Second day in Jomvu

Hello again.

I don't know how many of you were watching the royal wedding today but it is very popular over here. It seems almost everybody is interested in it. Every time a T.V is on it is on a channel which is covering the wedding.

We are in Mombasa in the area of Jomvu holding four days of meetings. Jomvu is one of the areas of the city which is an Islamic stronghold and is tightly controlled by the religious leaders which makes life difficult for churches. It is also known as a good recruiting area for extremists. The Jomvu church has an attendance of around 50 on a Sunday which, I am told for this area. is very good. Over 20 turned out for the meeting on Thursday night which, for a revival series starting in midweek,is good.

The Jomvu church is recovering from a a leadership issue where the pastor had to be removed. Some people have left but the church remains and the people I saw last night are strong in their faith. The Islamic leaders organised the building of a house on part of the church property to stop it's expansion but the church has appealed to a council which is a higher authority and is predominantly christian so there is still room to expand although the house has to stay. {Building and land regulations are a somewhat grey area over here.}

Bishop Samuel is trying to sort out some appropriate accomodation in Mombasa st this very moment. The original plan was to move from Mariakani to Ukunda on the 2nd May but plans have changed again. I'm due to speak at a number of lunchtime meetings in Mombasa in my final week here and transportation to and from Ukunda is easy enough. If I was based near the place of the lunchtime meetings it means I have more time to prepare before starting out. The morning traveling is then minimal. Please pray that these arrangements go well and that I will get a safe and secure place in Mombasa.

Tonights message is on the scripture 'Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God,'

egards...steve

Greetings from Kenya.

We have just concluded our three day series of meetings in Maweni and they have gone very well. The church responds very positively to the word of God and were very friendly and appreciative. It makes me want to go back again.
The three day series was taken from the Beatitudes from Jesus sermon on the mount. On the last night We looked at related scriptures to the statement 'blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God'. I kept it brief because I wanted the time to pray with people afterwards and it was well worthwhile. Around 20 people came forward for prayer and 3 people testified of immediate release from pain. One man recommitted his life to Christ and many other needs were prayed for. The main ones are below.

# Please pray for those who have asked for God to help them find employment. In some areas unemployment is as high as 20% and that is extremely tough in a country with no benefit system.
# Pray for several people who have asked God to give them peace in their homes.
# Some have also asked prayer for their sick children.
# The man who came to repentance last night said he struggles with temptation. Pray that God would help him, strengthen him and give him wisdom.

Last night the pastor took me back to his home so we could eat together with his family. I ate very well. His wife is a very good cook. Glad I didn't have to get up early this morning. Didn't have much room for breakfast. As I said, I ate 'very' well.

Today we are starting the first of four days of evening meetings in Jomvu {in Mombasa} For the first two days we will have evening seminars in the church and then on the Saturday and Sunday we will hold open air meetings to reach others with the gospel.

Incidently, one of the delights of going abroad is to sample local culture. For example The 'authentic locally sourced' bottled water here is called....wait for it.....KILIMANJIRO ALPS???!!. Shallow commercialism is rampant over here as well as pirate goods. I stopped by a couple of clothing stalls that were selling a colourful array of football jerseys to be told 'This is original'. The adidas logos looked like they has been sown on by the local drunk! Apparently you can buy an 'authentic' premiership football shirt for 'ksh700' {about 5 pounds 50p u.k money}. That still makes the fake goods better value for money than the real thing we are charged 40 pounds for back home.
I went round the music stalls/shops looking for certain items. Needless to say they rip off everything. There were some genuine articles though. They have the latest Cliff Richard and Kenny Rogers videos on sale. At around 2 pounds u.k money I felt this too was a rip off!! {lol} You'll have to pay me more than two pounds to sit through a hour of country and western!

