Gateway Church's Podcast
Reinhard Bonnke 2005
A Gateway Sermon
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 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 German missionary and discovered that Africa had not been waiting for me. I found it much harder to preach there than in my own country. Well, 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. 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 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'll tell you before God, this is the truth. In one meeting, we had 1,093,745 registered salvation 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 missionary in Africa at the age of 10. 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, I had a whole day of my train only went late at night. 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, used these public buses, they called that bus hopping. I just got into a bus, I don't even know where it went to. I just went one direction then I changed buses, the other direction, these double dagger buses, you know these London buses. And I crisscrossed the city just like that. In 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 passed 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 the 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, is this the George Jeffries living in this house whom God used so mightily with signs and wonders in Britain who spoke I read? She said to me, yes, I said may I please see him? She said no, 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 Reinhardt Bunki, 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 a 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 got 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 Frankfurt. When I arrived in Hamburg, my father picked me up 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 Jeffries 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, 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. My son-in-law is a preacher, 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 747, 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, bridge 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 spirit in my heart it is burning like fire, we have got to reach our generation and we are the first generation who has a genuine chance to win all generation for Jesus Christ. As Pastor Robert said, since the year 2000 till now we have 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 them 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 311, Matthew 311, this is what he said, he said, I indeed baptize you with water and to repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I who sandals I'm not worthy to carry, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire, I mean this is Pentecost weekend, John said 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 is greater than I, I'm not worthy to open loose in 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 2000 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 in the dye and the dye in the cloth, and when the cloth was pulled out it looked like the dye, it smells like the dye, it was same like the dye, that word, the Holy Spirit uses here in Holy Scripture and says Jesus is the baptizer into the Holy Spirit and fire, 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 in 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 am a hot preacher, if you have 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 learned that in the Old Testament and it is true in the New Testament, he is fire, that is why the gospel is a hot message, it is a hot message and it is powerful, it is a message of salvation, it is a message of signs and 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, hey amen, oh hallelujah, and there appear 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 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 we are still speaking and speaking and speaking let my people go that they may serve me for God who left 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 am casting out devils, 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 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 they were 120 people in the upper room and 120 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 is 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 per like a kitten, I cannot cool like a dove, I want to roar like a lion, Jesus saves, Jesus saves, let the nations hear it, Jesus saves, oh hallelujah and they still say to me why do you preach aloud, I must make a confession here because twice I try to behave, I preach like the others, hmm hmm hmm hmm, 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 joy is a fruit of the spirit, the joy of the Lord is not our weakness, the joy of the Lord is our strength, if you can afford to shout out to 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 is half an hour silence in heaven and they say that's the half an hour when the German Christians march in, I said Lord please I'm asking you, I don't want to much for the Germans, I want to much 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'll 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, brought us the way that leads to domination, many of those who walk on it, that's to hell, narrow is the way that leads to everlasting life, few of 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, brought us the way that leads to domination, 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 road block of all times. If you pass the cross of Calvary, there is no stopping anymore afterwards, but who ever 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, stands still, he is here to save you, he is here to forgive you, he is here to break every chain, even the chain in the brain, he is going to break all these hidden addictions and evils with which you fight and you can't overcome, Jesus saves from the guttermost to the uttermost Jesus saves, Jesus didn't come into this world to save sinners, he came to save sinners, the message I carry is the most fantastic message around, Jesus loves you and he is here to save you and he is 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 and 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 am 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 see cleansing from sin, you want to come into the open arms of Jesus, if you want to, just lift your hand and I can see and pray for you, just show your hand, thank you God bless you, thank you God bless you, thank you God bless you, let Jesus see your hand, 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 man, God bless you, so God bless you praise God, God bless you over here, hallelujah, there is 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 abound shall leave 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, that 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 also pray Lord that your fire may fall on each and every one, raise men and do women here oh 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 I bless a 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.