THE YEAR OF ANOTHER CHANCE

Spirits were high and countenances fresh as the multitudes thronged to attend the first Sunday Service of the year in The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations. Echoing on the lips of the congregants were the words, “Happy New Year, Happy Another Chance!” Yes, the message for the New Year was clear, The Year of Another Chance.

This was the revelation that Prophet T.B. Joshua had declared during the Candlelight Service on New Year’s Eve. While the world celebrated the beginning of 2011, a message of hope was shared which touched the hearts of all who heard it. “If you are hurt, cheated, disappointed, give them another chance because you are given another chance. Jesus has given us another chance,” said Prophet T.B. Joshua. He explained that our old approach to life must change. Criticising instead of praising, neglecting others, being rude, belittling others’ opinions, using insensitive words – these kinds of attitudes and behaviours would hinder the healing of past hurts (Philemon 1:10,16).

As the thousands inside the auditorium and outside the church lit their candles, they joined together in prayer to thank Jesus for giving them another chance. Prophet T.B. Joshua followed by the entire congregation went on their knees. The man of God committed the congregation and viewers worldwide to God saying, “I commit you to God who is able to make you strong and steady in the Lord.” As the people rose to their feet, victory pervaded the atmosphere as the man of God declared, “What you were supposed to become, this is the year to become it! What you have lost, this is the year to regain it!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The people danced and sang in appreciation to God as the prophet declared, “The voice of weeping, difficulty, trouble, failure, poverty and sickness shall no longer be heard, in Jesus’ name. (Isaiah 65:19)”

 

 

 

RESCUED FROM RITUALISTS

It was an average morning for Evangelist Ndeanco Ogbonaya as he entered a bus in a busy Lagocian street with 10 other people on board. Suddenly, he became aware of the other men onboard giving each other signs and then the bus came to a standstill while the driver parked by the side of the road. The men came together and changed the number plate. With this suspicious operation complete, the bus was driven three and a half hours into the deep forest. A chemical powder was sprinkled in the bus making it impossible for him to see although he could still hear the conversation of the hijackers. He could hear the men telling the driver, to drive quick because there in failure there was no security. When they arrived at their destination, the occupants of the bus came out, one by one. Sounds of screaming echoed through the forest. Fear struck Ndeanco’s heart as he realized that he was in a ritualist shrine. Evangelist Ndeanco was about to experience brutal inhuman scenes that he would never forget. Stepping down from the vehicle, he was told to look at the heavens and the earth and say his prayers. He was taken to where they killed people with machetes like animals. He saw people being slaughtered, their heads severed from their body and rolling on the ground. When asked if he thought it was good, Ndeanco had no option but to nod his head as he knew that at the slightest inkling, they could kill him in their place. There was a continual flow of people who were brought into the shrine, in bus loads every 45 minutes. There were about 30 buses in total that were routinely sent out on their deadly missions. The people they kidnapped were young and old alike, from different professions and walks of life yet all victims of this brutal act. They made the fatal mistake of entering the wrong bus at the wrong time. Living in fear, Ndeanco began crying silently because they were killing human beings in his presence, created by the living God. When it was his turn, they asked him to say his last prayer. In the moment of his utter desperation, he heard a voice saying, “Call the God of T.B. Joshua”. He started, shocked at the revelation as he had never worshipped in the church of T.B. Joshua during the nine years he had lived in Lagos. He had even listened to rumours that the man was a magician and had vowed that he would never even cross the street of The SCOAN for fear of the magical powers that were reportedly inside. But the voice came, “Call the God of TB Joshua!” As he did so, the man who was about to kill him dropped the sword and a mighty wind descended upon the shrine, stripping the idols of their power.

The ritualists tried to kill him by using many charms and occultist medicines on him which resulted in terrible wounds on his stomach and leg. When their efforts failed, they placed him in a separate room and called their commander as they did not know what to do. On the sixth day, they called Evangelist Ndeanco and said, ‘This God of T.B. Joshua, where did you obtain Him? You must go because you are causing havoc in our kingdom.’ They then blindfolded him and drove almost four hours before dropping him by the side of the road. Out of nowhere, he saw a blue car which stopped. He couldn’t see the face of the driver because it was shining. The mysterious driver didn’t even ask for any direction but just drove him to where he was headed. He dropped him in a place and said that from there, he could get to where he was going. The next thing he knew, Evangelist Ndeanco made his way to The SCOAN where he shared his incredible testimony during the live Sunday Service, giving thanks to God for saving his life.