Seriously though, I'm having a great time out here and enjoying it very much. Please continue to pray for the meetings and events. God is good, amen.

regards...steve

Akamba and Maweni

We went to Akamba today. Akamba is a co-operative where the members {part of the Kamba tribe}make models out of wood including of many of the animals local to Kenya, traditional items, masks, models of Masai in their traditional dress ect. This is the place we preached at last time I was here and many people came to the Lord and were healed. Today we were only here as tourists but it was important to see the place again. The people who work here are known for their craftmanship and skill in this work and I have many pictures of their work in process. Anyone who comes to Mombasa should visit this place at least once. It is fantastic. Just looking through the cooperative shop was great. There is so much there I could have stayed for most of the day. The workers share in the profits of the shop as well. So much that you see on the streets of the cities is cheap and 'touristy' but to go somewhere and see items locally produced, handcrafted and then have the opportunity to buy {not to mention putting money back into the local economy} is well worthwhile. Their talent really has to be seen.

Last night was the first in a revival series at Maweni which is a slum area of Mombasa. The pastor, Jonathon, started this church by preaching under a tree and gained a number of converts {as well as a bit of opposition and mocking} but now a church has been established. 23 people came out last night which for a meeting during the week is very good and people very very encouraged and grateful for the message on the new covenant and kingdom that Jesus announced that we are a part of.

The Maweni church meet in a bar which they hire out for meetings. Admittedly not the first place that comes to mind for a church meeting but people come nonetheless and the church is growing. My prayer is that the people will invite friends to come tonight and Wednesday. Tonight's message is on 'blessed are the merciful' a good message for visitors in particular. Tomorrow I want to give an invitation for those who are unwell to come forward for prayer and am believing God for good things to happen.

Mungu Akubariki {God bless you}

Crusades and meetings go up a gear.

Saturday was interesting. Not sure how many people responded as many don't want to come forward but rather they pray where they are standing. A lot of the churches here are divided along tribal lines so if someone is backslidden or doesn't want to go to that church they have to consider their relationship with their own community group. Therefore it is awkward to go to another church {although they don't take it anywhere near as far as the muslims do}.

On Sunday morning we celebrated the resuurection and thats when things started kicking off. As I was preaching one woman who had come to the church let out a huge shriek and threw herself back into the chair before writhing on the floor. As we neared the end of the service and we were all praising God the same thing happened to a girl who was seated nearby. In both cases disciples from the church led the person away to be delivered. Demon oppression and possession is not uncommon in Mariakani although no one has manifested one during the crusade. It reminded me of the scripture that tells us that when Jesus came the demons cried out. It's pretty awesome to know that God is among us in such power but sobering nonetheless. It makes me all the more determioned to avoid like the plague whatever these people were involved in to get to that state.

The final crusade on Sunday was excellent. After praying about it I decided to go all out for conversions. {If God wants to do anything else too then so be it}
We saw people actually start to come forward tonight and 12 people gave their lives to the Lord including one elderly Muslim lady. She came forward with the crowd for healing the previous night but nothing happened to her. I was glad to see her again. There has been a very good atmosphere in the crusades and to see many have the boldness to come forward the final night was great.

Today we are in Maweni.

God bless you...steve

Change of plans.

O.K this will be the first of two posts.

The plans have changed as follows.
Today {Monday} we start a three day series of meetings in Maweni church.
Thursday through to Sunday we are meeting in the Jumvu church {the correct spelling this time} In Jomvu we will have two days of teaching in the church then the last two days we will have a street crusade.
My next day off will be the following Monday before we go to Ukunda {Tues to Fri}

All the meetings this week will be evening services {starting at 2pm u.k time}

regards...steve

Mariakani - The place where the river flows

Firstly thanks to all who have left their comments. It is very good for me to know there are people at home following events here. Not much hope of a tan at the moment as the whole sky is cloudy and we are having one shower after another. Given the state of the streets in Mariakani town centre this is one place where the river is flowing.

There is another river starting to flow as well. The first night of our open air crusade went well despite technical difficulties. Not only did the power stop but the back up generator kept packing up. It didn't make much difference. The singers sang and many people stood around to listen. Then I had the chance to preach before it got dark. There were quite a number who raised their hands in answer to the call of salvation. Many were in the crowds who didn't come forward. How many I don't really know. 20? 30? The Lord knows. The river of the Holy Spirit is beginning to flow here.

