Paul Calvert spoke with Daniel Kolenda, President and CEO of Christ for all Nations, about his views on Israel, how he got the job, taking over from Reinhard Bonnke, and his passion to reach people with the gospel.

One of the major problems is that whatever you identify as first and foremost, it shapes your view of the world. So if Jews identify first as Jews and Arabs identify first as Arabs, then their Christian identity comes in second and they end up fighting with each other. We believers need to first identify as sons and daughters of God and as children of God, saved by the blood of Jesus and everything else should be secondary.

Paul: Has God got a plan for Israel?

Daniel: Yes. I don't know how a person can come to Israel, or study even the tiniest amount of history and not be able to see that the hand of God is on this land and on the nation of Israel. What's happened here has been absolutely supernatural. It is the fulfilment of Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones coming back to life. What is happening to the nation of Israel and in the land of Israel is literally a sign and a wonder, it's a miracle that is happening right before our eyes.

Whenever you see a sign, signs are not something to be considered in of themselves, they always point to something. They are a means to an end. What is the sign pointing to? It's pointing to God's purpose for Israel. So yes absolutely God has a purpose for Israel.

Paul: How did you get involved in Christ for all Nations?

Daniel: I first met evangelist Bonnke when I was 18 years old on the beach in Pensacola. It's a long interesting story, but the short version of it is years later I ended up getting a job working at the ministry. I was working in the warehouse. If you looked at a flow chart of the management structure I was on the very bottom. A while later I became an assistant with evangelist Bonnke. We travelled the world together and eventually one step at a time I was kind of elevated, lifted up by the hand of the Lord. Finally about eight years ago evangelist Bonnke handed the ministry over to me and asked me to become the new leader. So that's the way it's been, but we continue to go forward with the same vision and calling. We want to see millions of people saved and we have a great vision for the continent of Africa.

Paul: Is it dangerous doing what you do?

Daniel: You know it is dangerous to get out of bed in the morning, you could slip on a piece of soap in the shower, but the truth is yeah it is dangerous. We know that going in, but we've already laid our lives down. The things that we do we have counted the cost. We know it's dangerous, but Jesus came from heaven to earth for the sake of the lost and we are willing to risk all to reach them as well.

Paul: Are you making a difference?

Daniel: I hope so. The scripture says that the word of God will not return void, but it will accomplish the thing that it was sent to do. So if we are making a difference it's not because we are so intelligent, or clever, or have a great ministry or strategy; it's because we are preaching the word of God, bringing Jesus to people and what he is doing I am sure is making a difference.

Paul: What is your prayer for both Israelis and Palestinians?

Daniel: Salvation. It was the same prayer that Paul said, that his prayer to God was that Israel would be saved. That should be the prayer of every believer in the world, that the people to whom Jesus came first, his own brothers, that they would have the revelation of who he is; that they would turn back to him and that the purpose of God for the nation of Israel, for the people of Israel, would be fulfilled.