not just be bistanders, The power of GOD will manifest in uss, I can say most men say they men cause they built something great I tell you we will not be real men if we do not submit to the one Lord pick up the cross and follow him.
Desiree this is fantastic, yes I echo the prayer of the above, be gentle with each other, dont judge what God is doing in someone else, cos you always get the wrong end of the stick, I always remember to say when I am preaching, that I am preaching to myself, and the most fingers are pointing back to me! The past has taught us many things, circumstances teaches us many things, our church family is not always as Gid intended, but as we do his bidding and leave the rest to God, it does sort itself out. Be blessed people, keep your eye on the fiery pillar by night and the cloud by day!
I was a student at fountain of life and I left the school because of family issues that arose in my family. the one thing that I took with me as soon as I knew that I wasn’t coming back to fountain of life was JESUS.. I was tought about jesus and he lived in me. . I believe I still belong to the F.O.L.C.S family in spirit because the gift that you have given me of knowing Christ is one that nobody else could give to me.
Thank you Aunty Desiree
Greetings! The LORD has placed a HUGE vision on my herart. Won’t you please go to the website mentioned and have a look around, and then let me haver a phone number so that I can contact you and comer and see you please?
Greetings! The LORD has placed a HUGE vision on my heart. Won’t you please go to the website mentioned and have a look around, and then let me haver a phone number so that I can contact you and comer and see you please?