Reinhard Bonnke 2005

It's a great joy for me and privilege to be here in this church today.

I've met Pastor Robert two years ago in Orlando while he was ministering at Calvary Assembly.

That's where we met.

That's where God used him to give me a prophecy to one day preach in China.

Well, I tell you, I'm I'm uh like a bullet in the gun.

I just wait for someone to pull the trigger and I will be there.

Praise God, praise God.

The gospel is explosive.

The gospel is explosive.

We serve a mighty God.

I came to Africa as a missionary, a German missionary, and uh discovered that Africa had not been waiting for me.

I found it much harder to preach there than in my own country.

Um then something happened.

God gave me a vision in the night.

I saw the continent of Africa becoming washed in the precious blood of Jesus.

And I heard a voice cry, a voice that penetrated my bone and my marrow.

Africa shall be saved.

I had that dream for consecutive nights, and that changed everything.

I realized God had bigger plans than I had ever thought.

I decided to stop making my own plans.

I had always made my own plans for God.

Then I had to fast and pray to persuade Him to bless them.

Now I said, I connect with His program.

And his program is Africa shall be saved.

And because his programs can't fail, I can't fail if I connect with them.

And this is what I did, and like a mighty explosion, it began to happen.

All of a sudden, I preached to 10,000 people.

Next time, 30,000, 70,000.

When I reached 70,000, I said to my wife, I think this is God's maximum.

And then the Holy Spirit whispered in my heart, saying, God has no maximum.

God has no maximum.

That's a human uh limitation.

But our God has no maximum.

The crowds grew to 150,000, 200,000, 500,000, 1.2 million, 1.6 million in one meeting.

In one meeting, I tell you before God, this is the truth.

In one meeting, we had 1,093,745 registered salvations for Jesus.

In one meeting.

I said to my team, if Jesus keeps saving souls at this rate, I think one day the devil is going to sit alone in hell.

How much I wish that was true.

Although it's just a wish.

Although it's just a wish.

But we are preaching the gospel because I am a firm believer of the fact that heaven is going to be bigger than hell.

Heaven is going to be bigger than hell.

Glory to God.

Pastor Robert reminded me of a story I told him last time we met.

I quickly want to share that with you because this is very, very significant in my life.

I started out early because Jesus called me to be one day a missionary in Africa at the age of ten.

My father was a pastor.

My parents, let me quickly add that.

My ancestors never knew about Jesus.

They belonged to the state church there in Germany, but were never told that Jesus saves.

And then, long before I was born, very long before I was born, my grandfather was very sick with arthritis.

Nobody could help him.

He was so sick that he screamed with pain.

They said they could hear him down the street screaming.

And then an American missionary lost his way in those East German, deep, thick forests and came to the village where my ancestors lived.

Somebody told him about that man screaming with pain.

And that American missionary came to our home and told my people that Jesus saves and Jesus heals.

He prayed for grandfather, he was healed on the spot, and my family got saved.

That is when the Holy Spirit is in charge, believe me.

How could he lose his way and just come to my family?

And isn't that fantastic?

And I'm happy to be in America to thank you all for sending out missionaries.

God bless you.

This is what I wanted to tell you.

I just finished my Bible college training in the United Kingdom and was on my way home.

In those days, we didn't go by plane, we went by train.

And I passed through London.

In London, I had a whole day off.

My train only went late at night.

So I used that day for some sightseeing.

I just had a couple of coins in my pocket, so I couldn't officially participate in a sightseeing tour.

And just went from these public, use these public buses.

They called that bus hopping.

You just I just got into a bus that I don't even know where it went to.

I just went one direction.

Then I changed buses, the other direction, these doubled dagger buses, you know, these London buses.

And I crisscrossed the city just like that.

After a few hours, I thought I need to stretch my legs a little bit.

I got out of the bus and I walked into a residential area, just next to the bus stop.

Suddenly I see I pass a house, and to my surprise, I see a nameplate there reading George Jeffries.

I thought, wow, I've read a book about the man called George Jeffries.

He was that firebrand evangelist, the man who brought signs and the gospel of signs and wonders to Britain.

Can it be that he lives here?

No, I said, he's already dead.

It's an old story.

And a little voice tells me inside, you've got time to kill.

Why can't you find out?

So I walked through the front garden, I pushed the button of the bell, a lady opened.

I said, Excuse me, ma'am.

