1 877-431-4276In Memory of Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke
It is with great sadness that I heard Reinhard Bonnke went to heaven today. I have been inspired by his example and motivated by his fire. The first time I met him he told me, “That which is considered great today is going to be normal tomorrow!” His massive crusades are just the beginning of what God is going to accomplish in the area of mass evangelism!
Reinhard Bonnke (1940-2019) was born in Germany on the eve of World War II. After the war, his father pastored a small Pentecostal church in Krempe. From an early age, Bonnke knew God was calling him to be a missionary to the continent of Africa. At the age of eleven, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
He attended a Bible school in Swansea, Wales that had its roots in the Welsh revival. On his way home from Bible school, he miraculously had an encounter with George Jeffreys (1889-1962), a famous evangelist who founded the Elim Pentecostal Churches.
He married Anni Sülzle in 1964. His denomination required every missionary to pastor for two years so right after they married, they planted a church in Flensburg, Germany. After two years, they moved to South Africa to serve with the Apostolic Faith Mission. He was sent to the Kingdom of Lesotho. It was known as the “boneyard for failed missionaries” but Bonnke achieved great success. He wrote a series of Bible lessons and distributed them to every house in Lesotho using a team of one hundred “bicycle-evangelists.”
While Bonnke was in Lesotho, God showed him a vision of a “blood-washed Africa,” an Africa washed in the blood of Jesus. Bonnke began to proclaim, “All of Africa shall be saved, from Cape Town to Cairo.”
Reinhard and his wife Anni spent seven years as missionaries in the country of Lesotho reaching out to people in the traditional way, but Reinhard became frustrated at the low number of salvations. In a mighty step of faith, in 1974, he launched his evangelistic organization which is now known as “Christ for All Nations.” The ministry held its first crusade in the national stadium in the country of Botswana. Out of the many churches in the city, only one small fellowship decided to help with the crusade. Bonnke was disappointed when only one hundred people came the first night. Yet, as he preached a powerful message, a man jumped up and shouted, “I’ve just been healed!” Other healings began to happen, and news spread across the city that God was doing miracles. By the last night of that first crusade, the entire stadium was packed. Thousands were saved and healed and twelve years later, when Reinhard returned to do another crusade in the city, the leader of a large denomination announced that eighty percent of his pastors had been saved in that first crusade.
His first tent seated eight hundred people, but later a huge tent was purchased to accommodate the massive crowds of people who began coming to Bonnke’s crusades. This tent seated thirty-four thousand people and covered three football fields, but the tent was too small. Soon, crowds of up to one hundred and fifty thousand people were attending each meeting.
As the size of the crowds multiplied, Reinhard started to hold his crusades outside on fields. He formed two crusade teams, one for east Africa and one for west Africa, so that the ministry could accelerate.
He gave away 103 million books in over 123 languages. He often held “Fire Conferences” to train church leaders for world evangelism. People flocked to his crusades because of the miracles which result from the mighty preaching of the word.
Reinhard often said he was “plundering hell to populate heaven” and the reports from one crusade prove that he accomplished exactly that. On November 12, 2000, 1.6 million people came to single crusade meeting in Lagos, Nigeria. Over thirty thousand pastors and church leaders attended the “Fire Conference.” In this historic, six day crusade, over six million people heard the gospel message. Blind eyes were opened, breast tumors disappeared, the lame walked, mutes began to speak, and many other miracles were reported. Six million booklets were passed out and over two thousand churches participated in following up on all the converts who were saved.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from Reinhard Bonnke:
We must plunder hell to populate heaven.
I have a vision of a blood-washed Africa from Capetown to Cairo.
Africa shall be saved!
The church of Jesus Christ is not a pleasure boat, it is a lifeboat. From the captain to the cook, all hands are needed on deck for soul-saving.
The Gospel is controversial? The color of a rose is only controversial in the house of the blind.
A church that does not seek the lost is lost itself.
Make the Great Commission our Main Ambition!
Many people call themselves evangelists and do nothing evangelistic. Evangelism is far more than traveling and speaking. Evangelists are not popular in the church today. But our job is a most honorable one. Sure some evangelists have made mistakes. But if some blow it, others do not. We are rescue workers.
