I wrote to you last month that this October crusade in Asia had been postponed twice already in the past 18 months because of Christian persecution; and having just concluded this crusade, I know why the devil tried to stop it. There were many people who were very concerned that our crusade would be shut down or worse, yet God protected us. By the end of the week, people kept calling this an historic event for this city of 3+ million people, and indeed it was! This area is home to three of the largest religions in the world: Hinduism, Sikhism & Islam. But after this week I am happy to report that there are less of them now as thousands gave their lives to Jesus!
This month we will accomplish a crusade that has been one of the most difficult ones for us to accomplish in our 20+ years of ministry. Close to 18 months ago I began planning a crusade in a least-reached country in Asia with our crusade director. The preparations began. The pastors began to prepare and mobilize their congregations. And then I received word from our crusade director: “We must postpone the crusade.” He began to share with me that the persecution against Christians in this area had become so severe that he did not see a safe way for us to hold our crusade. While we often go to dangerous places, we also want to use wisdom and to be sensitive to the believers who must live in these areas. We don’t want to unnecessarily endanger them, nor do we want our crusade to be shut down before its conclusion, so we had to postpone the crusade for Fall 2022.
I have just returned from our crusade in Ethiopia and I am overwhelmed at the things that Jesus has done! This trip actually began two weeks ago when I spent three days in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar to minister. When I planned this trip, I had no contacts in Qatar but felt led to spend a few days in this Muslim nation and trust the Lord to open up doors of opportunity…and that’s exactly what happened. The week before I arrived, the Lord supernaturally connected me with some Christians in Qatar and in my short time there, I preached 3 times and saw salvation and healing take place in this Muslim country.
In the summer of 1995, I led a Mission Team into Latin America. It was one of several I’ve led through the years & this summer I did it again. In those 24 intervening years, I have personally traveled on scores of International Crusades myself, and many times friends from North America have accompanied me. But this recent trip to Peru was the first official “Mission Team” that I have led in decades. And what an amazing trip it was!
I have just returned from our most recent crusade in South Asia for what was an incredible crusade. This is actually the fourth crusade I have done in this country in the last eight months. We have strategically targeted this country because of its high population of unbelievers. In each instance I have been in a different part of the country, this time preaching in a state that is comprised of both Hindus and Sikhs. We have been overwhelmed at what the Lord has done in each of these crusades, and as is the nature of the Lord, going from “glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18), this crusade was the best of the four. Over the course of the four nights, we had more than 38,000 people attend the crusade with more than 7,000 recorded decisions for Jesus Christ! This is obviously the greatest testimony of all, and we rejoice for the thousands of people who have been impacted by the Gospel! While these numbers are fantastic, I want to also highlight a number of individual stories that occurred on this trip to show that Jesus is alive!
God bless you, my friends! I recently returned from another Crusade in Ethiopia. Decades ago, Ethiopia had a government very hostile to Christianity. Because of this oppression and persecution, the percentage of born-again Christians sunk to 2% of the population. But the last 25 years have seen Revival hit Ethiopia, and now about 20% of the population is born-again, and this in the 2nd largest nation in Africa! Ethiopia has become one of the hot spots for Revival on the planet!
Hello Friends, this month I want to share with you about my ministry trip to Cuba, where we worked with many of the local pastors and churches in this communist country. Working with our main contact, Pastor Ramiro, and the churches in Cuba showed me the energetic and passionate Christians that they are. These people are hungry for a move of God in their country.
If one is not careful, it is easy to watch the news, scroll through social media or talk with our friends and get the impression that there is nothing but evil happening in this world. Certainly, there is a lot of evil and bad news seems to be all too common, but that is not the whole story. Today I have some good news to share with you. While the mainstream media may not report about it, God is on the move and doing fantastic things, and today I want to share with you what Jesus did at our most recent crusade in a least reached nation in Asia.
Friends, I’ve just gotten back from a fantastic Crusade in one of the least-reached nations of Asia! This is a country filled with Muslim people who are truly excited to hear about Jesus--What a thrill to preach at our “frontier” Crusade there. Why do we do frontier Crusades? Because it’s pushing the borders of where the Good News has been preached. This city hadn’t had meetings like this before, and the bulk of the people who attended had never had the Good News clearly explained to them before. Each night, after hearing the Good News, the altar was packed with people excited to be saved! It was like this was the news they had been waiting for their whole life to hear--And for many who were saved that week, it really was. It was fantastic to see them give up worshiping false gods and embrace Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior! One woman in particular caught my eye, as she boldly sat in front of the stage on one of the nights. She was dressed all in black, in the traditional clothing of a Muslim woman. She listened intently to every word I preached about Jesus, and when the time came for the altar call, she eagerly indicated that she had made a decision for Christ, and welcomed the ushers to her to fill out her decision card for Jesus—For me, there is no more beautiful sight in the world than that!
