Thousands Came to Christ in Indonesia

Thousands Came to Christ in Indonesia

By John Beita
Christian Post Reporter
Tue, Jun. 02 2009 09:39 AM EDT

Unprecedented numbers of people including young Muslims have embraced Christ as their personal Saviour in a three-day crusade held recently in Indonesia.

The crusade held by Asia for Jesus Indonesia was “attended by over 60,000 people, with 4158 people finding new life in Christ, and 1252 were baptized,” at the former military airport of Surabaya city May 14-16, according to The Gospel Herald online newspaper.

This important gathering was also electrified by the presence of American-born Taiwan superstar Vanness Wu, who now puts Christ first in his life; along with him are Taiwanese Christian artists Sien Vanessa, and the Joshua Band, who “had attracted a maximum number of non-Christians to the crusade.” The crusade also featured praise and worship performances by these influential Taiwanese Christian artists.

“Most Muslim families are hesitant to allow their children to participate in a Christian gatherings, but when their parents heard that their children are going to Vanness Wu’s concert then they did not insist,” the online paper said.

On the first night, around 500 people were baptized besides the stage and the numbers kept growing.

At the crusade Vanness Wu wore a t-shirt that showed “God is better than sex” and gave his testimony of how he used to be far away from God because of sexual lusts but after he repented he felt that he has received a new life.

“All of these are God’s mercy.” Wu testified.

That night, he kneeled on the stage for two hours while worship God and he didn’t get up until his spiritual mentor Pastor Jaeson Ma finished delivering the sermon.

Hosted by Rev. Jusuf Soetanto, head of Gereja Mawar Sharon denomination and senior pastor of Mawar Sharon Church, the event used the title “Army of God”, around 200 church pastors and leaders from Hong Kong, Canada, Malaysia, United States, Singapore, Mainland China, Brunei, and Taiwan were invited to participate in the festivity of evangelism.

Sien Vanessa: Seeing Miracles in Faith

Another popular Taiwanese artiste Sien Vanessa also testified of the power of prayers and the practice of faith. “Two hours prior to the event opened, it was raining cats and dogs. All of the dancers, musicians in the backstage all knelt down to pray and miraculously the rain stopped within ten minutes.” Not only did Vanessa personally witness God, but the backstage Muslim workers also shouted that ‘God is the true God.”

God’s power exceeds what we can ever ask or imagine. Most of the participants of the crusade are in middle-schools and high-schools, and they are mostly non-Chinese and Muslims, which is a great breakthrough.

Taiwan’s Younghe City Gospel Center pastor was greatly encouraged at this crusade. He saw how God is using the young people greatly, and he also announced by faith that Younghe City shall become the city in Taiwan with the highest Christian population proportion.

Taipei Bread of Life Church Senior Pastor Rev. Nathanael Chow invited a pastoral team consisting of 200 people from various churches in Taiwan and the overseas Bread of Life churches.

Testifying about the crusade, Taipei Bread of Life Church Rev. Yi Hu testified in tears, “I see a pure church, like the church of Christ. Rev. Philip and his co-workers also do not seek for their own benefits, but with the heart of love for the souls, they see the value of each person.”

Rev. Philip Mantofa of Indonesia thanked the co-working pastors from Taiwan and hoped that the spirit of unity of the Taiwan churches can be brought to Indonesia, allowing Asia for Jesus to continue the gift of promoting cross-generational unity, so it can become the salt and the light for Jesus in Asia.

Indonesia is majority Muslim nation, who comprises about 86.1 percent of the population; Protestants account for 5.7 percent, Roman Catholics 3 percent, Hindus 1.8 percent, and others 3.4 percent, according the CIA World Factbook.

Ian Hwang and Luke Leung of The Gospel Herald contributed to this report


credit: honeybums@kcifc_philippines