April 2007
The Elijah Challenge in North America
Pastor Sergio Garza
Pastor Sergio Garza of the Spanish-speaking congregation of Braeswood Assembly of God invited The Elijah Challenge to equip the believers with The End Time Model of Evangelism. The training took place on a Friday evening and Saturday morning. On the following Sunday morning an Evangelistic Healing Service was held where the gospel of the Kingdom was preached and the sick were healed in Christ’s name according to Luke 10:9.
Braeswood’s Spanish-speaking congregation
After the preaching of the gospel from John 14:6 regarding Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father, God was implored to demonstrate that this indeed was the absolute truth. The proof would be the miraculous healings done through the disciples of Christ in accordance with John 14:12.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
The men and women equipped in the Seminar stood and came forward, facing the congregation in a single file.
Above & below: Trained men and women
prepare to heal the sick in Christ’s name
The first stage of healing was mass healing (from a distance) to the infirm using the authority over disease and demons that Jesus has given his disciples for proclaiming the Kingdom of God. In this way several people were immediately healed as they sat in their seats. They were asked to come up to the stage to testifiy and give the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. They came forward and filled the small stage.
Stage filled with people (background) who
were healed during healing-at-a-distance
as Jesus did in Luke 7
Each testifies what the
Lord Jesus did for them
After all the testimonies of the miraculous healings there was no more doubt among the people that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. God had answered prayer unambiguously.
Then those who were not healed during the mass healing came forward to receive one-on-one ministry from the trained believers at the front. One of those who was brought forward was a young man in a wheelchair who had suffered debilitating injuries in an accident. After hands were laid on him, he got up from his wheelchair and walked in a way he could not do before.
Young man in wheelchair had been
involved in an accident
He gets up from wheelchair (center right)
and walks as he could not do before
One-on-one ministry to the infirm
As the trained believers laid hands on the infirm individually and exercised authority over the infirmities, more people were healed and went up to the stage to testify of what they Lord had done for them.
More are healed & testify from stage
The Spanish-speaking believers of Braeswood Assembly of God under the leadership of Pastor Sergio Garza are now ready to attack the kingdom of darkness by healing the sick and proclaiming the kingdom of God. This will be done not only in their church services, but also outside in the public places of the community where the lost can be found.
Chris Villasana is a 17-year-old Houstonian who attended The Elijah Challenge Seminar at Braeswood Assembly of God in Houston in April 2007. In July 2007 he went to India on a mission trip. Below is Chris’ report.
“I just got back from India, it was so amazing, like the book of Acts. I was able to teach people about the power we have in the name of Jesus, just like you guys pointed out to me. In Nellore, and the village areas of Andra Pradesh my group of missionaries saw so many healings. We were able to tell the village people about the one true God; they had hardly even heard about Jesus! Then we asked if they wanted prayer for healing, and many came up!
People were healed who had leprosy, back and knee problems, blindness, paralysis, ringing in the ears, arthritis, sharp chest pains. They were all healed and believed on Jesus! And it happened like that every night we were in the villages!
I just thought I would write and tell you those things so you would all be encouraged. So many new believers are now taking authority and encouraged, full of faith and love. It’s awesome what is happening. So many villagers gave their lives to Jesus!”