I was told on Friday that many of the muslims here consider themselves to be culturally muslim but are not really practicing the religion {or interested in practicing it}. They shut their shops for half an hour to an hour during friday prayers out of fear of the religious leaders who will hastle them if they are not seen at the mosque. I'm told that violence is the norm among the religious leaders however there have been numbers who have put there faith in Christ. Some of these feel too threatened to stop attending the mosque so they turn up discretely holding a small new testament and when they pray they pray to Jesus and not Allah.

The easter Friday service in the church went very well. I preached on the cross {can't go wrong with that subject} and then pretty much the same message but with a more evangelistic edge for the evening crusade. The singing and dancing at the crusades have to be seen. The atmosphere is excellent. I think there were seven conversions {perhaps more but that's how many came to the front of the platform. Four others testified of immediate release from all pain as we prayed for the sick.

Tonight and tomorrow are the last two days of the crusade. We had someone testify through the microphone last night of her healing so we hope this will draw many others. Muslims and Christians alike agree that God is against sin but for the Muslim there is no peace, no assurance of forgiveness, no guarantee of eternal life, no hope of answered prayer and no deliverance. Just preaching on what Jesus means to us and what He has done is enough to get their attention. Thursdays subject was 'What can take way our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.' Friday's message was the cross and Sundays will be the resurrection. All of them ave basically the same theme. Jesus has the power to take away all sin, can heal disease, deliver from demonic oppression and curses and can save to the uttermost those who believe in Him. I think tonight should be more testimony based with accounts from the gospel of Jesus power to save and heal and then hopefully plenty of live testimonies.

The sun is now shining outside but I'm praying that the spiritual stream turns into a river this weekend.

God bless you...steve

First night of miracles

Bwana Asifiwe {Praise the Lord}

The lunchtime and evening meetings are continuing to go well and are very well received. Yesterday evening was the last meeting in the Mariakani church before the start of our open air gospel crusade tonight so I decided to open up the end of the service for any prayer needs. Several people came forward for healing including one elderly lady who had suffered from head and chest pains for years. {These are always interesting because this kind of thing doesn't just go away by itself} God healed her and everybody else who came forward for prayer.
We also prayed for one woman who is looking for employment and another who wanted prayer for peace in her home and another who was praying for her husbands conversion. I hope to keep you updated on answers to prayer regarding these needs.

Tonight is the big night. The first evening on a four day open air gospel crusade. We will start around 3:30p.m U.K time. To see healings in the church is encouraging before we take to the streets. We pray to see much more of the power of God at work in these next few days. {Not sure if I will get to video any of the crusades but I got last nights service on film including the people who were healed}

Yours in Christ....Steve

Churches are really stirred up

The meetings are going really well.

This week until Thursday {inclusive} I have been in Mombasa city itself preaching at the daily lunchtime meetings where Christians from a number of different groups are meetings. We have been going step by step through the Lord's prayer. The congregation are very receptive and the local pastors are very happy too. Just going through the material has stirred me as well and reminded me of the many things this entails when we call God 'our Father'. In around an hour from now I will be preaching on 'Hallowed be thy name'. When we get into the detail of these things we find that this is far more than a prayer. The scriptures have so much to say on these subjects. When you grasp the spirit of it the teaching become more than dry theological discourse and becomes something living and active and deeply impacts our everyday lives. {I'll move on before this blog post becomes another sermon, amen!}

The meetings at Mariakani are going very well as well. Tonight's message will be on 'Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.'

Thursday is a big day. It is the first in a four day series of open air meetings. The pastor has built a platform in the Town and has invited singers to minister. Mariakani is a predominantly Muslim town although there are plenty of churches there. This will be a change in direction for a number of reasons. Firstly the stuff I have been doing so far is teaching based for the churches. In an open air meeting it is much more evangelistic, direct and to the point. Also I will steer clear of overtly mentioning Islam. {They have a reputation for violence in this area against anyone criticising their religion}. For those of you who are praying for me you may find the following information helpful.