Does is is this the George Jeffreys living in this house, whom God used so mightily with signs and wonders in Britain, whose book I read?

She said to me, Yes.

I said, May I please see him?

She said, No.

And I tell you, she filled the door frame.

And while she was adamantly refusing me to see him, I heard a deep voice from the inside.

Let him come in.

I don't know how I passed, but I passed.

And in I was, and there he came down those steps.

I said, I'm Reinhard Bunkey.

I just finished Bible college.

I've got the call of God in my life to go to Africa.

I said, I read your book.

I don't know how I came here to this address.

But here I am.

Suddenly, that man dropped to the ground, pulled me down with him, laid his hand on me, and started to bless me and bless me and bless me and bless me.

And the glory of the Lord filled that room.

It was as if I fell into a sea of light.

Half an hour later, I left that house drunk with the glory of God.

And I kept wondering, how is it possible that I arrived at this house in a city with 10 million people, that man not even being on my mind?

How is it possible?

That night I caught the train back home to Hamburg.

You know, I grew up in Hamburg and then I lived in Frankfurt, but I'm neither a hamburger nor a Frankfurter.

When when I arrived, when I arrived in uh in Hamburg, my father picked me up that at the railway station.

We just greeted each other, talked for a little while, and then my dad said, Reinhardt, I just heard the news.

George Jeffreys has died in London.

I said, It can't be, it can't be.

I just saw him yesterday, but it was the truth.

And then I realized the Holy Spirit must have been my bus driver who took me to that address because I picked up a mantle.

I picked up a mantle.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

I didn't get my anointing from him.

My anointing has come directly from Jesus, but there was a connection, the Holy Spirit connected me with a former generation of evangelists.

And there is something like a Holy Spirit succession.

This is wonderful.

And I believe in my heart that that succession will continue and continue until the day Jesus comes.

Glory to God in the highest.

One day he said to me, One day you will become slower, and I will become faster.

I said, Son, sit down, I want to tell you something.

I said, I will be like a Boeing seven for seven.

At the end of the runway, it is fastest.

And you won't even see break marks.

Because I am just going to pull up.

Amen.

We are going to serve the Lord.

Right to the last yard.

Say amen.

To the finish line in Jesus' name.

Jesus said, Go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature.

All the world, every creature.

It is absolutely all comprehensive.

All comprehensive.

Jesus didn't die for some small little benefits.

He didn't die just to give us a career or for pastors to have a well-paid job.

He didn't, he wasn't raised on the cross just to raise our standard of living.

But he said, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save those who are lost.

And my spirit in my heart, it is burning like fire.

We've got to reach our generation, and we are the first generation who has a genuine chance to win a whole generation for Jesus Christ.

As Pastor Robert said, since the year 2000 till now, we had 38.5 million registered decisions for salvation.

These are people who actually completed a decision card.

We don't count hands and heads, we count completed cards.

I tell you, I'm heaven's bookkeeping may be different, that is possible.

But as long as it is written in the Bible, whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We are doing something right, and we will continue to do so.

The Holy Spirit spoke to me that I should trust Him for a hundred million souls during this decade.

And right now we are more or less on track.

It shall happen in Jesus' name.

Glory to God.

Say amen.

And how does it happen?

Let me just share my heart with you a little bit here this evening, may I?

John was the first one.

John the Baptist was the first one to speak about this glorious secret.

In chapter 3.11, Matthew 3.11, this is what he said.

He said, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

I mean this is Pentecost weekend.

John said, I stand I baptize you into water.

John stood in the cold waters of River Jordan, baptizing people into that element.

That's why some people think Christianity is a cold religion with ice.

But John said, I baptize in water.

Here I am.

But somebody else is coming after me who's greater than I.

I'm not worthy to open loosen his sandals.

He is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Now, John was standing in the river of Jordan.

Let me say, right here, baptizing into cold water.

But Jesus is standing in another kind of river.

He is standing in a river of liquid fire.

Of liquid fire.

And he is baptizing people into that liquid fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Now, the word baptism today is a religious word.

But two thousand years ago, when the New Testament was written, it was a commercial word.

That's what we have learned.

A commercial word.

It was used in the trade of dying fabrics.

Of dying fabrics.

Imagine you can make a living from dying.

Dying fabrics.

The cloth was slowly immersed into the dye.

The cloth and the dye and the dye and the cloth.

And when the cloth was pulled out, it looked like the dye, it smelt like the dye.

