Here we have Evangelist Gary Smith’s reports from the Christ for all Nations Operation Decapolis Crusade in Mbeya, Tanzania.
For the last several months, I was in great expectation of what the Lord was going to do in the city of Mbeya. During my international flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, I had a vision of creative miracles being released throughout the entire crusade field. When I landed in the city of Mbeya, I noticed that beautiful mountains surrounded the city, and I was reminded of a scripture: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)
This was the faith I had for the people of Mbeya, that nothing is impossible for the Lord Jesus! While traveling from the hotel to the crusade field, I was so excited. The sun was shining bright, a calm wind was gently blowing, and people filled the field from every direction. I was singing in my mind, “This is the day the Lord has made!” I just knew that the Lord was going to move powerfully, and that’s exactly what happened.
I preached on “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord”. This message is so powerful and profound, yet so simple. Preaching a simple message that has such a major impact in people’s lives, where they will never be the same again, is worth it all.
As the sun was setting behind the crowd, I could see thousands receiving the invitation of salvation. I looked into their eyes while proclaiming that there is only one way to salvation, and that is through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Seeing all the beautiful smiles and tears that were shed as they received Jesus is an image that will forever be imprinted upon my heart. How I long to see people meet Jesus! It never gets old seeing people touched by the power of God and their lives forever changed.
Then it was time to pray for the sick. “God is willing, and He is able,” I preached. “When the leper cried out to Jesus, immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and touched the man with leprosy. Immediately, the man was made whole. The question is, is He willing? The answer is yes!” As this message of healing was shared, there was a tangible sense that faith was rising in the people of Mbeya.
After the prayer, we had many, many people come to testify of their healing!
A young man who had been deaf for seven years in both ears ran up the stairs onto the stage to testify that the Lord had completely restored his hearing. “What has Jesus done for you, son?” I asked. He shouted with joy: “I could not hear for seven years, but now I can hear completely!”
The crowd and I roared together with a resounding HALLELUJAH! “Who is the healer?” I asked him. With arms suddenly raised high in the air in victory and a beaming smile across his face, the young Tanzanian man cried out, “JESUS IS THE HEALER, and HE HAS HEALED ME!”
Each day, it felt like we reached another level in the power of God on that crusade field. Day 4 was “Holy Spirit Night,” and I felt an urgency to talk about what it looks like for a life to be totally surrendered to the Lord – not to just know ‘about’ Him, but to actually encounter Him. That night, the people of Mbeya experienced the love of God in a tangible way. Everywhere I looked, I saw people with tears of love, joy and peace streaming down their faces.
I don’t even know how to adequately describe the joy of seeing people transformed by the Lord! People were weeping, crying out to the Lord, shaking from head to toe under the presence of God, people being released from demonic control. This is the POWER of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! What an honor and privilege it is to be part of the Decade of Double Harvest!
Blessings from Mbeya,
Evangelist Gary Smith
As Gary sang in his heart in Mbeya, “This is the day that the Lord has made,” every day that’s given to us is His day! And you know what Jesus said about that? “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4-5 NIV)
Let’s keep working together to bring the harvest in while it is yet day!
Together in the Harvest,
Daniel Kolenda
Together with Peter Vandenberg and the whole CfaN team.
