Bishop Robert Makona: A Light From Africa

By Mia Freneaux
    To meet Bishop Robert Makona is to feel the presence of the Lord.  His face is alight with joy, he speaks with conviction, and his love for God is evident.  Several hundred heard him speak at the crusade two Saturdays ago in Wildcat Stadium, where his words touched many.  It is his passion and mission to share Jesus all over the world, spreading the Gospel to those who need salvation, and challenging churches to fulfill their role in the Great Commission.  It was not always so.
    Brother Robert was born in Kenya in 1958.  Like Samuel, he heard the Lord’s voice at a very young age. When he was 8 years old and walking home from school, he heard the Lord call him by name and tell him to pray.  Robert knelt down and did so.  A few months later, he was walking home in the evening when he saw an angel of the Lord.  When he told his mother, she told him he would become a Catholic priest and the Lord would use him to touch many. 
    Robert was ready to enter seminary to begin schooling to become a priest.  On the night before he was to enter seminary, he lay awake wondering what he would be in the future.  “It was a big struggle.  I wanted to have children and a wife.  The next day would be permanent – no wife, no children.  What do I do?   I tell you what I did, I ran away at 2 in the morning!” Brother Robert shared, laughing at his young self, “One of my classmates is today a bishop in the Catholic church!”  
    Things went downhill at that point.  “Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, chasing women.  I even started carrying weapons, looking to fight people.  I became a criminal!” Brother Robert decided to get married, hoping a wife would help him straighten out his life.  He married Jane Nekesa at the age of 19, but she could not stop his downward spiral.  “It was Christmas Eve.  I drank all day long, coming home at midnight falling down, very drunk.  I fell on the bed asleep.  Two hours later, I heard a voice calling, ‘Robert, Robert, look up!’ I looked up, and saw the sky was blue everywhere – n o clouds.  A star appeared in the sky, and grew larger and larger.  It was bright, but did not burn my eyes.  A Man came out of the star, raising His arms, in a glittering white garment.  I have never seen anything that can describe that white.  His eyes were so bright.  He looked at me in my bed.  A bright light came down from the star into my house.  Jesus came through the light like an airplane coming to land.  He stood in front of me and pointed at me.  ‘Robert, Robert, Robert, I have called you many times.’  He pointed away from me and said, “Go and do this work.’  I turned to see what kind of work.  I saw myself in a long white robe standing on a high platform.  I was in front of people from all over the world, millions and millions.  I was preaching John 3:16.  ‘Repent’ was the message I was preaching.  I asked how many wanted to be saved, they all raised up their hands.  ‘Robert, that is the work I want you to do,’ Jesus said.  Then he went into the light, and disappeared.  I looked around, there was nothing.  Then a small fire came out of the star.  It grew and grew to the size of a building.  It was fierce like a furnace.  A voice said, ‘That fire is coming to consume you.’  I started screaming and crying.  It was so hot!  I was so scared!  I tried to wake up and could not!  It was like someone had tied me with chains.  The fire fell on me and I jumped up in the bed and woke up.  I was all soaked in water, like someone had baptized me with immersion.  I was dripping wet – clothing, bedding, even the mattress.  My wife sleeping next to me was completely dry.  Alcohol, drugs, all desire was gone!  I was crying and thanking God!  I was dramatically changed.”
    It took 3 months of praying, studying the Bible and seeking God before Jane would believe he did not have a mental problem due to drugs.  She came to believe in Jesus through his example, and agreed to support him in becoming a minister.  The rest is history.  After 12 years of serving in their church, the Lord called them to start their mission – “World Revival and Salvation Ministries”.  With the blessing of the bishop, they started one church in 1990.  
    500 churches and many orphanages, schools, and shelters for widows in Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, D.R. Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, have grown out of this mission.  Brother Robert has spoken all over the world, bringing the Gospel and the challenge.  His message to Central is simple.  “I would like to encourage the pastors to come out in large numbers and pray together and bring their members together for prayer and teaching.  I want to challenge the churches to do more in evangelism to bring more people into the churches.  Also to pray for America.  America needs revival – there is lots of sin, lots of evil things happening here.  America needs healing.  It is not politicians but the Church that will bring this about!”
    Brother Robert went on to say, “God has blessed America more than any other nation, so, much will be required of her.  People in the world are dying without Bibles, churches.  America needs to use what God has blessed them with to help others.  I am proud of America, everywhere I go, I find the hand of America doing something for God – translating Bibles, sponsoring radio and tv, helping orphans and pastors.”  
    Brother Robert’s vision is to double the number of churches in Africa, reaching into Malawi and Zambia.  He sees the terrible toll that AIDS has taken on his continent – “There is great need to help the orphans and poverty stricken widows,” he shared soberly, “I would love to partner with churches to help reach these.”
    To join in Brother Robert’s mission or to learn more, go to www.wrsministries.org.   Pastor Dick Metz of Cornerstone Fellowship Church at 936-5344 is his contact in Central until he leaves on the 27th.