Prayer points for open air crusade in Mariakani {Thursday to Sunday}
# Pray for the words to speak and that they will come with the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit.
# Pray that the need for Faith in Christ and salvation would reach the hearts of Muslims and that God would draw them in.
# Pray for wisdom and God's covering protection over us.
# Pray for a manifestation of God's kingdom. We are going to offer to pray for the sick, those oppressed by evil spirits, Those in poverty in need of employment.

When people hear that there is a preacher praying for these things people often tell others and there are more that come the next night. We really need people to pray that God would touch these people.

# Pray against every demonic strategy that would seek to hinder the work of God. {I cannot stress how important this is}

We are believing God for a miraculous time. For conversions, healings, deliverance and for great favour with the people. Pray that God would make a clear way for us to minister without hinderences or interruption. {The power supply is not always reliable here. We have obtained a licence from the authorities to do what we are doing on the streets but there are some that still set up a p.a without a licence and some of these groups can be a distraction. pray that there would be no such problems.}

Mungu Akubariki {God bless you}

A word for intercessors.

One of the men of the old testament who was a military leader responsible for the defence of his country prayed 'Lord, teach my hands to war' These are the words that came to me as I was praying for the group of intercessors that have committed themselves to pray for me and the mission daily while I am over here.

Paul the apostle states that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers....against spiritual wickedness in high places." I felt God wanted me to share this word with the intercessors. God wants to teach us how to do battle spiritually in prayer but first we have to ask for his help. We don't always know what to or how to pray but God can teach us. I want to encourage you to ask God to 'teach my hands how to war' spiritually speking. The spiritual challenges here in Mombasa are significant but through Christ we can overcome all.

Be assured that I take time to pray for you all as you stand in prayer for me.

God bless you...steve

First message from Mombasa

'Habari' Greetings from Mombasa.

Things have started well. We actually flew into Nairobi early and I got into Mombasa airport a little after middday on Saturday. After that I slept for most of the time until Sunday morning.

On Sunday the Jubilation Ministries church in Mariakani had two services and I had the opportunity to preach on the opening verses of the Beatitudes including the words 'Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God'. It is a lively vibrant church and many of the people there are converts from the last three years so there is good growth. I've also got some film footage of the service.

From today through to Thursday I will be in Mombasa city itself to teach at the lunchtime meetings which last for just under an hour and start at 12:30p.m {or 10:30a.m U.K time}. We will be looking at the Lord's prayer.
For today, tomorrow and Wednesday we will be meeting in the church at Mariakani for another meeting at 4:00p.m {2:00p.m U.K time} continuing the series on the Beatitudes.{Matthew chapter 5 verses 1-10}

The first messages have been well recieved and it is reaaly good to get into the subject of the new covenant Jesus came to bring and how it is in so many ways superior to the law of Moses. The opening word alone of Jesus message is worth looking at. 'Blessed' means fulfillment and heavenly joy and satisfaction regardless of outward circumstances. It rises far above the blessing Moses proclaimed which was to do with outward blessing. Also the blessing contained within the law of Moses was to do with obedience ie : keep the commandments and you will be blessed. he new covenant simply declares that we are blessed. It is to do with who we are in Christ.

On Thursday through to Sunday we begin our open air Gospel Crusade in Mariakani which will begin at the same time as our meetings in the Mariakani church had begun. The Friday open air Gospel crusdae will be a special 'easter' event with communion and an easter message.

prayer points : # Pray that the church would be strengthed by the word of God.
# pray for the open air crusades. For genuine conversions, miracles and God to be glorified.

next week:
We will be visiting a number of different churches. Please pray for each of them especially as I will only be seing them once and I hope that much good will come from the meetings.
Monday 25th ; Komani church
Tuesday 26th ; Mavirivirini {bonus points if you can pronounce it correctly the first time around!}
Wednesday ; Jomuy church
Thursday onwards : series of meetings at Maweni in Mombasa slum area.