When I was young, I went from prophecy to prophecy. Now I go from fulfillment to fulfillment.
After Bonnke was threatened by Osama Bin Laden, God told him, “You are Satan’s prime target for destruction, but you are my prime target for protection.”
Creation cost God nothing, salvation cost Him everything.
If you seek the saved, you produce conventions, if you seek the lost you produce crusades. Jesus came to seek and save the lost.”
An army needs a leader (Jesus), orders (Great Commission), soldiers (us), and weapons (Power of the Holy Spirit). Jesus said go, but He also said, “Receive the power of the Holy Spirit.” He does not send us into battle unarmed.
Without Jesus, we can do nothing. Without us, God does nothing. A lamp needs electricity, but electricity needs a lamp. Where can God’s power go without God’s servants?
God’s word is not a question mark, it is an exclamation point!
On the value of Mass Evangelism vs. Personal Evangelism Bonnke said, “There are as many methods as there are people. If sugar is mixed with sand, the elephant will not get it, but the ant will.”
I preach the A-B-C’s of the Gospel, but I study the X-Y-Z.
Prayer will not save the world. People must be told. The Gospel walks on two legs: Prayer and Preaching
On Being slain in the Spirit: If the Holy Spirit does not mind falling, then you should not mind falling.
Don’t wait for opportunities. Create opportunities.
The decision card is a bridge from crusade grounds to churches.
When asking pastors to support his crusade Bonnke said, “I bring my nets and I want to borrow your boats. I will leave every fish for you.”
Jesus did not die on the cross so that the pastor’s could have a well-paid job. He did not raise from the dead just to raise our standard of living.
What is most important to God must be most important to us.
Those who do not succeed do not need criticism, they need help.
God’s words in my mouth are as powerful as God’s words in His mouth.
He was accused of building up false hopes with his messages about miracles. Bonnke replied, “The Bible is a message of hope. If you preach the original message, you will see original results.”
I seek the lost, Jesus saves them.
God has no maximum. He said, “Go into ALL the world.” He promised to pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh. He desires for ALL men to be saved.
The less Holy Spirit we have, the more cake and coffee we need to keep the church going.
God always works with workers and moves with movers, but He does not sit with sitters.
The Gospel is ‘Good News’, not ‘Good History,’ because when it is preached, it happens.
I don’t want to play with marbles when God told me to move mountains!
Don’t accept the applause of men, and you won’t be destroyed by their criticism.
Don’t plan with what is in your pocket; plan with what is in God’s pocket.
Jesus will lift you out of the deepest pit, but He will not lift you out of your easy chair.
Christianity, boring? So is television…if we don’t plug in.
Those who forever seek the will of God are overrun by those who do it.
We can make an impression on this world if the world doesn’t make too much impression on us.
The Gospel is a gospel of power or it is nothing at all.
Faith is a leap into the light, not a step into the darkness.
[Evangelism] is not a profession. It is a calling. The greatest thing in the world is to serve God.
I preach the simple ABC’s of the gospel. When I preach I am not trying to sound like a professor, or a Bible scholar, or a homiletics expert. I am helping people who are outside of the kingdom of God enter it by the blood of the Lamp.
God is the worker of miracles for his people. I believe the signs that followed Jesus as He walked the earth could – and should – be true in our world today.
I am not a healing evangelist. I am a salvation evangelist who also prays for the sick. God told me Africa shall be saved, not Africa shall be healed. Sickness is not the ultimate evil, therefore healing is not the ultimate good. Sin is the ultimate evil, and salvation is the ultimate good.
The day of reaping with a sickle is past. The time for the combine harvester has come.
An unpreached Gospel is no Gospel at all.
I was addicted to crusades. They fulfilled most every desire in my heart and left little room for anything of lesser importance.
There is no room for competition in evangelism.
Biblical Reasons to be Pro-Life
Jessica King holding a child
1. Every human being is important because humans are made in the image of God.
– “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). This imago dei includes a baby still in her mother’s womb.