It was the same like the dye.

That word.

This is what happened on the day of Pentecost, and this happens even today, right here.

Jesus will take you.

He is the baptizer into the Holy Spirit and fire.

And he will dip you into that river of fire.

You and the fire.

And the fire in you.

And when you come out of that baptism, you will look like fire.

You will smell like fire.

You have the temperature of fire.

I'm a hot preacher.

If you haven't noticed that yet, your thermometer must be broken.

But when I came out of that river of fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit, I could not contain myself.

What an awesome stream and river of power.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

You know that cloth actually accepts the nature, the texture, the character of the dye, color, and everything.

And when we are baptized into this river of fire by Jesus Himself, we somehow participate in the divine nature.

And God is fire.

We learn that in the Old Testament, and it's true in the New Testament, He is fire.

That's why the gospel is a hot message.

It is a hot message, and it's powerful.

It's the message of salvation, it's the message of signs and of wonders.

Jesus is the same today.

And here we come.

He makes his angels winds and his ministers flames of fire.

We are flames of fire because of this glorious baptism into the Holy Spirit.

Say amen.

Oh, hallelujah.

And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

A flame on every head.

I like that.

It says, each of them, each of them.

Tongues of fire, as of fire, one sat upon each of them.

And the tongue that the tongue of fire on their heads somehow connected with their tongue of flesh.

And they began to speak as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance.

And they have not stopped ever since.

And they are still speaking and speaking and speaking.

Let my people go that they may serve me.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

Oh, hallelujah! Hallelujah.

My wife tells me that sometimes I sit by night in bed, and in my sleep I'm casting out devils.

I when she told me that I was troubled.

I thought, is there something wrong with me?

Then I realized, no, not at all.

You know what happens when my brain sleeps, the flame never sleeps.

That's why I have no nightmares.

Because the devil cannot touch me with his filthy finger, he'll burn it.

It's too hot.

Oh, hallelujah! We are too hot for the devil.

Jesus is here to do that great, great and wonderful thing to you.

Immerse you into the Holy Spirit and fire.

Blessed be the name of Jesus.

He is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire.

On the day of Pentecost, there were 120 people in the upper on the upper room.

And one hundred and twenty flames arrived.

That is the proof to me that somebody in heaven must have been counting.

And I tell you, in heaven, someone has counted the heads here tonight.

And there is a gift ready waiting for you.

If you want to receive it, there's a flame for every head.

Say amen.

Oh, hallelujah.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

In Germany, you know what they say to me in Germany, in my own country.

They say, Reinhardt, why do you shout so much?

When you preach, we are not deaf, you know.

Yes, I do know.

I said to them, I said to them, when I see how Satan torments the German people with all sorts of perversions, with all chains and lusts and evil, when I see how he torments the German young people, I cannot purr like a kitten.

I cannot coo like a dove.

I want to roll like a lion.

I must make a confession here because twice I try to behave.

Those two meetings were a catastrophe.

I went back to the Lord.

I said, Lord, this was terrible.

What now?

And what the Lord spoke to me, knocked me off my chair.

I kid you not.

He said to me, Reinhardt, don't worry, dignity is not a fruit of the spirit.

But the joy of the Lord is not our weakness.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

If you can afford to shout a hallelujah, do it now.

I love you.

You are wonderful.

Amen.

Oh hallelujah.

I have not said this, but I heard somebody else say it.

Revelation says that there's half an hour silence in heaven.

And they say that's the half an hour when the German Christians march in.

I'm asking you.

I don't want to match with the Germans.

I want to match with Africa.

Oh, we want to give Jesus the Lamb on the throne the greatest hallelujah of all.

Hallelujah.

We carry that flame of fire in our lives, and it is there for you.

It is there for you.

Right now.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

It's a gift.

Some people always think what they have got to do to get it.

Well, I tell you, if you pay something for a gift, you've paid something too much.

Because a gift is free.

It's free.

Ask and you shall receive.

And that is so powerful and so glorious.

Hallelujah.

Somebody came to me and said, Why is God using you, Reinhardt?

And why is God not using me?

You know that's a dangerous question.

But my mind works in pictures.

I said to them, Suppose you've got two stoves in your house.

One is cold and one is hot.

And you want to make yourself a cup of coffee.

Which one of the two would you use?

That's why God uses some and not others.

We should never pray, Lord, please use me.