God bless you...steve

God's favour / Prayer points

Around 24 hours to go before I fly out. It was good to be at the church prayer meeting last night especially as people prayed for me and the trip.

Each time I have been to this country I have seen God's favour and this time is no different. When I planned what I needed for this trip I realised I would need God's help. I calculated how much I could reasonably save and estimated how much I would need to earn in overtime along with praying that a certain amount would come in donations.

The overtime I get from my workplace is sporadic so I prayed and from that point there was plenty of overtime available. What made it all the more remarkable was when there was nothing available for anyone else and I was still asked to come in on a Saturday. {It was like they were finding things for me to do!}. The amount I needed to earn this way came in faster than I estimated. I've also had enough in donations to comfortably cover expenses. It was not as much as I had originally planned for but with other costs going down and the extra money coming in through overtime work it has turned out to be just right. God knows what He is doing.

My only remaining concern was over this final week of work {I fly out on Friday evening on an overnight flight}. All the extra work leaves me tired and I could really do with an easier schedule at work this week. Again no problem. Last week my supervisor came to me and told me....That's it! No more overtime. We have no more available......So all the extra work came in just as I needed it and as all costs were covered and I needed a break from overtime before I fly out it suddenly stops. There are coincidences and there are 'God-incidences'. Praise God, I am already excited about what is going to happen on this trip and my level of faith and expectation is rising.

POINTS FOR PRAYER # Pray that the journeys would go without any problems.
# Pray also that I would get rid of a cold I have had for the past week.
# Pray regarding my plans to go to Romania later this year {I know, I know. I'm not even on the plane yet and I'm thinking about the next trip but when I was there last summer it was very much on my heart to return and to one place in particular.} Pray for God's guidance and favour in His purposes.

God bless you...steve

INTERCESSORS GUIDE

INTRO...

Hi. This guide is especially for those who can't get onto the online guide I advertised by facebook and hotmail earlier. Here you will find all the prayer details you need.

WHO I'M WORKING WITH...

During my time in Kenya I will be working with 'Jubilation Ministries' which is headed by Bishop Samuel Kazungu. His ministry is based in Mombasa and he has some other churches planted in the region which I will also be visiting and ministering at.

TIMELINE....

Friday evening 15th April - fly out from uk
saturday 16th - catch domestic flight from Nairobi to Mombasa
Sunday 17th - Begin ministry at Bishop Samuel's church
monday 18th to friday 22nd - Lunch hour meetings at Mombasa city church daily at 12:30pm Kenyan time
Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th - Three day gospel crusade at MARIAKENI
During 2nd week - Crusade at Mombasa MAWENI slum area for 4 days
During 3rd week - Crusade at UKUNDA for 4 days and morning seminars {including prayer ministry for the sick}
Saturday 7th May - Fly back to Nairobi to catch late night flight back to uk.
Early Sunday morning - Arrive back in the u.k {Who knows. You might even see me at the morning service at M.P!}

The gospel crusades will include preaching, teaching and prayer ministry. The timeline and events are subject to a degree of adaptation. Africans are a lot more relaxed about schedules than we are. I will endeavour to keep you updated with changed via this blog.

THE CHURCHES...

All of the churches I am working with are part of Jubilation Ministries. They are Pentecostal churches with an emphasis on spiritual gifts {prophecy, healing ect}. There is a strong emphasis on a personal encounter and empowering with the Holy Spirit. The churches also place a strong emphasis on revival, the message of grace and getting that message out to others. All of the churches {Mariakeni, Maweni and Ukunda} are in or close to Mombasa on the coast of Kenya.

SPIRITUAL CLIMATE/CHALLENGES

The regions churches are surrounded by African traditional practices and religion. Islam is also the most popular religious grouping in the area. Their is much poverty in the region with connected social problems. Mombasa is a tourist destination with a thriving prostitution industry and a sky high H.I.V infection count. Mombasa used to be a thriving port city but is in long term decline. There is a clear spiritual hunger among the people which cuts right across the religious and social spectrum and there is a tendency to respond earnestly to the message of the gospel. However, Muslim converts are often fearful of violent reprisals, being thrown out of the family home and even death if their conversion became known. There is, therefore, considerable difficulty in many of them living openly as Christians and attending a church yet they still respond to the call of the gospel.
Churches in Mombasa have a reputation of standing together and working together. Noise pollution regulations have made street outreach difficult yet in Mombasa churches have found favour with the authorities on the issue.

