It was everything but a normal day as thousands streamed into the Sentul International Convention Center near Jakarta, Indonesia to begin another special session of the Global Conference on Care…
By Coleman Peacock
Praise and worship leaders ushered in the very presence of God, leading into a special message by Pdt. Djohan Handojo, “Benevolence Care Ministries in Indonesia.” Reverend David Lorency, President of Operation Compassion, then gave a riveting presentation on “Compassion and Care Worldwide.” Reverend Lorency captivated the audience with the awesome means by which God has used Operation Compassion to become a world leader in benevolent care. Dr. Victor Pagan, Assistant Director of COG World Missions, then stepped to the pulpit and proclaimed “Casting the Vision for Benevolence and Care” just before releasing the audience to a host of workshops led by Church of God leaders from around the world. Pdt. Dr. Jakob Nahuway, Overseer of the Church of God in Indonesia, concluded the afternoon sessions with his message “Doing Greater Things” which ushered in more workshops for the conference participants.
General Overseer of the Church of God, Dr. Raymond F. Culpepper, electrified the thousands in the evening service as he spoke on the “Six Anointings of Jesus” which are also the anointing of the church today: (1) Anointed to preach the gospel to the poor (2) Anointed to heal the broken hearted (3) Anointed to proclaim liberty to the captives (4) Anointed to recover sight to the blind (5) Anointed to set at liberty those who are oppressed (6) Anointed to proclaim the acceptable day of the Lord.
While God’s blessings were saturating every facet of the conference, a spiritual Tsunami was building, activitated by the very power and presence of God. As Dr. Raymond Culpepper again stepped into the pulpit at the opening session on Wednesday morning, the winds of the Holy Spirit began to blow as it did on the day of Pentecost. Following the timely message, Reverend Tom Sterbens began worshipping the Lord with special music. As he did the anointing of the Holy Spirit swept across the audience and through the conference center “as a mighty rushing wind.” Dr. Donnie Smith, Director of the Division of Care and Benevolence, under a heavy anointing spoke to the audience saying, “We will not interrupt what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do here in this service.” As the winds of deliverance, healing and promise were hitting in full gale force, people were experiencing a move of God which can only be compared to the early days of Pentecost we read about in our church history. For more than an hour the Tsunami’s sustained winds stirred the hearts and lives of those in the service. Many literally fell on their faces in the alter crying unto God under a heavy anointing. What I saw and felt in that service is indescribable by the limited vocabulary of this writer. Only those who witnessed it can fully understand what I am trying so hard to explain. Heaven and earth collided and normal people were transformed into titans of the faith. When the disciples gathered in the upper room as Jesus commanded, the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and they began to speak with other tongues. When the people of Indonesia gathered in the conference center as led by the Lord, once again the Holy Spirit descended upon his people. What an awesome God we serve.
–Dr. Coleman Peacock, Church of God Division of Care and Benevolence.