Pentecost In Brazil
Acts 2:2 – “And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.”
IN MAY, I HAD the great honor of ministering in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil.
The church that invited me was called (in English) Assemblies of God Canaan, and is pastored by Jecer Goes. To my amazement, when I arrived, I found that the church had actual seating for 13,000 people. To say that I was overwhelmed would be an understatement.
Unknown to most, Brazil is the most Pentecostal country in the world. It is estimated that 42.3 million people – 23 percent of the population of the country – call themselves Pentecostal.
The message of Pentecost first came to Brazil in 1911 through two Swedish missionaries – Gunnar Vingrer and Daniel Berg. Though it was slow going at first in 1930, there was a Pentecostal explosion resulting in many miracles of divine healings, which led to rapid expansion of Pentecostal churches being established.
In the 1980s, there was another great wave of growth across the nation as our telecast began to air across that land. Literally, multiple thousands of people were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Churches were built that would hold 5,000–10,000 individuals in order to handle the great influx of people. Many churches had to have service every single night of the week to handle all of the new people coming into the Pentecostal experience.
We held two great crusades in Brazil during the 1980s – Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In both cities, the nightly attendance was well over 100,000 people with the largest being in São Paulo with more than 200,000 people in attendance.
By his own admission, the pastor, Brother Goes, and the church in Fortaleza were greatly influenced by Jimmy Swaggart Ministries in the 1980s.
During the May services, on Friday night there were well over 12,000 people in attendance. The Spirit of the Lord moved greatly with many responding for salvation.
On Saturday morning I spoke to more than 800 pastors. I was greatly moved by the number of pastors who told me how much our ministry had changed their lives.
Saturday night was Holy Spirit night and, once again, there were well over 12,000 people there. That night I preached a message entitled, “The Altar, the Lamp, the Oil,” taken from Exodus, Chapter 27.
The emphasis of the message was the oil that was needed for fuel so the golden lampstand could light the tabernacle. Of course, oil is a type of the Holy Spirit, respecting anointing and illumination.
The Lord moved mightily that night. There were more than 100 pastors sitting on the platform. Several times during the service, as the Spirit of the Lord would move, they would stand to their feet praising the Lord.
When I gave the altar call for people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so many came forward that there was not enough room in the front to hold the people. Every single aisle was jammed with people trying to come forward. We know that well over 1,000 people were filled that night.
After the service, the pastors were so thrilled with what the Lord had done that night.
As well, Brother Goes and his church will be distributing between 5,000 and 10,000 Portuguese Expositor’s Study Bibles to pastors across their state.
This trip was one of the most rewarding trips I have ever made, and I look forward to returning next year.
In closing, Pentecost is alive and well in Brazil, and it is an honor to play a part in this great move of God.
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