As you read this newsletter, Dr. Kevin Wagner is currently conducting a crusade in one of the most populated Muslim countries in the world, a place that is incredibly untouched by the Gospel. The crusade is targeting those who are lost that they may be exposed to the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and experience His saving and healing power. As is customary, I am asking for your prayers. But today I want to take a few minutes to talk about the power of prayer and the importance that your prayers have in this Great Commission work.
As 2019 begins, I want to thank you for your dedication to the Gospel in 2018. While we are excited for what Jesus is going to do in 2019, we want to take the time to think about and celebrate what Jesus did in 2018; and as we reflect on what Jesus did in 2018, we are filled with joy and gratitude for the tens of thousands of souls who were welcomed into the family of God through our crusades this past year. The last crusade we did in 2018 is one I’d like to share with you today.
I’ve recently returned from a great Crusade in one of the least-reached countries of Asia. This is a nation filled with Muslim people who are very eager to hear about Jesus! For 4 nights, I was able to preach at our “frontier” Crusade there. Why would we do a frontier Crusade? Well, because it is pushing the boundaries of where the Gospel has been preached. This city had never had meetings like this before, and the large majority of the people who attended had never had the Gospel clearly explained to them ever before. Every night, after hearing the Gospel, the altar was flooded with people eager to be saved! It was as if this was the news they had been waiting for their whole life to hear! And for the many who were saved that week, it truly was! It was so great to see them forsake the worship of false gods and embrace Jesus as Savior and Lord!
When you read the stories of Jesus as found in the Gospels, one of the things that stands out to the reader is just how much of Jesus’ life and ministry was highlighted by healings and miracles. In fact, this was a major part of the ministry of Jesus. Matthew writes, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness” (Matthew 9:35). The ministry of Jesus is three-fold: preaching, teaching and healing. Jesus healed because it was an integral part of His ministry. One cannot separate Jesus and healing, for it marked His ministry, and the Bible emphasizes that point. Nearly 20% of the Gospels are devoted to healing and deliverance. Of the 3,779 verses in the Gospels, 727 of them are stories about healing and deliverance. The Bible clearly shows the ministry of Jesus as a ministry of healing.
My friends, Jesus is good. And He lives! I begin to write this on my way home from Burundi, Africa, which is a small country in east Africa, west of Tanzania and south of Rwanda. My dad was there in 2000 when he went for the second crusade that our ministry ever conducted. Burundi is a beautiful country, with rolling hills everywhere and trees that look different from ours in North America. The people there are very kind and welcoming. Burundi has faced some very difficult times; the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990’s took place in Burundi as well. There is also great poverty. But in the last few years, things have begun to improve. One really significant thing is that the country now lives in peace.
August is an exciting month for us as we begin our busiest season in our ministry’s history. We are planning 12 crusades in the next 12 months, averaging one major Gospel crusade each month. This is something we have been praying and working toward for a long time and we are excited to see what the Lord is going to do as we minister in some of the most unreached areas of the world. If you would, please keep us in your prayers as this season begins. Just this month, Kevin will be conducting a large crusade in a strong Muslim nation in Asia and Daniel will be doing a crusade in Burundi, Africa.
Something which is often on our hearts is the ongoing spiritual health of those who come to Christ through the evangelistic campaigns we conduct. When a person embraces Jesus at one of our meetings, the obvious question is “What now?” The Lord meets people when we preach the Gospel and those who have never known Jesus call upon Him.
A little over one year ago, a project I had been working on for over two years finally became a reality when I published my book: GO. I have been so encouraged by the way that the Lord has used this book in just one year! We have devoted our lives to the Great Commission, but this is not just our job; the Great Commission is for all believers. This book is for you!
God bless you, my friends! I want to start off by saying a huge “thank you” to those of you who were praying for our Crusade in Ethiopia last month. Jesus certainly heard your prayers, and delivered a strong, miraculous Crusade—Hallelujah! Let me tell you all about it…
I write this as I am returning from Egypt. The past week of my life spent in Cairo and in Luxor, Egypt, has taught me so much and has left me with a full spirit. When I landed in Cairo, I had no idea what to except from Egypt or from its beautiful people; this was my first time in Egypt, and in Northern Africa generally, and I was expectant for what the Lord had in store for the week. And in true divine fashion, the Lord did not disappoint.
Last month, I preached a Crusade in a large, Islamic nation in Asia. Thousands recorded public decisions for Christ at the event, and I would like to share 3 dynamic stories with you from those wonderful days of soul Harvest…
