The autobiography of Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke... More than simple facts about a preacher's life, it's filled with adventures from the heart of Africa, real life dramatic stories of people and places, and powerful demonstrations of the Holy Spirit working in the here and now.
Hardcover
,
634 pages
Published
December 1st 2009
by E R Prod
(first published September 17th 2009)
Well-written, well-documented and honest. Bonnke's autobiography details his extraordinary ministry from the conversion of his grandfather (yes, it started then, unless you trace it back to Calvary) to his recent mega-evangelical campaigns in Africa. Born in an area since ethnically cleansed, raised in a concentration camp, overlooked—maybe even rejected—by his own family and nation, Bonnke details the trials and triumphs of his life. The road was neither straight nor easy, but Bonnke stuck to i
Well-written, well-documented and honest. Bonnke's autobiography details his extraordinary ministry from the conversion of his grandfather (yes, it started then, unless you trace it back to Calvary) to his recent mega-evangelical campaigns in Africa. Born in an area since ethnically cleansed, raised in a concentration camp, overlooked—maybe even rejected—by his own family and nation, Bonnke details the trials and triumphs of his life. The road was neither straight nor easy, but Bonnke stuck to it.
Taking into account just raw numbers, Reinhard Bonnke is probably the most successful evangelist of our life-time. Reading this book gives us an engrossing overview of his remarkable life.
This autobiography is filled with heartwarming personal memoires, dramatic events, headline-grabbing miracles, beautiful testimonies, accounts of meetings with kings, presidents and rulers of nations, lessons learned and and even just some fun, lightweight anekdotes. We read how the often explosive political cl
Taking into account just raw numbers, Reinhard Bonnke is probably the most successful evangelist of our life-time. Reading this book gives us an engrossing overview of his remarkable life.
This autobiography is filled with heartwarming personal memoires, dramatic events, headline-grabbing miracles, beautiful testimonies, accounts of meetings with kings, presidents and rulers of nations, lessons learned and and even just some fun, lightweight anekdotes. We read how the often explosive political climates in Africa affected the ministry and led Reinhard and his team into sometimes life-threatening situations.
Although we know Reinhard Bonnke for his famous gospel crusades throughout Africa with attendance often exceeding more than one million people, his beginnings were humble and small.
When he was 11 years old he evangelized on the street corners of Glückstadt and was overjoyed to see for the first time a soul saved. God spoke to him when he was 8 years that he would be send to Africa, but a lot of people around him, including his father (who was a preacher) and family members did not acknowledge his calling. In many ways he was considered socially a 'zero'. Pentecostals were looked down upon in Lutheran Germany, his brothers looked down upon the occupation of their father and found it foolish that Reinhard wanted to be a preacher. When he eventually came to Africa he initially found little support for his ministry.
But God took him through a personal training through a series of events that would repeatedly break the mold of his thinking. Theological barriers were broken, denominational barriers were broken and natural barriers were broken. God gave him a vision of a blood-washed Africa and this vision has remained the driving purpose of his life. Always seeking and knocking for new opportunities to bring the Gospel in new and grander ways for maximum impact. The tents grew bigger until no tent could ever hold the crowds. The technological tools and equipment that were used grew more advanced and left nothing to chance. The crusades were headline news everywhere they came.
Besides his unstoppable desire to fulfill his life-time mission, one of the things that strikes me most about his life is his simplicity and pureness. Although his ministry has impacted the history and courses of whole nations and generations, there always remains this often boyish and feisty sheen in his personality and the complete dependence on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. From the outside he is changing the course of world-history, from the inside we read how he cries out to God for help how to handle the situations he faces.
Besides that, he never lost the ability to value the life of one soul. Every life is valuable, because Jesus paid the highest price for that one individual.
The book is full of lessons in faith and what gets clear from every page, is that Bonnke is actually a normal, ordinary man, whose secret of success is just in simple obedience to the voice of the Lord.
What God did through Bonnke, *GOD* did through Bonnke. And since it's *GOD* that does the impossible while Bonnke simply acts in obedience, it becomes clear that God can do miraculous things through anybody that simply chooses to obey.
One might argue that some stories in the book could've been skipped (nice to know that he loves to ride a bicycle, but the book could've done without a complete chapter about the subject). Sometimes Bonnke unnecessarily repeats some of the events in different parts of the book. But this style actually fits the man. It never pretends to be top-literature or anything more than amusing and faith-inspiring prose that anybody can read. And as just that, it succeeds marvelously and it will give you some lessons in history, politics, culture and ministry in the process.
One last remark: some of the stories in this book were also collected in the book 'Even Greater'. So if you read this book, you can skip that one.
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One of the best .. if not the best book that I've read in a long time. This book will certainly build your faith in God. It will encourage you to depend on him in ALL situations and WAIT on him to move! A must read for anyone growing in their relationship with the Lord. It has actually been a few months since I've read it and am ready to read it again! Enjoy and let me know how you like it..
What a book! Biographical + godly . Challenged me in so many ways. It's inspiring to read Bonnke journey especially how it wasn't smooth sailing and even had opposition from his preacher dad. In some ways the story of how from humble beginnings to a giant MNC seems similar to a rags to riches story but this time it's a person winning almost 60 million people to Christ!
Growing up in South Africa, I was excited to read about the crusade in Cape Town. My husband was a volunteer at that crusade. This autobiography reminds me that Jesus still heals today. We had the privilege of meeting Reinhard Bonnke this year in person and had our book signed. Great book, great testimonies, God is good!
Outstanding book! This is the very inspiring life story of famous evangelist Reinhard Bonnke - from his childhood growing up in war-torn Germany to amazing stories of what God did in the lives of people all throughout Africa through his ministry. Loved it!!
Quoting Mr. Bonnke himself "this book will blow you off your sofa". It is as life changing book. Inspiring as it is entertaining. A lesson in faith and in history that you will never see in any other book. I made this book a most read for ALL of my family.
This book is incredibly inspiring. Knowing where God has taken him and the amazing ministry he has built, makes reading about his "small beginnings" totally encouraging. The last chapter was my favorite. Loved this book
“You have faith stories, too. No matter how small, remember them, recite them, count them, and celebrate them. They build your faith for what is coming next in your life.”
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“It is said that resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to die. There is no room for such a waste of energy in the service of God.”
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