GOD CAN USE ANY MEDIUM – THE ANOINTING WRISTBAND

For one year, Mrs Comfort Edwin from Abia state, Nigeria had not seen her menstruation. This worrying condition had led her to different hospitals in search of a solution but in vain. Adamant not to enter the new year with this affliction, Mrs Comfort came to The Candlelight Service at The SCOAN. It was there that she witnessed the deliverance of a man possessed of an evil spirit that pushed him to have affairs with animals, who received the Anointing Wristband. Her faith was lifted up and she began praying to receive her own. When she received the Anointing Wristband, she felt something moving in her stomach. She then went to the bathroom and lo and behold, she discovered that she had started her menstruation! Brimming with joy, Mrs Comfort came out to share her testimony during the service that Sunday.

 

HEALED OF CERVICAL CANCER

Life held a terrible stigma for Mrs Tolulope and her husband. For two and a half years, she had been bleeding severely due to cervical cancer which resulted in an embarrassing and offensive odour. The strain began to take its toll on Mrs Tolulope who became pale due to the loss of blood. Each day, she had to leave the office at 1pm as her boss and colleagues began to complain of the odour. The medics were unable to provide a solution and an operation was deemed to be her last hope. It was then that Mrs Tolulope decided to come to the SCOAN to seek the face of God for her divine healing. It was the Candlelight Service and the night that the Anointing Wristband were used a point of contact for many to receive their healing, deliverance and blessing through the power of the Holy Spirit. The moment that Mrs Tolulope received the wristband which bore the word, “Meditation in God’s Word is a visit with Him”, the bleeding miraculously stopped and the odour simultaneously disappeared. The end to her suffering had come.

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THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Another Sunday Service at The Synagogue, Church of All Nations and all we have to say is ‘Thank You Jesus’! From touching family reconciliations, shocking satanic confessions to remarkable healing testimonies, it was yet another action-packed riveting service that proved beyond all doubt that Jesus is alive and His power is still at work today. Full of practical lessons for life, faith-building experiences, words of wisdom and the raw, real power of God, both the thousands of congregants at The SCOAN and the multitudes of viewers on Emmanuel TV would agree unanimously after these extraordinary events that Jesus is truly the same yesterday, today and forever!

In an enlightening message titled ‘The Name Of Jesus Has Power’ drawn from the scripture in Mark 9 detailing the account of the father of the demon possessed boy and his encounter with Jesus, Prophet T.B. Joshua explained, “There is power in the Name of Jesus indeed, but only among those who are committed to the glory of God.” He spoke of the need to have absolute trust in God, stating that some measure of trust would only enable us to do some, not all. “When we express the necessary trust in Christ Jesus, His duty, I mean, His work is to raise us from death to life and then restore the wholeness and fellowship,” he admonished. Speaking on the purpose of God’s power and its incredible effects on a person’s life, TB Joshua said, “One of the reasons God gives us His power is to confirm that what we are speaking is from Him… Once the supernatural power of God comes upon you, then something is going to happen to you that cannot be explained by the human mind.” It was a powerful message backed up by the prophet’s own extensive experience in the ministry. “When you see a good doctor, he should be able to explain himself when he gets to the laboratory,” he noted.

After hearing God’s Word, it was time to move on to a more practical aspect – the ministry of reconciliation. In lieu of the recent confessions of families whose homes have been torn apart due to varying allegations and different situations, yet another touching case was brought to the light. It was that of Mrs Better Keke who had come to The SCOAN with a whole horde of villagers who had been sent to ascertain the truth from God. Before listening to their story, TB Joshua reminded the people of the need not to judge those they were about to hear from but rather learn from them. “Our response to someone who makes a mistake can also be a mistake,” he emphasised.

It all began, Mrs Keke explained, after the tragic death of a young man in a car accident. “At his funeral, a voice suddenly spoke to me telling me to confess I was the one who killed him,” Keke said. As the strange voice continued to speak to Better over the coming days telling her to confess what she did not do, her musical leader Evan. Elvis Osita confronted her that she had a confession to make, a revelation he said he came to after 30 days of fasting and prayer. As the voice grew within grew stronger, subsequent events led Mrs Keke to publically confess in a church that she was a witch and responsible for countless atrocities in the village, including the accident that killed the young man. In the same vein, she also accused one of her close friends, a teacher by profession, of witchcraft, an event that led to parents pulling children out of her school. In a whirlwind of events, others accused Evan. Elvis of masterminding the boy’s death and being a wizard. The situation had grown so serious that the king of their village in Delta decided to hear God’s opinion and find out who-is-who. Thus the large party had set out to The SCOAN to hear from Prophet TB Joshua the voice of God which would put a rest to the endless rumours and counter-accusations.

