Reports from Elijah Challenge Africa Coordinator Emmanuel Rhema
May 2012
I first came to know Emmanuel when he attended our Elijah Challenge Training in Enugu, Nigeria in late 2004. Soon after that he launched out holding Crusades, and the Lord’s grace was abundant in his meetings as many infirm people were healed miraculously. God even used him to raise seven dead people back to life.
In 2011 at my suggestion, the Visitation of God ministry in Brazil invited Emmanuel to travel to Brazil to minister. They issued to him a letter of invitation and paid for his airfare on Turkish Airlines. This was only after they overcame difficult obstacles to his coming. But when he finally arrived in Brazil, the immigration authorities at the airport would not allow him to enter even though he had a valid visa. After confiscating the $1,500 cash he had in his possession, they put him on the next flight back to Nigeria. But since he had taken Turkish Airlines, he had to pass through Istanbul to wait for a connecting flight back to Nigeria. He was forced to spend a few days locked up in a detention room while awaiting his flight. While there the Lord used him to heal infirmities suffered by other detainees, and he led them to the Lord. Even the jailer turned to the Lord when he heard the gospel and witnessed the miraculous healings.
After suffering through such a severe trial and continuing to preach the gospel faithfully while locked up in an Istanbul detention room, Emmanuel has now been blessed by the Lord in unusual measure. The miracles through him in his meetings are now greater than before and astonishing. Once he ministered to a young man whose physical growth had been stunted due to a deformity in his body. The power of the Lord was present, and he was able to stand up straight and erect, much taller than a moment earlier. As a result his pant legs were now much higher than before, exposing his ankles. The media investigated this miracle, going to his home to visit him and to interview people who had known him before. The miracle was verified.
A woman had suffered from a large fibroid in her womb. During Emmanuel’s meeting, she passed the fibroid out of her body. The miracle was videotaped. People have also been healed from HIV as well as from full-blown AIDS as verified by test results.
In the past, the Lord has regularly used Emmanuel to heal the deaf and the dumb by inserting his fingers into their ears and touching their tongues as Jesus did. Now there are occasions on which he simply hugs those suffering from such conditions without issuing any commands, and the Lord heals them. Afterwards they are able hear and speak. This may be a manifestation of the gift of healing.
Because of such miracles word has spread, and he is now in high demand by churches in Nigeria—forcing him at times to go into hiding. Several people, grateful for being healed in his meetings, have given him automobiles. Through May 2012 he has trained about 200 Coordinators for The Elijah Challenge. Some of these have gone on to be used by the Lord to perform miracles that even amaze him.
Moreover, his wife Jenny who separated from him at the instigation of her parents some years ago, has been restored to him.
The Lord is faithful to His servants.