FAITH IS NOT ROOTED IN INTELLECTUALISM – TB JOSHUA

Sunday Service 19.07.12

The Sunday Service started off with the prayer line attended by a significant number of people who were set free from their bondage after which Prophet T.B. Joshua preached on “Acting On The Word – Part 2”.

Preaching the Word of God

 

In the sermon, the man of God said, “We have exact knowledge, perfect knowledge and complete knowledge. That knowledge is in the Word when illumined by the Spirit. Our spirit acts upon the Word”. He also said “The problem of believing is made simple when we know that it is acting on what God has spoken”. He also emphasized on the fact that if we have all gifts without love, it is a wasted energy (1 John 5:13).

He added that faith is not rooted in intellectualism. It is purely a spiritual issue, rather than an intellectual agreement. Faith comes when the Word prevails over the thinking processing. We may be familiar with original Greek or Hebrew or the history of the Word, but it is all wasted energy if we do not practice it.

He stated that Scriptural prayer releases the power of God and to fill your prayers with the Scripture. If the Word dominates your spirit, it will influence your conduct and behaviour. In our ministry (The SCOAN), the Word has been a living and growing force. The mighty One (Jesus Christ) that is in us is taken out of the Word. As we begin to do the Word, God begins to act in us and through us.

 

 

PASTOR POSSESSED BY THE IDOL HE DESTROYED

Apostle Ekune Joseph sharing his testimony of complete deliverance

The video recording of the experiences of Apostle (Dr) Ekune Joseph was the first to be played.  Before his deliverance last week, the evil spirit had spoken through him in the church, to the effect that it had destroyed his ministry after he had burnt the village idol and shrine which had been revealed to him in a dream as the cause of their limitation. The evil spirit further stated it’s dislike of the Bible, and was angered by the pastor’s passion for delivering people; it also caused people to protest in the church and fight within themselves when the Word of God was being preached. The evil spirit also explained that it was because the name, Jesus, was an enemy, which sent fire into their kingdom. The evil spirit also confessed to being behind his wife’s barrenness for 12 years. His church lost many members due to the attack from the infuriated idol. In the midst of his trouble, he had watched Emmanuel TV and decided to visit The SCOAN for deliverance.

In his testimony, Apostle Joseph explained that after destroying the idol in his village with a group of fellow pastors and prayer warriors, he had a strange attack in his dream whereby he saw squirrels chasing him away from the village. Following this experience, his zeal for prayer and reading the Bible suddenly began to diminish. He explained that any time he opened his Bible to read, dizziness would come upon him to such an extent that he would often sleep off without actually studying the Scriptures.

Upon his return to his church, strange incidents began occurring during his services. Firstly, anytime he mounted the pulpit to preach, some form of commotion or argument would break out within the members, distracting the people present from listening to the message. As a result of these distractions and contentions, many members left his ministry and the church he had worked so hard in to build up began to crumble.

The grateful minister of God explained that after praying along with Prophet T.B. Joshua on Emmanuel TV, he had a remarkable dream where he saw the Prophet calling on him to come to The SCOAN. Honouring the Divine invitation, he came and received his mighty deliverance. To God be the glory!

HOW DEMONS FROM JUPITER ENTERED A PASTOR AFTER HIS 40 DAY FAST
Another video was also shown of Pastor Kenny Udeh’s deliverance in The SCOAN the previous week. He was invaded and possessed by seven spirits stating they were from the jungle on the planet, Jupiter after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights on a mountain in Enugu State. He had wanted to assist an old woman and her daughter to lift some wood after which they disappeared and he became confused. He later travelled to Dubai where he ran into an ugly situation which put him into prison. After release from prison, he returned to Nigeria to continue preaching through his ministry, Paraclete Ministries.

Pastor Kenny narrating his experience of demonic possession

After that, his wife was feeding him and his household was always under constant threat. The spirit spoke through him that over nine people in his family had been killed and that although the pastor was strong, he also was tempted to almost kill his wife with a bottle and knife.

