The Battle is the Lord’s
Back in 1991, CfaN faced a difficult situation in Nigeria. We were ready to go with a massive Gospel Campaign in the city of Kano, but the political situation there destabilized practically overnight. Suddenly, it was a life-threatening moment. Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Reverend Peter Vandenberg and our team barely escaped with their lives.
For the moment, it looked like CfaN was shut out of Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa. But the Lord gave Reinhard a promise. The promise was that God would open the doors in Nigeria again, and when he did, we would see greater harvests than this ministry had ever known.
A few years later, the doors swung wide open. CfaN would go on to see well over a million people gathered in a single meeting in Lagos in 2000! The next few years became known as “The Nigerian Miracle”, as millions surrendered their lives to Jesus in CfaN campaigns.
I am sharing this with you today because I believe we are standing before a similar moment right now.
Ebola outbreak in the DRC
Given the seriousness of the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we had no choice but to postpone the Gospel Campaigns that were planned for June and July. I’m sure you can imagine that this is disappointing and difficult, both for us and for the local churches who have poured so much time and effort into the preparations.
In fact, our campaign organizers on the ground told me that some of the local pastors wept at the news that we would have to postpone. We have promised that when the outbreak has passed and large gatherings are permitted again, we will be back.
It is not a matter of if, but when. If anything, this challenge only cements our commitment to bringing the Gospel to this region, where life is precarious and filled with suffering and conflict.
The promise of a greater harvest
As we’ve been seeking the Lord about this situation, we’ve received several prophetic words from Spirit-filled men and women whom we trust. These words all say the same thing – that God says we will be back in the region before long, and when we go back, the harvest will be the greatest we’ve ever seen in the DRC.
One prophecy referenced the 1991 Kano situation, reminding us that we’ve heard such a word from the Lord before, and he was faithful to fulfill it beyond our wildest dreams. So, we know that despite the current circumstances, there is nothing to fear, for the battle is the Lord’s.
“Do not be discouraged!”
The Lord has spoken, so we are not downhearted or discouraged! We know the One who holds the future in his hands. We see beyond the news headlines to the truth spoken from heaven, that God is preparing a greater harvest in the DRC than we’ve yet seen.
While we wait for the doors to open again in the DRC, we are busy with many other plans and preparations for the next few months, both in Africa and in South America.
Major priorities – speakers and discipleship booklets
We have two vital tasks currently before us. The first is the repair of our broken sound speakers. It has taken almost a year just to get them back to Kenya from the DRC, where they were damaged. We are in the process of shipping replacement parts to Kenya, where our Technical Director, Derek Murray, will restore the system to full operational status once more.
Another equally important priority is the printing of follow-up booklets. The Now That You Are Saved booklets by Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke are a crucial aspect of every CfaN campaign. Straight after people make the decision to be born again at a CfaN campaign, they are handed one of these booklets, which have helped tens of millions take their first steps in their new life with Jesus.
God did not call us to make converts, but to make disciples. (Matthew 28:19)
We also need to print a million What’s Next? booklets for children as soon as possible, and I can tell you right now that this still won’t be enough! As fast as we can print them, they are given to children who have just heard the Gospel. There are multiple teams of evangelists doing Youth Campaigns in Africa, Asia and South America this summer, sharing the Good News with hundreds of thousands of kids. We need to print now in multiple languages to meet this need.
Please help us fill the storehouse with booklets!
News from Angola coming soon!
While the DRC campaigns are on hold for now, we are going full steam ahead in Angola. The first of two Gospel Campaigns is happening from 16 – 19 July in collaboration with Evangelist Randy Roberts (Radical Walk). The anticipation in the area is very high. The previous Gospel Campaigns there caused a huge stir in this nation. Churches who had never worked together before became same so bonded in unity and love, they decided to formally join forces by creating a new denomination!
The effect the campaigns had on the region they were in was noticed at the highest levels of government. Where there was once bureaucratic skepticism and distrust, we are now welcomed with open arms. So, I am looking forward to sharing what I know will be a great report with you soon.
A Vision for Venezuela
There’s no sitting still for our campaign organizers, Bret Sipek and Jana Bielava. Though they are not in the DRC for now, they are very busy implementing our vision for Venezuela. I believe there’s no time to waste there – we have an extraordinary opportunity to share the Gospel in that nation right now, and we are taking hold of it. As Leonard Ravenhill put it so well: “The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity!”
And so, we are working towards a broad evangelistic strategy for Venezuela that goes beyond just putting on Gospel Campaigns. This will include Fire Camps (energizing and equipping local believers to spread the Gospel fearlessly), youth campaigns, church trainings, and Gospel Invasions (blanketing whole cities with evangelistic outreaches). I will come back to you with more on that in the next weeks.
I know you’re with us
I thank the Lord that he has given us partners who stand with us through thick and thin. You’re with us in the triumphs but also in the trials. So, thank you for praying for us. Thank you for holding our arms up when the battle is long. Please especially keep the people of the DRC in your prayers. Pray for the local believers, for protection and peace. Pray that this terrible virus will be vanquished quickly so that the Gospel may be preached there once more.
Together with you for the Gospel,
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
(and the CfaN team worldwide)
P.S. Even a small gift goes a long way when printing follow-up booklets. €10 pays for as many as 80 booklets for kids, or 20 booklets for adults. Thank you, if you can help us meet this need this summer.
