GONDAR Fire Conference, Ethiopia, DAY 1:
We are on the go here in Gondar! The first day of our Fire Conference was terrific. We are in a historic city, the oldest in Ethiopia and which served as the capital of the country for over 200 years, having been established by the Emperor Fasilides in the 1600s. It is situated north of Lake Tana and is often called the “Camelot of Africa” due to its impressive, medieval-looking castles. It is also the homeland of most Ethiopian Jews.
Like Bahir Dar, less than 2% of its population are born again and even though the city is home to hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, it has only thirteen evangelical churches. Between five and ten representatives from each church were registered as delegates, depending on the church size. Today and tomorrow, Ev. Samuel Murrombe and I are presenting intense teachings on the Holy Spirit and how to be used by God. The services on Saturday and Sunday will be open to all and more evangelistic in nature.
Today, I taught on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, how God wants to use every believer with power and how to partner with the Spirit in the miraculous. Ev. Samuel taught on the importance of action and the power of expectation. The delegates are incredibly hungry for the things of God. The atmosphere is already abuzz with faith and fire. We look forward to tomorrow when we will continue teaching before laying hands on all in attendance.
Thank you very much for your continued prayers and support. We sent out an appeal some weeks ago regarding the expenses that still needed to be covered for the Bahir Dar and Gondar Fire Conferences and many of you rose to the challenge and gave. You have made these events possible and their impact will reverberate for generations to come. An army of power-packed, soul-winners are being born and their labours will continue long after we have left here. Heartfelt thanks!
GONDAR Fire Conference, Ethiopia, DAY 2:
Today was a day of fire! The intensity of His presence overwhelmed us all. I kicked off this morning by teaching on the anointing and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ev. Samuel then shared his testimony and told stories of how the Lord used him with great power to preach and pray for the sick while still in prison, stories that both encouraged us and also, challenged our faith.
After lunch, I read from Acts 2—the passage that shares how the very first disciples were baptised with the Holy Spirit—and also, taught on intimacy with Him. Thereafter, we laid hands on every delegate and prayed for God to endue them with power from on High. The results were glorious. He spoiled us with His presence, thick and heavy in its intensity. Believers were transformed into roaring lions, ready to proclaim the name of our Lord in the highways and byways!
We handed out certificates to the delegates, as well as copies of the Amharic version of my book on evangelism, “Spirit of Fire”. We also gave each delegate one of our Gospel wristbands, its symbols breaking down the Good News presentation into six straightforward steps.
Tomorrow, we will hold two services in the same venue that will be evangelistic in nature. All are welcome and the delegates will bring their unsaved friends and family. Everyone is excited. Gondar for Jesus!
GONDAR Fire Conference, Ethiopia, DAY 3:
Today was Gospel-driven and Gospel-focused! Two services were held, with the Good News being preached in both. This morning, Ev. Samuel Murrombe ministered from Matthew 22 and how human beings are made in the image of God. Satan hates us for this and wants to destroy our lives—but God! God has made a way for us to be saved through Jesus Christ. This afternoon, I preached from Luke 15 and how, if we ask Jesus to become our Shepherd, He will mark us with His blood and become our Saviour, Provider and Protector. The response to the Gospel in both services was terrific. The lost were saved and precious men and women were rescued from the dominion of darkness.
Prayer for the sick was followed by awesome testimonies. Helen is 19 years old. Six months ago, she felt tumours in both breasts that continued to grow larger and larger. This dear young lady was understandably petrified. She had also been having heart problems for the past two years and her chest was constantly in pain. Today, she not only received Jesus as her Lord and Saviour but her body was liberated from every ailment. The tumours have disappeared completely—she cannot feel them at all—and the ever-present heart-pain has vanished. Thank you, Jesus!
Yeshirat is a 48-years-old teacher. Her friend invited her to the service. Already saved, she came to worship the Lord. Over a decade ago, her entire left side started to hurt. The pain became severe. Today, Jesus intervened and set her free! During prayer for the sick, the pain first dissipated and then disappeared altogether. Elated, Yeshirat praised her God.
Marta is 22 years old. Eight years ago, while she was still a teenager, her head had started to ache and never stopped. She had simply learned to live with it. During prayer, her aching head finally stopped aching—and Marta is thrilled! Her life has gone from being pain-filled to pain-free. Amen and amen!
Tomorrow will be our final day in Gondar. Thank you for your continued support and intercession.
GONDAR Fire Conference, Ethiopia, FINAL DAY:
The glory of God overshadowed us and His power was greatly at work! I mentioned in my report on our first day that while this city has hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, it has only thirteen evangelical churches. Well, this morning, the congregations of all thirteen squeezed into our venue, the largest evangelical church in the city. It was a capacity crowd—with overflow! What a time we had together. I preached on the Holy Spirit, firing up the believers for the work before them: winning Gondar for Jesus! The Spirit moved mightily and we basked in His magnificence and magnitude. We laid hands specifically on those called to the office of the evangelist and the Lord did an expansive work in each one of them. Please, keep them in your prayers, as well as every believer in Gondar.
This afternoon, Ev. Samuel Murrombe preached the Gospel, sharing from Isaiah 55 and giving the invitation to drink from the living waters. The response to the altar call for salvation was terrific with many accepting the invitation. We then laid hands on the sick and were blessed with some incredible testimonies.
Ayeb is a 35-year-old merchant. Five years ago, her one leg began going completely numb. The issue became worse and worse until the numbness became almost constant. “During prayer yesterday, I felt the power of God pass over me,” Ayeb explained. Since then, the numbness is no more, Ayeb is free!
Workie is a 61-year-old day labourer. She had been struggling with both hemorrhoids and also, terrible pains in her right breast. She came to our services to seek prayer for her illness. The Lord has done a complete work in her, banishing both the hemorrhoids and breast pain. Our God is great and greatly to be praised!
Demis is also a day labourer. He is 38 years old. He used to be a committed believer but drifted from the Lord. For the past six years, he has been rebelling against Him completely. Stress and depression set in. His life was a mess. A friend told him about the services and Demis eagerly attended. Recommitting his life to the Lord, his heart is now filled with peace and joy once more. “No one should ever leave the house of God!” he testified. Amen to that, Demis. We agree with you completely!
Thank you again for sending us to Gondar. The second of our two back-to-back Fire Conferences has come to a spectacular conclusion. The believers here have been fired up and revived for red-hot Gospel service. Both Bahir Dar and Gondar shall be saved—and thank YOU for helping bring the plans of our God for these cities closer to fruition. Amen and amen!