GENERAL PRAYER POINTS...

Firstly, don't forget to pray for yourselves and the other intercessors. God is able to inspire you to pray the right thing at the right time. Pray for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. I also encourage you to be open to any leading or prompting of God at any time. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we ask or think. I will remember you all in prayer as well.

Some useful things to pray for.

# For all arrangements to go to plan prior to and during the mission. {and if they don't, that it will be a 'divine' diversion}

# For all financial needs to be met. {God has already shown favour in this area}

# For God's covering and protection both physically and spiritually, for travelling mercies and blessings of health for all involved in the mission.

# For a clear awareness of God will and leading throughout.

# For the word of God to go forth unhindered and for it to bear much fruit that abides in the hearts of the hearers.

# For divine inspiration in preparation. Pray that the words to speak as I preach and teach and minister at altar calls. {I believe God has already prompted me to major on the Beatitudes as the main subject of the meetings} Pray that people would connect with the message and would experience the life of Christ in a personal way}

# For an anointing upon myself and all who minister with me. Pray for the operation of spiritual gifts so that the church would be edified and built up in the faith. Pray particularly for healing gifts, words of wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits ect {1 Corinthians ch 12+14}

# Pray for a supernatural favour with everyone I meet and minister to. Pray for clear communication and God's hand upon the interpreters.

# For God's 'shalom' peace and His grace upon us. For unity among us and that we would work together well.

# Pray for a release of faith among the people to believe God for all He wants to achieve.

# Pray for a plenteous harvest of souls. {If the fields are white unto harvest anywhere it is in Mombasa}

# For the bringing down of strongholds of witchcraft, occult spirits, spirits of false religion, Antichrist, and every evil thing. Pray that God would break the yoke of bondage from all who are oppressed and blinded by the enemy. Pray that people would get a revelation of the gospel, our liberty in Christ, His power to save and deliver.

# and finally {and most importantly} that in all things, in thoughts, in words and deeds, my work and this mission would be to the glory of God.


As I conclude, I just want to thank all of those people reading that have committed themselves to standing with me in prayer. I believe this is the specific time God wanted me to come to Kenya and that there are specific things He wants me to do. May you know God's favour, inspiration, blessing and strength and you stand for His kingdom.

With love in Christ Jesus...Steve Johnson

Intercessors

The first time I flew out to Kenya I had several people promising to support me daily in prayer. The second time was closer to 20 and this time the figure is well over 30. Praise God!
I picked up my passport today with the visa approved. {a formality but exciting nonetheless} and I've booked my flight tickets. The only downside is that the price went up £40 on last night when I checked it. It's still below what I originally thought I'd have to pay and I've found a much cheaper airline for the internal flight from Nairobi to Mombasa.
On a related note I saw that if I bought my main flight ticket from 'Egypt air' I could have saved £140! I have a sneeking suspicion that this is because no man in his right mind would touch Egypt air right now given the situation in the country and in neighbouring Libya! Tempting but I'd rather not take the risk.

11 days to go!!!!!

regards...steve

Intercession

During my past two visits there have been people back home praying for me while I have been in Kenya. There can be no doubt that prayer makes a powerful difference. While we know that it is the hand of God that works and does the things man cannot do we also know that God commands us to pray and that there are many things that God will only do in response to prayer. In that sense, prayer moves the hand of God. This teaches us to trust and rely on Him

Below is a link to an intercessors guide which I typed up for this mission trip. If you would like to pray daily for me while the mission is going on then put this link into your address bar at the top of your screen. {I'm hoping it works!}

"The fervent effectual prayers of a righteous man avail much"




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