“When you look at your family, you have the traces of mental disorder,” the prophet said. Mrs Keke confirmed that one of her aunties was afflicted with a severe mental problem. “The spirit speaking to her is not that of witches or wizards – it is a brain problem. She’s not a witch,” T.B. Joshua declared. “If you ask her, she will tell you she has a chronic headache, and sometimes her eyes will be bringing water,” he prophesied. She confirmed it to be a reality. T.B. Joshua then prayed for her in the power of the Holy Spirit, commanding the spirit of mental disorder to leave. The truth had finally been revealed. As for Evan. Osita, the prophet said he has no trace of evil in him and was innocent of the accusation, but warned him about jumping to conclusions based on feelings and packaging them as spiritual revelations. The teacher who had further been accused, Mrs Gloria Uduarighe, was also vindicated by the man of God, who further assured her that the children would return to her school now the truth had been revealed. “My people of Delta, what they are saying against this lady are pure lies,” he announced. Hon. Alex Izogo, one of the representatives sent by the king, capped off the experience with a final word. “This thing has torn our community apart. But what you have said now is the final solution to this problem.”

More cases of broken homes and subsequent reconciliation followed, including that of Jubili Umerere whose two children had confessed responsibility for the calamities that had befallen their entire family. Her husband had gone to the extent of purchasing acid with the intent of killing the children said to have rendered them homeless and jobless, before they came to The SCOAN. The issue had severely affected the extended family, with the kids also confessing responsibility for the barrenness of Mrs Umerere’s sister Blessing Obarhua. After listening to their experiences, T.B. Joshua revealed that the children were not witches, but their images were simply being used by evil forces. He concluded in prophesying that Mrs Blessing would give birth to a baby girl, and the fortunes of the family were bright.

Following reconciliation came a time of prayer for deliverance. “There are three people in our midst who have evil spirits,” T.B. Joshua prophetically declared before ushering the people into a time of prayer. Almost immediately following the prayer, the power of God swept throughout the auditorium exposing the darkness in the lives of the people. A man, who simply called himself Tony, fell to the ground as the evil within him began to manifest. Later, during the second service, he shared his morbid experience. “I went to a herbalist in Anambra State, who made a concoction out of a premature baby and a human tongue for me to use,” he confessed. The charm was supposed to bring him good fortune but instead began to appear physically to him such that he ran away from home to Lagos. But each night, the concoction would appear to him in the guise of a demonic human being, demanding him to bring things in order to satisfy his thirst for blood. Two people died as a result, and out of fear for his life, Tony ran to The Synagogue.

As T.B. Joshua ministered to him in the power of the Holy Spirit, he prophetically declared that there was another brother in the midst of the congregation who possessed evil. Picking him out, a tall man dressed in white emerged from the crowd to be told by the prophet that he should bring the charms he had placed outside the church. In a mixture of shock and awe, the man turned and came out of the church subsequently to return minutes later clutching two plastic bags filled with charms. “You are a witchdoctor,” the prophet said, which the man confirmed to be true. Explaining how he had inherited the charms from his father, the man gave a chilling account of how a spiritual figure appeared to him every night demanding for his blood. The man of God said he would have to confess everything, and invited him to come back with his entire family.

As always, the prayer line produced some outstanding miracles, with the prayer of faith being offered and the power of God transforming people from sickness to good health. Among the many cases was that of Mrs Teresa Igwebo, a retired school matron who had been confined to a wheelchair for the past 8 years following a stroke and enlargement of the heart. The 64 year old who came from Enugu State could scarcely believe it when she was told to rise and walk in the name of Jesus, but supernaturally she rose up and took her first few steps of freedom. The joy beaming from her face on realising the pains were gone and she could finally walk, Mrs Igwebo thanked Jesus profusely for her remarkable healing.

Her testimony echoed that of thousands who came to The SCOAN on Sunday 16th May 2010 in sickness and sorrow only to leave in joy and freedom, knowing that truly – Emmanuel, God is with us! What a God we have to worship; what a Son we have to praise; what a future lies before us!

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