Today we safely flew from Semarang to Jakarta. Tomorrow I have a service for the Full Gospel Business Men. I plan to preach about faith. In this article, I would like to share some of my observations and revelations. In short…
Believe after the service, just as you do during the service
It is very important to encourage people after meetings that they have received their miracle and need to continue believing. The answer to prayer may come instantly, the next morning, or after some time. Many people do not know how to retain their healing. They rely only on their feelings, not on faith. Feelings are deceptive, but faith is the gateway between two worlds. If we keep the gateway open, much can be drawn from the spiritual realm into the physical.
It is also important not to evaluate a service by the number of testimonies given during it. Many more miracles always happen, but we do not hear about all of them. Even on this trip, we did not hear some testimonies immediately, but only after some time. For example:
- At one meeting, I suggested praying over a shawl and passing it around the hall. We did so and concluded the meeting. A day later, the church pastor called and testified that one young man had received healing through touching the anointed shawl. Previously, he could not hear in one ear, but now his ear had opened and his hearing was restored.
- A woman listened by radio to a broadcast of my service at the “Holy Stadium” and, during prayer for the eyes, was healed of cataracts and began to see perfectly. She called the church the next day and testified about the miracle.
- One woman came home after the service, and black blood and pus began flowing from her vagina. After that, the tumor in her reproductive organs disappeared. The woman received her miracle. I remember that during the service she testified that the pain had gone and that something inside her had begun to happen. It was interesting to hear how this story concluded.
- The woman who stood up from her wheelchair during the service came to the next service on her own, no longer needing a wheelchair. The pastor of the church where we held the service called me and told me about this miracle. This is an excellent example of how the woman received and retained her miracle.
As you can see, not everything can be learned immediately at a church service. I can only imagine how many more testimonies there will be when people are examined by doctors or simply wait a little longer. Tens of thousands! May all the glory go to God!
Now, a little about “megachurches”
Yesterday we attended a service where Pastor Kong Hee from Singapore preached. His church has 20,000 members who meet in the largest convention center in the world. I liked Kong Hee—a very successful pastor!
Pastor Kong Hee from Singapore preaches
Megachurches use large video screens to illustrate sermons. Important verses from Scripture are highlighted in another color or emphasized so that people will pay attention to them. When the preacher talks about certain people or shares a testimony, their photographs appear on the screen. When the preacher mentions numbers or quantities, visual examples appear on the screen for comparison. The slides are high-quality and look impressive. The illustrations powerfully complement the sermon. The Word shared by megachurch pastors usually includes a main passage from Scripture and examples from real life, bringing encouragement to people. After such a sermon, hope arises; you understand that God has great and good plans for you. In short, the sermon offers people support and edification.
Many people criticize this preaching style today. The main accusation is that megachurch members are preached only positive messages and are not told about their problems. This is untrue. This type of preaching simply appears from the outside as though problems are not being addressed, but in reality, preachers touch on many problems. Naturally, the criticism does not come from the leaders of influential megachurches, but from the leadership of small congregations or religious leaders who criticize and condemn everything that does not fit their denominational rules.
Disadvantages of megachurches
Because large amounts of money flow through them, the leaders of such congregations become targets for city authorities and unscrupulous people. That is why megachurch pastors have bodyguards and serious security services. For example, Pastor Petrus Agung’s son’s car is constantly accompanied by police officers with sirens. Having a megachurch is the dream of many pastors, but few suspect how much responsibility it entails. If something goes wrong, you immediately end up in prison because you are not an “ordinary person.”
Many megachurches have problems with the authorities. Is there a way out of this situation? It seems to me that having 100 churches of 1,000 people each is safer than having one with 100,000.
A missionary told me that megachurch pastors who have personal businesses suffer less from the authorities because they pay taxes and are regarded by the authorities as businesspeople. For example, T. D. Jakes has his own company, while Petrus Agung has a bottled-water plant. There are also many other examples.
That is all for now. Thank you for your prayers; I feel well. I want to go home. I miss my family, loved ones, and friends. We will see each other soon because we are shortening the crusade. Although my visa was extended for an entire month, I decided to cancel some of the services. My agent is currently looking for flights to Ukraine for me.
With blessings, Dmitriy Leo.
To conclude, here is a little Indonesian worship.
← Previous article: 07.06.2015 – Dmitriy Leo’s Crusade in Indonesia
