About Cornel and Rensia

Cornel and Rensia Marais are originally from South Africa and they have been married for 5 years. They currently live and work in Auckland, New Zealand and  have been involved with many churches and ministries in various countries around the world for the past 9 years. Most recently they were part of the leadership team of City Church International in Hong Kong, led by Rob & Glenda Rufus, where they were involved in training and equipping the congregation and ministry team to be more effective ministers in divine healing and deliverance. Cornel and Rensia’s heart is to see ALL healed. Jesus did, the early church did too, and they are contending for it with passionate perseverance!

Cornel’s Testimony:

I grew up in a Christian home in the traditional sense of the word and went through all the motions of traditional church life, Sunday school and all that jazz. For as long as I can remember, I was searching for God. Only after finishing the Sunday school programme, which took about 10 years, and after I was confirmed to be part of the church as a full  fledged believing member, did I realize that I have never met God. According to the church I was saved, but I didn’t know why or how or when. I was saved on paper, but in reality I was not. I started withdrawing from church more and more. During my first two years at university I made the textbook stupid choices you don’t want your kids to make. Drugs, alcohol and women. I was failing almost every subject and was heading towards dropping out. I met Rensia during the the last week of my first year and that was the start of my journey back.

One morning, after an all night drinking binge, I woke up at 6 in the morning and heard people playing music in the hall of the men’s residence where I was living at the time. I stumbled down there and found out it was not another party like I expected, but instead it was a bunch of guys and girls getting together to praise God early in the morning before class. After that day I renewed my search for God. Rensia and I had been going out for about 6 months now. She always told me about her dad and brother and their ministry. They travel to churches and teach small crash courses on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and about deliverance. I was fascinated by the stories she told me of healings and demons coming out of people at these meetings. So I decided to go along to a meeting her brother was having at the Salvation Army.

You know how you sometimes hear a preacher talk and think you must be the only person in the room because that message is directed straight at you? It felt like that to me on this day, especially because the sermon centered around Cornelius, the Roman Centurion in Acts 10. God was talking to me and even used my name to really get my attention! He is so funny! In all my years of going to church and learning about God, I suddenly had the opportunity to actually meet Him. Somebody actually explained why and how to get saved and made the altar call. I got there as fast as I could! Finally, I met my Dad.

A few months later at the end of my second year, my grades were so bad I was forced to either drop out or start over with a different major. I was kicked out of the residence I stayed in and had to move back in with my parents. I went with Rensia to visit her folks on the farm during the summer break to just get away from it all. A few months before that I had an accident at university and dislocated my knee. I was in a full-length leg brace for a couple of months but the brace came off just before we went to the farm. While we were there Rensia’s dad noticed I was limping and just before I left to go back home he asked if he could pray for me. He sat me down in a chair and held my legs up in the air. My one leg was about 2.5cm shorter than the other. He prayed and instantly I felt my leg shoot out. It actually shot past my other leg and Rensia’s dad started to laugh and told Jesus that was too far, He should bring it back a little. To my surprise that is was happened next! My leg was warm and all the pain was gone. No more limping, I was perfectly healed! I said good-bye very awkwardly and got in my car. I cried for about 5 hours all the way home. Finally, I got to know my Brother better.

I went back to university the next year and my life started getting back in order. I changed majors and started over. I took on extra subjects to catch up, since I was 2 years behind and managed to finish a 3 year degree in 2 years. I went on to do 2 honours degrees and never failed one subject again. I started sharing with people what I knew about Dad, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and soon enough the same kinds of healings and deliverances I saw with Riaan and Rensia’s dad started happening when I prayed for people. For the next 5 years while I finished my studies, I traveled around the country with them and saw many people come to Christ and many people healed and delivered. I too started teaching about the Holy Spirit, the gifts, healing and deliverance on and off campus. Ever since then I teach when and where I can and help people realize they can do the same things Jesus did. You too can heal the sick, cast out demons and walk in your full inheritance here on earth as co-workers with Christ!

Glory to Glory!

Cornel Marais.