Christ confirmed the Gospel

Despite many problems, we saw a great breakthrough for the gospel in Faisalabad, Pakistan. People were out violently protesting because of political reasons. The police threatened to cancel the festival. And Pastor Peter Youngren’s visa was rejected. I had to preach instead. It was nerve-racking.

But Pastor Peter gave me an advice that would echo in my head each night: “Your job is to present the gospel; it is Christ’s job to confirm it.” That advice gave me so much relief. The pressure was no longer on me. I only had to tell the people about the finished work of Jesus Christ, his death, resurrection, the defeat of sin, death and hell. Then the miracles of salvation and healing followed because Christ indeed confirmed the gospel.

The first night I sat on the stage, and looking on the vast audience, I could feel God’s love for every person. Beside me sat the Muslim Imam Zakaria, leader of over 200 mosques. He had come to show his support of this Friendship Festival. Imam Zakaria leaned over to me and said, “There are so many Muslims here”. That’s exactly why we are here, I thought to myself.

Every day we saw many Muslim friends come to Christ, and receive wonders in the name of Jesus. Night by night the faith grew in the hearts of the people, as the ground overflowed with people who had come to see the power of the living Jesus. There were so many miracles that happened. But one miracle from the first night sticks out. Alsha, a boy mute since birth, started to talk. His grandmother, who brought him, was also healed. She had broken her shoulder in an accident. They were both joyously overwhelmed and laughed almost in unbelief over what they had experienced. After their testimony, several dozen people came to the platform to share what God had done for them. The stage was full of people who had been healed from paralysis, blindness, deafness and many other diseases.

The third night a great wind came while I was preaching. The wind blew down the LED screens, lights, and even the truss came crashing down on the stage. For a moment it became very chaotic, and I was thinking that it was over. I thought no one will be healed because of this distraction, and that no one would come back tomorrow. But then I remembered that I had presented the gospel, that all things are possible for God. And I was reminded, that now it is Christ’s job again to confirm the gospel. And even that night God showed His power. Many were healed. One of many that were healed that night was Mohammed. He was healed of paralysis in his arm due to a stroke.

The final day of the Festival was an incredible sight. We saw an enormous demonstration of the power of the gospel as tens of thousands pressed close to the platform to make a declaration that they had repented of their dead works and were confessing Jesus Christ as their Lord. The gospel shook Faisalabad, a city where 97% are Muslim friends.