by Helen Jesze

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is
faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

I love to read testimonies of how people came to Jesus. Each story is so personal and so precious. One I was reminded of recently was told by Evangelist Reinhard
Bonnke, whom we knew personally, and George had the joy of interpreting this
wonderful man of God at a conference in Switzerland.

Reinhard had a brother called Juergen, who was not a Christian, although he had been brought up in a Christian family. Juergen knew the way of Salvation but he had turned his back on it. Many years ago, Reinhard had a dream in which he saw his brother walking on a treacherous footbridge, under which was a deep, rocky chasm.

Suddenly fog came down over the bridge and Reinhard heard how his brother cried for help as he fell to his death.
Reinhard woke up with a pounding heart; his bed was awash with sweat. The Holy Spirit spoke very clearly to him: “Juergen is on the bridge to eternity. If you do not warn this godless man, you will be held accountable for his death … Write him a letter and tell him what you have seen in this dream.”

The letter was written, and after several weeks, a reply came from Juergen. Reinhard was deeply moved as he read it. His brother wrote that his wife had just left him and his best friend had recently died. Drowning in depression, Juergen had decided to commit suicide, but before he could do that, he had exactly the same dream as Reinhard!

When Juergen woke up, he knelt at his bedside and prayed: “Almighty God, you
know that I don’t even believe in you, but I have a brother who serves you. If you
have spoken to me through this dream, speak to me through Reinhard.” A few days later, the letter arrived from Evangelist Bonnke. It seemed like a word from Heaven just when he needed it. Juergen went on to say: “ Your dream was my dream. I have given my life to Jesus. He has forgiven my sins!”

What a marvellous testimony! Many of us know what it is to have unsaved relatives, or loved ones who have gone away from the Lord, and we have been praying for them, some many years. I want to encourage you today to not give up hope, but keep praising the Lord for the answers instead of just praying. The above verse from Hebrews reminds us that our God is faithful and He keeps His Word to us.

It is estimated that Evangelist Bonnke won over 70 million souls to the Lord in his
crusades, many of them in Africa. Yet it took many years for his own brother to
eventually come to Christ. The answer might not come in such a spectacular way as in Reinhard’s situation but God has endless ways to reach our loved ones. The answer might come in a completely different way than we have imagined; let’s be open to His methods and not tie God’s hands in unbelief or stubbornness, telling God how it must be done.

So take courage, dear Friend, and with the grace and strength of our faithful
God and Saviour, let’s “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess”, and watch
the answers roll in!!