The Gates of Hell Cannot Prevail

February 26, 2005

Two Sunday evenings ago, we held a one night meeting for the pastors of Lugazi , Uganda . The meeting took place on the main floor of the Liz Hotel where we were staying. In the next room, a group of young men were sitting watching a sporting event. Women were cooking in the kitchen next to our meeting room. Bill spoke on desperation . Together, we sang, “ All I Want is You . We hunger and we thirst for you in a dry and weary land . All I want is You.” The presence of God swept into the room. . The team went out to minister to the pastors. As the power of God struck the leaders of the city, they began to weep and cry out for more of Jesus. The glory of God was so strong that the cooks came out of the kitchen asking for prayer. There were impartations of fire and passion for Jesus. People crumbled to the floor under the power of God! He was enlarging the hearts of men to be able to carry more of His glory! I could see on their faces the evidence of the deep, instant work that God was performing within them.

We traveled by van to Lira , Uganda . Over the past seventeen years, the Lord's Resistance Army has chased the people out of their forest homes forcing them into the city of Lira . Their small houses were plundered and crops destroyed. Women were raped and children were abducted by the rebel army to serve as child soldiers. The thousands of displaced people on the streets of Lira caused chaos in the city. Many refugee camps were established on the outskirts of the city. Seven to seventeen thousand people presently live in each of the many camps. World organizations had provided thousands of tarps which were placed over the tops of the mud huts to serve as roofing. We ministered in two of the camps. The Lord instructed us to focus our attention on one of the camps which housed 7,000 people. We ministered to them for two evenings. Three to four hundred people had gathered to await our arrival. I sensed in my spirit that we had arrived in Satan's domain! He had used his powers to control these victims for such a long time, they had become unable to fight! There was such a heaviness and oppression over the camp. We had come right to the gates of hell , and we believed God would use us to push back those very gates. We knew that greater is He who is in us that he that is in the world! Satan trembles because he knows that Jesus Christ is the victor over death, hell, and the grave. Bill spoke on expectancy. He encouraged the people to expect a miracle. The people pressed in on us for prayer. God brought the power of heaven to earth right in the midst of the enemy camp! He reached out and healed every person who received prayer. Hundreds gave their lives to the King of Glory. Jesus Christ established His Lordship over the hearts of men, women, and children who were willing to yield to Him. We were finding that when we pushed on the gates of hell that they move against force. We prayed for dying babies. We were face to face with typhoid, AIDS, malaria and every kind of sickness. Chest pain and shortness of breath was removed from many. A four year old child was paralyzed on her right side. Jesus healed her. Her mother's eyes grew larger and larger as the child started to walk and raise her hands to heaven. Glory to God! A 75 year old lady was using a stick to balance herself as she walked. We prayed against the enemy of arthritis. She began to jump like a 20 year old. One young mother testified that all of her babies had died, and her little baby was burning up with fever. The Lord healed him the first night we prayed for him. Now he is happy and healthy, and she wanted to testify to the goodness of God.

I was led to a tiny mud hut. Inside, a man was lying on a tiny mat on the dirt floor. He was hot with fever. He had been throwing up blood. He was full of demonic spirits. God instantly healed and freed him. His wife was also in the hut. She said, “It felt like a small snake was constantly moving up and down in her throat!” I said, “This will not be.” In the Name of Jesus, spirit of Python leave now! She testified to knowing the spirit was gone for the first time in years. Freedom came to the home because Jesus is Lord over Lira! Debby prayed for a man in another hut. He was paralyzed. As she prayed for him, he said fire started traveling throughout his body.

The next day was a woman's conference. I was overwhelmed when we drove to the church. We were told that the church was just outside the camp that we ministered in for two nights. In the crowd, I saw many who had become my friends. I was overjoyed. The message was on hope restored. Using the book of Esther, I compared the Lord's Resistance Army to Hamen who wanted to destroy the Jews. This was their hour to become women of destiny and arise and be used by God to push back the darkness! . God restored sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. God healed and freed over two hundred women that day. We served sodas to the women as they were seated after the preaching. They came prepared to ask us questions. My African daughter, Irene, ministered alongside of Debby and myself. A strong anointing was upon Irene as she shared her heart of forgiveness. Other questions were very deep and personal. Debby later asked if any one still needed healing. No one stood. There was such joy in the church. The little lady that was healed of knee pain was showing everyone how high she could jump.

Bob and Debby ministered powerfully in the morning service of one of the large churches in Lira. Later that evening, Bill and the team ministered to a church full of pastors and leaders in the city of Lira . The seeds of revival were planted in the hearts of the pastors. God deeply touched most of them. Strong prophetic words were given over lives by Bob and Debby. Bill imparted the fire of God to them. It had been a very difficult week. We were plowing up very hard, dry ground. The work was laborious and we were uncertain if we were getting through to them at times. This night brought great joy to the team to see God break in and make the hearts of these leaders soft and pliable. They were begging us to come back to continue the work.

We had a big “Welcome to the Family”, you are no longer an orphan party for the children of Faith Children's Home. We gave them new clothes, toys, and sweets. We hugged them and prayed over them. They seem to understand how much they are loved. This dream in the heart of God was becoming reality.

Our last evening together, we gathered in the Africa Prayer Force house in Mukono , Uganda . Dan Peters, the owner of Spirit FM and our friend, rents this house so young men and women of God can pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We invited the entire prayer force and the Spirit FM staff. We were honored that Dan was in the country and was at the gathering. We wanted to honor them for all they do, so we had a meal catered. Bill shared from his heart. Dan kept chuckling and making comments likes, “I can't believe that Bill has become a preacher!” We worshipped, prayed, and fellowshipped together. It was a wonderful evening.

It was a sad trip back to the motel. Tears were flowing from the management and cooks. We had become dear friends in just a few short weeks. I had fallen in love with a world so different from my own. I did not want to go back to the routine of America . My heart was being transplanted to a land far, far away from what I had always known.