We should pray, Lord, make me usable.

And the moment we have that temperature coming out of that river of fire, God will use us automatically without asking us.

Say amen.

It's Pentecost.

May everyone leave this building today with a flame on their heads.

Oh, what a mighty God we serve.

But for a minute, allow me to leave the 99 and turn to the one lost sheep here tonight.

I told you that I believe that heaven will be bigger than hell.

I said that in the church.

Afterwards, the elders came to me and they said, How can you say such a thing?

Haven't you read Matthew 7?

Broad is the way that leads to damnation.

Many are those who walk on it.

That's to hell.

Narrow is the way that leads to everlasting life.

Few are those who walk on it.

How can you then say that there will be more people in heaven than there will be in hell?

I said, I tell you why I say this.

When Jesus spoke these words, broad is the way that leads to damnation.

When he spoke those words, that moment he planted his cross in the middle of that highway.

I look at the cross as being the biggest roadblock of all times.

If you pass the cross of Calvary, there is no stopping anymore afterwards.

But whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Yes, the cross is God's safety barrier.

And I stand as an evangelist, I stand at the foot of the cross and I preach to millions upon millions.

Repent and believe the gospel.

Repent means change of mind, change of direction.

What happens?

It's true, the majority is on its way to hell, but they don't arrive in hell because they repent, they change their direction and they arrive in heaven.

Hallelujah.

And I want to say to anyone here, Jesus has opened his arms tonight for you.

Stand still.

Even the chain in the brain.

He's going to break all these hidden addictions and evils with which you fight and you can't overcome.

Jesus saves.

From the uttermost to the uttermost.

Jesus saves.

Jesus didn't come into this world to shame sinners.

He came to save sinners.

The message I carry is the most fantastic message around.

Jesus loves you, and he's here to save you, and he's going to make a new creature out of you.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

No matter what your burden is, your secret sin is, your public sin is no matter what.

Jesus loves you.

At the cross, he spread out his arms.

Ready to save you this moment.

And then also to put that flame on your head into your life.

And you will never be the same again.

Your life will be meaningful.

You will make history in the kingdom of God.

Jesus loves you and is ready to save you now.

It's my greatest honor, I feel, to just assist people to come to this wonderful, wonderful Savior.

Let's close our eyes in the name of Jesus.

Lord, I thank you that your Holy Spirit is here.

I thank you, Lord, that you are seeking and saving right now.

That you are here to break all chains, to remove on all uncleanness, to wash from all rottenness.

You are here to make all things new in Jesus' name.

And while all eyes are closed, I would like to now pray for those who want to say, Lord Jesus, I'm ready.

I need your help.

Break those chains that bind me, those secret chains that bind me.

I want to be free tonight.

I guarantee, upon reason of the word of God, He answers prayer and He will step in, He will intervene, and you shall receive.

Ask and you shall receive.

This is what He says in His Word.

I want to pray for you.

If you want, if you see cleansing from sin, you want to come into the open arms of Jesus.

If you want to.

Just lift your hand that I can see and pray for you.

Just show your hand.

Thank you.

God bless you.

Thank you.

God bless you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

God bless you.

Let Jesus see your hand.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

God bless you.

Praise God.

Anywhere else, let Jesus see your hand.

God bless you.

God bless you here.

God bless you, ma'am.

God bless you.

Sir, God bless you.

Praise God.

God bless you over here.

Hallelujah.

There's joy in heaven over one sinner that comes to repentance.

And we are rejoicing in Jesus' name.

Lord, I thank you that you have said, Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And I thank you, Lord, that this is going to happen here tonight.

Those that are bound shall live free, and those that are filled with sin shall be washed and cleansed.

And your word says that God remembers our sins no more.

I thank you for it.

Let genuine repentance and genuine faith lead to this genuine salvation that you offer us today.

And I thank you that it does in the mighty name of Jesus.

And I also pray, Lord, that your fire may fall on each and everyone.

Raise men and women here, O Lord, with a flame on their head that will go out into all directions across the world, winning the lost for Jesus Christ.

Oh Lord, I pray, let this church be a center of blessing for the ends of the earth, and let millions upon millions upon millions be ushered into your kingdom as a result of what happens here in this gateway church.

I bless Pastor Robert and all those choice men and women at his side in this church and ministry.

Lord, I bless your people in Jesus' wonderful name.

And everybody says amen and amen and amen.