– The Psalmist rejoices, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).
2. God is intimately involved in the process of making each baby still in his mother’s womb.
– “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?” (Job 31:15).
– “Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you…” (Isaiah 44:2).
– Job reminds God, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me…” (Job 10:8).
– How a child grows is a mystery even in the modern scientific age, but the Bible proclaims that God is involved in the process. “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5).
3. God orchestrates the birth of every baby.
– “Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord.
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God” (Isaiah 66:9);
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God” (Isaiah 66:9);
– “But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God” (Psalm 22:9-10).
4. God has a plan for each baby before they are even born.
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet before he was even conceived. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you: Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Isaiah echoed this same sentiment. “…The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name” (Isaiah 49:1).
5. Abortion is murder.
– Most people are familiar with the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). It is even more grievous to murder the innocent, “Do not kill the innocent” (Exodus 23:7) and who is more innocent than an unborn baby?
– Solomon in his wisdom condemns the “…Hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17). This condemnation would include abortion doctors who are paid to kill innocent babies. “Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person” (Deuteronomy 27:25).
– The sixth commandment is again mentioned in the New Testament and even strengthened by the additional motivation of love, “For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:9-10). The killing of a baby in the womb is the antithesis of love.
6. It is deeply evil to kill babies for the sake of convenience.
– The sacrificing of children to false gods is strongly condemned. “They served their idols,
Which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, and played the harlot by their own deeds” (Psalm 106:36-39).
Which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, and played the harlot by their own deeds” (Psalm 106:36-39).
– The modern day equivalent may be sacrificing one’s children on the altar of convenience or for the sake of a career. The prophet Hosea describes the horror of those who kill babies in a mother’s womb. “Samaria is held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child ripped open” (Hosea 13:16).
When children were sacrificed on the red hot arms of Moloch, drums were beat so the parents would not hear their screams. Today, the unborn are sacrificed in the name of abortion. It’s legality does not silence their screams.
7. Even in the case of rape it is not right to kill the unborn fetus. Two wrongs do not make a right.
– The baby in the womb should be allowed to live even if his father committed a horrible crime, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20).
8. To defend the innocent is the duty of every Christian.
– In contrast to the condemnation of those who kill the innocent, one is commended for defending the innocent. “Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4).
Free them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4).
– In fact, if one knows the innocent is being killed and holds back from saving them, God will not fail to judge the one who fails to act, “If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” (Proverbs 24:10-12).
9. Throughout the Bible, children are a blessing from the Lord.
– “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5).
10. Even babies in the womb can be used by God.
– When Mary, the mother of Jesus, entered the house of her cousin Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy. Elizabeth calls the baby in Mary’s womb “blessed.” “Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Luke 1:39-44).
11. The fetus in the womb is a human being.
– Is a fetus in the womb a human being? The Bible answers, “Yes!’ For example, the book of Job equates the unborn child with the born child. It makes no distinction between a fetus and an infant. “Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light?” (Job 3:16).
– In a similar way, if a man hits a woman and causes her to miscarry, he is responsible just as if he had killed a grown man. “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:22-25).
– When Rebecca was about to give birth to Esau and Jacob, the twins are called “children” while they are still in her (Genesis 25:22).
Should Women Preach?
Recently, John MacArthur told Beth Moore to “go home” because he does not believe in woman preachers. What do I think about woman preachers?
I like what Reinhard Bonnke said in response to the question, “Should women preach?” He replied, “If I was a drowning man, I would not care if it was a man or a woman who tossed me a lifeline.” There are too many people dying and going to hell to tell over 50% of the body of Christ they are not able to preach. Philip the Evangelist had five virgin daughters who prophesied, in order to prophecy those girls had to be able to speak. God does use women, especially if He can’t find men. If He cannot find a woman, He will use a child. If He cannot find a child to preach, the rocks will cry out. The Gospel must be preached and God is willing to use any gender who is willing to be used.
- Deborah was a judge in the Old Testament (Judges 4:4).
- “The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host” (Psalm 68:11 NASV).
- The woman at the well brought her whole village to Jesus (John 4:29-30).
- Women were the first to announce the good news of Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 28:7-8).
