Saturday, 23rd March 2024
Bible Reading: Joel 2: 7-8
Memory Verse: One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4 (NIV)
In the year 1985, Late Archbishop Benson Idahosa was to hold a crusade in Ibadan, Nigeria. As a strategist, he understood the challenges at the time. He thought on how to connect to the people without any form of restriction.
He prayed and he had the strong persuasion in him to invite Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. However, before Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke decided to come for the crusade he had understanding of whom Archbishop Idahosa was and the ‘voltage’ of the power of God he carries.
Reinhard Bonnke has also been working in the power of God where he started out in Lesotho. He had visited Zambia, Togo, Uganda and many more countries for crusades with tens of thousands in attendance.
At a point in the ministry of Reinhard Bonnke, he invited Pastor Kenneth Copeland to his crusade. Kenneth Copeland prophesied that he was going to start reaching out to millions of people but he never knew how it would happen.
At the invitation of Archbishop Idahosa, Evangelist Bonnke came to Nigeria 9 weeks before the crusade with his team for the first time to meet him in order to fine-tune modalities for the crusade.
Before the meeting with the Archbishop, he had this “irritation” about the way Archbishop Idahosa ministers. Benson Idahosa will always like to pray for the sick before bringing salvation message to the people but Bonnke believed salvation message first before miracle.
After the meeting, he felt he was led to come for the crusade in Ibadan. In preparation for the powerful crusade, Archbishop Idahosa had ordered the printing of one million five hundred handbills, fifty thousand posters and 2000 ushers to distribute the handbills and paste posters. Jingles were on the national radio and television to sensitise people for the crusade.
Finally, the day for the crusade came and there were unprecedented miracles, impartations, deliverance, salvation and Holy Ghost baptism. It was really a fire crusade. The ministration between Bonnke and Idahosa were alternated.
Lesson: I submit to you that until the older generation work together with the younger generation despite their differences, we may not see the glory of God we sincerely covet. Learn to tolerate others. No man is an Island. Go with this mindset even in your daily business.
Quote: Together we stand, divided we fall.
Prophetic Decree: All the wiles of the enemy to divide the body of Christ shall not stand, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. O God of all generations, we thank and adore You.
2. We bind and cast out the spirit of disunity from the body of Christ, in Jesus name.
3. Oh Lord, baptise the body of Christ with wisdom to walk together as one, in Jesus name.
4. O Lord, help us to die to self, rivalry and vain glory, in Jesus name.
5. The River of life shall not cease to flow across generations, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 1-4