The Elijah Challenge in Australia
Hosted by Richard Hawke, Pastors Graham Hore & Ken Graham & others
Adelaide is a coastal city in the state of South Australia
View from Mt. Lofty: Adelaide and the sea beyond
A crowd larger than expected from different churches gathered for the Basic Training the first two evenings at Torrens Valley Christian Centre. The Lord was gracious to enable us to teach the Aussie brethren effectively. Various miracles of healing took place during the demonstrations.
Aussie believers gather for the Basic Training
The application: Whitmore Square Healing Outreach
On Saturday afternoon following the final Training session, an evangelistic healing outreach was held at Whitmore Square. A barbecue, healing ministry, and outdoor games drew people to the park. Among those present were a number of homeless people. Teen Challenge provided supplies and a mobile stage plus sound equipment. William presented the claims of the gospel to the people: there is a holy God, a heaven and a hell, and judgement on sinners in the lake of fire. Only Jesus Christ has authority to save sinners from God’s righteous judgement and the lake of fire. These claims would be proven to be true by the miraculous healings done in the name of Jesus Christ.
People gather at Whitmore Square
The gospel is proclaimed
The trained disciples assembled at the front. Then those with infirmities came up to be healed. After some minutes, people who had been healed or manifestly touched by God came up to the stage to testify. Eight in all testified. The Lord touched one man so deeply that he wept and could hardly share before the people. The testimonies were the proof that the gospel was absolutely true.
Above & below: trained disciples prepare to heal the sick in Jesus’ name
Above & below: laying hands on the sick with authority
Those who are healed come forward to testify: Testimony 1
Testimony 2: this gentleman could barely speak through his tears
Testimony 3
Testimony 4
Testimony 5
Testimony 6
Testimony 7
Testimony 8
In response to these miracles which confirmed the truth of the gospel, a handful of sinners came forward to repent and to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This was perhaps the very first time such an event was held in Adelaide. It was very encouraging for the disciples. Our host Richard Hawke hopes to bring them together on a monthly basis to continue such evangelistic outreaches. This is the very purpose of the Training—to equip local disciples to heal the sick and proclaim the gospel in public places.
Sinners repent and come to Jesus Christ
The immediate aftermath of the Training
“I was sharing on Monday with a pastor friend of mine at Victor Harbor about ministering with authority. He was so fascinated that he rang me back on Tuesday and asked me to tell him again, which I did. I emailed him the hand-out of The Elijah Challenge Basic Training and have posted him the video of the condensed Basic Training from Sunday night. He rang me again this morning [even before receiving the video] to tell me of a meeting he had with his youth leadership team. After sharing with them about authority he set them in action ministering healing to one another. A number in the group had healings and consequently he was excited to tell me about it this morning.”
“I was told this morning about one of the women who was at the training session—her husband was also there on Thursday and Sunday night—and had a significant healing. She has been to the doctors and had ultra sound which showed a cyst on her ovary. They took authority over it and on the next visit had another ultra sound and the cyst had completely gone. Saw some other breakthroughs yesterday in the morning service but still a bit more work to do.”
-A Participating Pastor in Adelaide
“Thank you for your teaching/equipping ministry that was enjoyed by so many here in Adelaide. Last Sunday I used the Sunday morning service as a time of revision and reinforcement of what my people (those who attended) had been taught. It stirred the folk in a positive way. At the end of the service we again gave opportunity for the people to put into practice what they had been taught – with results. One man had his shoulders unlocked. Others were touched in other ways! We will keep contesting against the diseases, demons, infirmities and sicknesses and will keep monitoring the results until we see regular and increasing results. We know the battle is long and challenging, but by God’s grace we will prevail!
I highlighted that the primary purpose was to bring the gospel of the kingdom of God to the lost with the evidence of healing the sick – a new paradigm for the end times. (I guess it’s really the old paradigm that many of us have neglected to practice.) Nevertheless God wants us to practice this in our midst as a faith building exercise, and a continuation of our equipping process, making us ready for launching out into the market place again! I encouraged my people to practice and meet the needs amongst themselves, but be ever ready to reach out to the lost.
Yesterday (Monday) we had a de-briefing session of the organizing team and have agreed to maintain regular contact and interaction with a view to the teaching and practice becoming a lifestyle, as well as what we can move in at specially organized events as the Church in the City.
…We have seen some wonderful manifestations of God’s power and grace, but I’m convinced that there is so much more.”
-A Participating Pastor in Adelaide
“We had a team lunch today to review the last week of training and outreach. It was a special time around the table as we shared stories that are beginning to filter thru about healings that have taken place since you were here. One pastor spoke about your visit as a “God thing” for our city and we all strongly agreed. We spoke of where to go from here as we want to make sure we are able to build on what has happened. We agreed on 3 ways forward:
(1) To equip the believers in our local congregations so that people are looking for opportunities to minister the healing power of Jesus both in the church and out in the world.
(2) To communicate by email with each other in the team of stories of healing breakthroughs for both encouragement and accountability, so that we do not drop the baton.
(3) For those who are led to do so, to reach out in simple, low budget public places so that the power of the gospel is demonstrated.”
-Host Richard H.
“Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU! Greetings from Adelaide. Just wish to say THANKS for the material you have made available to all on the internet. Have been a Christian for over 30 years but not come across solid stuff like this. We love it and believe it will make us effective.”
-Peter O.
“I spoke to my GP recently. He is a very committed Christian and who was interested to attend part of the training sessions here in Adelaide. He came on the Friday night. When I spoke to him recently he told me he was a bit sceptical as he had come across so many “showmen” before in this area of ministry. But he told me he was very pleasantly surprised when he sat through the meeting. He felt very good about the teaching and really enjoyed it. He particularly was struck by the point you made about the contrast: ordinary belivers using their authority to command healing often as a means of outreach as compared to the gift of healing primarily used within the body of Christ.”
-Host Richard H.
“It was so good to meet last night together and encourage each other in the light of William and Lucille’s recent visit. God has been very good to us and it is nice to celebrate all that took place during that week… We look forward now to our next outreach on Friday, December 4th (2009) at Whitmore Square at 5 pm. We can only step out and our trust in Him and expect that He will do amazing things in our midst.”
-Host Richard H.
“We saw the Lord at work in so many ways [at the remote aboriginal community at Nepabunna where we just ministered], answering the prayers that the team had been praying over many weeks as we prepared to go. Our biggest encouragement was the complete healing of a woman who had a cataract in her eye as the believers ministered in the authority of Jesus. The following evening, the woman gave a public testimony of this miracle in her life. We have no doubt that story will impact the whole community as word spreads in the coming days. We were so encouraged.
It seemed not by coincidence that immediately after this woman’s healing and the meeting concluded, a violent confrontation broke out nearby between drunken young people where axes had to be confiscated by members of our team before anyone was seriously injured.This level of aggression and intent is rarely seen in the community. Surely the enemy was disturbed by what had taken place.
We feel so encouraged by what the Lord has done and spurred on to the next opportunity at Whitmore Square in early December.”
-Host Richard H., November 18, 2009