23 July - 3 August - Healing at Canaan Church

23, 25, 30 July 2008
1- 3 August 2008
Elijah Challenge School of Basic Ministry Training (SBMT)
Elijah Challenge End-Time Model of Evangelism
Organized by Canaan Assembly of God, Kepong
25, Jalan 9/42, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Host Pastor: Rev Daniel Leong

Canaan AG has been in existence for 39 years and consists of some 120 members. Pastor Daniel Leong who took over as the pastor some four years ago, had attended the Elijah Challenge training organized by Full Gospel Assembly (Old Klang) which was taught by Pastor William Lau, the founder and director of The Elijah Challenge. Pastor Daniel then decided that it was time for his church members to learn this method of Power Evangelism.

Apart from me, the team from Elijah Challenge Asia consisted of my wife, Grace, Brother and Sister Ong, who are my parent-in-laws and Brother David Tong. On the Saturday’s Rally night, two more Elijah Challengers, Brother Aaron Loh and Sister Pamela Ong, my sister-in-law also joined us in ministry. The first night’s session was a slow-paced process as the 29 participants were not sure what to expect. Pastor Jonathan was my Chinese interpreter and together, he and I tried to excite and motivate the participants to be more responsive. At the end of the first session, for an actual demonstration of the authority to heal, I invited the sick and infirm to come forward. Eight people responded to be healed. Subsequently, I challenged the participants to try their hands in healing their friends. They responded slowly and almost reluctantly. I told them to open their eyes as they lay hands to heal the sick. As I shouted out the command to heal, the participants followed obediently. Then the healing began – pain left and people were healed.

With that positive experience, the attendance on the second night increased and during the demonstration, about 14 people came out to be healed. The Lord was gracious and most of them healed. Elderly ladies with arthritic pain in their limbs were healed. People with back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain and headache received the divine touch and were healed. To train the pastors, I asked Pastor Daniel and Pastor Jonathan to take turns in giving the commands. The participants began to realize that they also have to authority to heal the sick in the name of Jesus. Their faith level rose remarkably as one by one, those who were healed came forward to testify. The third night, there were new participants and it seemed that the news had spread.

On the fourth night, my wife came under spiritual attack – she suddenly had a very high fever. After rebuking the fever, she was strong enough to attend the training but later during the session, she had to take a rest in the car. More participants had turned up for the final night and the important lessons that I taught them were distant healing and mass healing. Explaining that mass healing was a form of distant healing, I showed the participants how it was done. Then the participants exercised their faith in distant healing and took authority over the infirmities of their loved ones who were not present in the training. The final session ended with the emphasis on every trainee learning how to take authority over their flesh. They had a great time memorizing the Ten Commandments with the aid of hand signing.

The Saturday’s healing rally was on 2nd August. However, that morning, I learned that my own mother was afflicted by a terrible sciatic-nerve attack on her right side. She was in extreme pain and could hardly stand, sit or walk. I thought that I would have to rush to Singapore and take care of her. It was to the glory of God that she was instantly healed when I commanded healing over the phone. Her pain was to return later because of her doubt. Someone told her that she was only psychologically healed. Subsequently, for six days, she suffered terrible pain. It was only two days before this report that she repented of her doubt and asked God to forgive her. My brother had asked me to call her again. Once again, over the phone, I exercised the authority to heal and my mother was healed again. This time, she learned her lesson well – never to doubt God’s healing anymore.

When Saturday evening arrived, God was already working in the midst of the healing rally and the healing was exceptionally easier than the previous sessions. The faith levels of the trained believers were high enough for miracles to happen rapidly. An elderly lady, who was among those healed, testified about being healed from pain all over her body. She had lost weight because of the lack of appetite but after the healing session on the first training night, she felt hungry and ate heartily. She also realized that her pain was completely gone. Another elderly lady was healed from arthritic pain in her joints. Many others took turns to testify how God’s miracles happened in their bodies.

On Sunday morning, the crowd returned and the sanctuary was packed to full capacity. After the sermon, it was time for healing. The trained believers were confident and when called upon, came forth readily. As command after command rang out, they exercised their faith by laying hands on all the infirm. As expected, healing began! Soon the stage was filled with those healed and ready to testify. What a joy to listen to all the wonderful healing testimonies. People with long-term ailments and pains were testifying about instant relief from them. A brother with only one leg, testified that the pain around his hip and joints were there for over 25 years. But that evening, the Lord healed him through the trained believers and he was totally pain-free.

The Elijah Challenge training - officially known as “Elijah Challenge End-Time Model of Evangelism” is a faith-building course. It is definitely not for the purpose of sharing healing formula because there is none. Faith means learning to doubt our doubts and trust God absolutely. In every training seminar, we observe how miraculous healings are linked to the faith levels of the participants. As much as possible, we the trainers avoid doing the healing during the training sessions and rallies. The era of the healing superstars is slowly fading away. In its place is the era of the ordinary believers who have been given authority and power to heal in light of preaching the Gospel. Once again, the ordinary believers, who form the Church of Jesus Christ, are able to go forth and “do greater things” in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:12).
Reported by Rev Albert Kang
Coordinator, Elijah Challenge Asia