- Peter prophesized that your sons and daughters would prophesy (Acts 2:17).
- Priscilla helped to explain the Gospel to Apollos (Acts 18:26).
- The daughters of Philip the evangelist prophesied (Acts 21:9).
- Junia was likely a female apostle (Romans 16:7).
- In Christ, both male and female are equal. “…there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NKJV).
I am thankful for women preachers like Beth Moore, Joyce Meyer, Sharon Daugherty, Marilyn Hickey, and my wife, Jessica Shen King. The sinful world needs to hear their voices preaching good news!
Woe to Me If I Preach Not the Gospel
This month I was asked to be on the advisory board of the Next Generation Alliance (NGA), an organization dedicated to helping evangelists. Over 700 evangelists from a broad spectrum of Christianity are members of the NGA. By serving on this board, I will be able to encourage and train evangelists. Because of this new opportunity, your support of our ministry will be multiplied in a mighty harvest of souls around the world.
Daniel King Showing Luis Palau
a picture of the Kid’s Fest in Juarez, Mexico
If you are an evangelist, I encourage you to join the NGA. Click here for more info. The Next Generation Alliance is led by Evangelist Luis Palau, who is known as the Billy Graham of Latin America. When I was fourteen years old, he came to Juarez, Mexico to do an evangelistic festival. I was invited to minister to 7,000 children at his KidsFest. It was partially his example that put the dream in my heart to be an evangelist.
Luis Palau shared a powerful message on evangelism recently. He read from 1 Corinthians 9 and made three big points.
- WOE to me if I do not preach the gospel!
Paul writes, “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast since I am compelled to preach. WOE to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16)
What drives this idea of “WOE?” We feel “WOE” because we do not want to make God upset. We feel “WOE” because our hearts are moved with compassion for the lost. We feel “WOE” because we know the losses are only a footstep from hell.
As an evangelistic ministry, we feel compelled to preach the Gospel. We preach the Gospel because we love the lost. We will not give up preaching the Gospel no matter how hard it is or what obstacles we face.
- We are called to WIN souls.
Paul continues, “I have made myself a slave to everyone, to WIN as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to WIN the Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law…so as to WIN those under the law. To those not having the law, I became like one not having the law…so as to WIN those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to WIN the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Cor. 9:19-23)
Five times in this passage, Paul mentions the word “WIN.” He says he wants to WIN as many souls as possible. He becomes all things to all people so that he can save people from hell.
The word “WIN” implies warfare. Evangelism is the epitome of spiritual warfare. When we preach the Gospel, Jesus is the winner and the devil is the loser. Winning is important to God.
As evangelists, we use our words to persuade people. We can never have enough converted. We still have more people to reach for Jesus. We are in a battle and we want to WIN the fight for every soul!
- We are called to RUN for a prize.
Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners RUN, but only one gets the prize? RUN in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not RUN like someone running aimlessly…” (1 Cor. 9:24-25)
Four times, Paul mentions the word “RUN.” We RUN to get a prize. Paul preached for a reward. The Lord motivates the soul winner with the promise of a reward.
An evangelist is always on the RUN. We are in a hurry. We RUN to the next place to preach the Gospel. We RUN as fast as we can because time is passing quickly. When God opens up a door, it is important for us to RUN through the door before the door closes.
We need to take advantage of open doors. We do not dare give up preaching no matter how hard it is. We continue to RUN because there is an everlasting crown that is waiting for those who WIN the lost.
So, in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 we find these three important words: WOE, WIN, RUN. Today I encourage you with these three sentences that motivate me:
WOE if we preach not the Gospel.
WIN as many as you can.
RUN through every open door.
Thank you so much for all you do to help us to WIN souls and to RUN to the nations! You are so valuable to us and we appreciate you.
Excited About Reaching the Lost,
Daniel King
P.S. In a few short weeks, we leave for our next Gospel crusade in the Buddhist nation of Burma (Myanmar). We still need funds to pay for this outreach. Will you help us rescue people from hell with the Good News of Jesus Christ? I’ll be waiting to hear from you. Thank you for your generosity!