How do you honor the life of a man who has led 75 million souls to the Lord? It is with great humility that I add my poor voice to the chorus of gratitude currently going up around the world for the life of this mighty man of God.
I only dare to write out of duty. If it were it not my duty I would remain silent, but the Word of God shows us how fitting and proper it is to bestow honor where honor is due. The fact that he is a fellow evangelist makes it doubly my duty to write. I ask for your patience with my feeble attempt.
There are many details about our brother that you will not see in this article. That is the right of others who were much closer to him, and who have far more right to speak about his life.
My focus in honoring Reinhard Bonnke shall begin with these words of Paul in Second Timothy, Chapter 4: “6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Reinhard lived his life always ready to be poured out. He fought a good fight. He should be given honor as a war hero every bit as much as any preacher. In remembering war heroes we instantly remember one overriding fact: They gave their life. One cannot give more than their life. Paul was telling us that he was ready to give his life as an offering.
Standing before massive crowds in Nigeria and numerous other dark places in the world is neither glamorous nor comfortable. Hanging one’s soul between God and indescribable demonic power exacts a toll that lukewarm preachers cannot begin to understand. He was first a hero of war, and thus, he must be honored for making the ultimate sacrifice.
Now let us turn to the force that drove his life. Much has already been said about this. One of the forces that is most mentioned in referring to Bonnke’s exploits, is the fire of the Holy Spirit. I believe that is what gave him strength. But something else drove him. And by telling you what I think, I risk overstepping my authority. But I must take that risk.
Reinhard Bonnke was driven by the greatest love for lost souls I have ever seen. Let me talk about love for a moment. The Bible grants us these familiar and immortal words: 1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Faith and hope are awesome things. Why then is love given supremacy? Because love will keep going when everything else gives up. Love never fails—never fails to find a way—never fails to get up again, no matter how beaten down and drained, and love will pay any price.
Look at these simple words to understand love: “For God so loved the world that he gave…” The Father gave the crown jewel of heaven. The beloved and only begotten Son. When Reinhard saw that, felt that, imbibed that, he became capable of giving everything he had to win the lost. I believe this drove his life more than anything else.
He loved God so much that he took upon himself the single most dangerous quality you can accept from God—to love the lost as Jesus loves the lost. And because of that, he became unstoppable. No one dared to tell him that anything was impossible.
The astounding miracles that restored limbs, raised the dead, cast out devils and healed every disease that crossed his path was solely because he knew that miracles would win more souls.
While others may have gloried in signs and wonders and even corrupted their purpose, this was impossible for Reinhard Bonnke, because it was love that drove him to the supernatural. Love drove him to give God all the glory and never to take it for himself. He would never do anything that would impede the anointing of the Spirit from winning more souls.
Love found the energy for him to keep going when his body screamed for him to stop. Love was the bulldozer that powered him to destroy limitations on soul winning and blast upward to new heights of what an evangelist can do to harvest souls.
Do you dare remember this man with mere honor and hollow accolades? His life calls forth fear and trembling for any ministry that operates on lesser fuel. We remember rightly, we honor him only, by taking up his sublime challenge to love, and by that love, to do greater exploits to win lost souls than we could otherwise ever have imagined, had there not been such a man, with such a love.
How can anyone write what Mario wrote any better? This says it all: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
I will never forget the way he prayed for entire countries…calling out their names with a love and an intensity like that of a parent interceding for their lost child. Or watching him sincerely grieve over the eternal damnation of a High Priest mentioned in the Bible, who had a hand with Jesus’ crucifixion, as if he had known the man personally. He had one passion… bringing lost souls to Jesus, and a faith that believed for and then received the impossible. I can’t imagine how loud Heaven is shouting with joy at his arrival!! My heart is grieving this great general’s passing. His books and sermons have been precious mentors to me for many years, and his joy in the Lord my inspiration. I will miss him dearly. May the Lord comfort his family and all who mourn his passing. And may the rest of us live our lives on fire for God and full of the Holy Spirit, as he did. Thank you Father, for Reinhard Bonnke!!
At first glance I am speechless.
Yes, Mario has reported here so eloquently, as so have others about Mr Bonnke.?
Yet…since the word of God tells us that we overcome “by the blood of The Lamb & by the word of our testimony”, I am compelled to testify.
I was an untrusting sceptic, daunted by life’s hateful challenges thrown at me beginning from a very young age. By my mid-thirties I’d given up any hope for this life, then I read Ron Steele’s book revealing ‘Reinhard Bonnke’s Vision’ titled, “Plundering Hell – to Populate Heaven”.
Living alone in my patio home, twice divorced, I sat & read & read all about Mr Bonnke his vision and scope, then stirred with what flickering wick was left in my soul, I immediately attended a young visiting Evangelist’s appearance to Pastor Tommy Barnett’s church. The young on Fire preacher was Mario Murillo. Directly after that igniting experience, Reinhard Bonnke himself came to the same church and preached in a crusade (this was in the late 80’s.)
After that I contacted Mr Bonnke’s headquarters and inquired if I could “go out” to Germany and become a part of his campaign to plunder hell and populate heaven. They responded excitedly!
It was then my plan as a single female person in my 30’s to go to that mission field and help ‘Christ for all Nations’ Mr Bonnke’s ministry in Africa.
It ended up I didn’t go. God had other miraculous plans for my life.
Point being**
To me (and I’m sure millions of others) Reinhard Bonnke & Mario Murillo changed me, the course of my life, and are intrinsically linked representing all that is possible, trustworthy and true within modern Evangelism. Winning souls is their mission whether those souls flame is flickering out
(like mine was) or whether a person never even knew who God in Christ is.
I for one am Living Proof!!..and all those lives whom I’ve also touched over the last 30 years since then as the flame burned bright with the Gospel of Christ’s power, because these brave Kingdom warriors spoke The Truth of Christ Jesus to me. What a miracle of God.
What Reinhard Bonnke did matters forever.
What Mario Murillo did & still does matters forever.
Thank You eternally.
Yes Mario! Thank you for sharing your insights on Reinhard. Watching 700 club interview, Reinhard states he had to unteach what he learned in Germany. The power of Holy Spirit was his foremost trainer.
Sent from Mary’s iPhone
>
This tribute says it all ….as we have been
Graced to know this man of God may our hearts be filled with a most humbling and
Beautiful knowing of that
Love …that now his Joy is fulfilled
Indeed because of the myriad seeds of the Love of Jesus planted by this warrior of the faith ……
Thanks for the piece on the Evangelist. His passion was souls and his fuel was the fire of the Holy Spirit. He was the first person I watched when I became born again and truely inspired by his preaching. His labour had gone before him. I salute this general of faith.
Mario you write it well I am one of our come for winning souls He laid his hand on me 2026
I am still fire for wining soul I am in Srilanka wining the nations through establishing the 24/7 prayer house in the city of Colombo God bless you Mario writing this Reinhard Bonkee biography is my second bible
Reblogged this on Covenant Chronicles with Chris Lovett.
Thankyou Mario-well said. Greater love has no man that he lay down his life for others!
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
Reinhard was the guest speaker at our BSSM 2nd year graduation in May of ‘17. From the raging fires in his overflowing heart, he made this point with passion: “Flies don’t land on hot stoves,” If you don’t want demons on you, keep your heart burning for Jesus.
It was our graduation day! We were already a flaming group of 700+, yet Reinhard turned up the heat even more, turning the Civic auditorium into a kiln that put a beautiful and lasting finish on those fresh off of the Potters wheel.
What a wonderful tribute to an awesome man of God. Thank you for sharing your heart.
My humble amen ?
Thank you Mario Murillo, for those impactful words of tribute to the memory of Reinhard Bonnke! His memory is indeed a blessing to all who knew of him. What an inspiration to you and all of us.
I am weeping…we have not many fathers!
Our Heavenly Father is calling home His Generals for others to rise up and take their own place in His magnificent blood-washed army of agape love and selflessness.
Thank you for your witness Brother Reinhard – wow.
Thank you for your testimony Brother Mario.
Grace and peace to us all as we humbly answer GOD’s call, some as His watchmen on the wall, others in the harvest fields, sowing, planting, tending, reaping; while others must ‘run with the ball’
Let us soberly remember that the race is not given to the swift but to those who endure to the end.
Brother Paul
Along with you, we express our profound thanks to Almighty God for such a gift to the Body of Christ as Reinhard Bonnke! He truly excelled in his ministry of evangelism, to the benefit of millions of souls being added to the kingdom. We also note his fulfilled role as a spiritual father, in raising up Daniel Kolenda (& others) by training & example. Your expressions re: Reinhard, gave us an even greater recognition of what JUST ONE BELIEVER FILLED WITH THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT can do! We must rise up to the standard set by Rev Bonnke. I believe you are “cut from the same cloth”. Thanks be to God for all the benefit we receive from you and your ministry.
Wonderful tribute Mario. I agree 100%, no words can adequately describe his ministry to the world. Or his commitment and Love. Today he is receiving his reward as a faithful servant. Can’t imagine the welcoming crowd God be Praised.
Mario Have you heard of or read Wendy Alec’s book JOURNAL OF THE UNKNOWN PROPHET?
Under end time ministries -THE EVANGELIST AND THE PROPHET ARE VERY POWERFUL DESCRIPTIONS.
May it be LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
Mario…
What a beautiful tribute/description for such a profoundly amazing brother that worked tirelessly for the Kingdom of Christ! I thank the Lord that Bonnke lived in my generation and that I was able to see his agape love expressed to Africa. I recall TBN’s cameras (when Paul & Jan were alive) scanning the great crowds (the expanse of which, never seemed to end) those souls that would come to listen, be saved as they were showered with God’s love and touched with miraculous healing.
My words are inadequate to describe such a man who loved our Lord with such zeal and passion.
Reinhard Bonnke was a good and faithful servant, truly a friend to God!
I didn’t know he had passed on to be with his Lord. Look at the sea of humanity he preached to. He truly had the Heartbeat of Christ in his bosom. And what an embrace he received from Jesus Himself up there!
Well said; I didn’t know he went home to glory either and I didn’t know much about him. Didn’t he pass on his baton….so to speak….to someone named Kolenda? I thought I heard something about that but wow! It’s amazing! I just want the Lord to say to me at the end of my journey; “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” and be smiling at me!