Pastor Kenny came forward to share his experiences. He explained that, as a minister of God, he had read various books about how other men of God had gone into prolonged periods of fasting and prayer in their quest for more supernatural power. Yearning for the same power in his ministry, one day he decided to enter into a 40 day fast on a mountain. He was there alone and did not even inform his wife of his intentions before going to the mountain.

He explained that on the 39^th day of the fast, with his body both weak and frail, he saw an old woman suddenly appear on the mountain attempting to carry firewood. Helping the old woman to carry the fire wood, he gave it to her and returned back to his place of prayer. To his greatest surprise, upon looking back to see where the woman was, she had totally disappeared. He had just encountered an evil spirit! After returning from the mountain, Pastor Kenny explained how strange beings attacked him in his house the following night. From that point onwards, his ministry began spiralling steadily downwards. Frustration and stagnation became the order of the day

It came to the point where one day, he picked up a knife intent on stabbing his wife to death and ending his ministry in disgrace. However, before carrying out the devilish act, his daughter discovered him grasping the knife and pleaded with him to release it. Realising what the spirit was pushing him to do, Pastor Kenny resolved to visit The SCOAN, knowing that his case required spiritual intervention.

After attending The SCOAN service on Sunday, Pastor Kenny had a remarkable encounter in his dream. He found himself in a strange reddish land where demonic beings began introducing themselves to him, stating that they were from the planet Jupiter and their mission was to destroy him. In the midst of the encounter, he saw Prophet T.B. Joshua suddenly appear in their midst in a ray of light and strike him on the chest, calling on him to come. Waking up from the dream, it was the following day on Monday that he received his deliverance through prayer from Wise Man John Chi.

When probed, Pastor Kenny explained that during the prayer from Wise Man John Chi, he could actually see Prophet T.B. Joshua praying on his knees behind the Wise Man. This explained why the demons within Pastor Kenny had said they knew T.B. Joshua’s secret was hidden in Matthew 6:6 – “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

 

PROFESSOR HEALED OF GLAUCOMA THROUGH THE ANOINTING WATER

Professor healed of glaucoma

The second service, characteristically, was the wise men praying for the congregation in the church where deliverance and healing took place in the lives of thousands of people. The second service ended with mass prayer from the wise men.

Reverend Professor Ngochindo had experienced glaucoma for 10 years, and had ocular pressure which rose to 29. He explained that if it reached 30, he would have gone blind. He was to be operated upon in Port Harcourt, where he practices as a medical doctor. Having refused the option of operation, he visited The SCOAN. He went through the prayer line and was later given the Anointing Water; he believed a spiritual operation was done on him by the five Wise Men. His ocular pressure dropped from 29 to 22.2, back to regular levels. He advised the viewers that if doctors had faith, they could do many things without a knife in the operating theatre and that everyone should put God first.

Read Full Post »

HISTORY MADE AS WISE MAN HARRY MINISTERS IN THE USA!!

T.B. Joshua made history today by sending one of the wise men, who trained under him, to Pasco, Washington State, USA. Thousands gathered and Wise Man Harry, who is from Macedonia in Greece, came out to minister. News got round only two weeks before the event but literally, thousands travelled and are still travelling from all over the United States, desperate not to miss their encounter with Jesus Christ, the Healer, Deliverer and Redeemer.

Wise Man Harry

What shocked everyone was that when Wise Man Harry started ministering, the same things that happened in The SCOAN headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, began to happen. People threw away their crutches; many evil spirits manifested; people were released from demonic bondage; limitations and evil spirits in the lives of people were exposed and forced out. Some also received prophecies revealing the root causes of their problems and giving them insight into their past, present and future. Immediately after the prayer, people testified to the mighty power of God in their lives and they began to walk in the light of their testimonies.

Keep watching Emmanuel TV for footage of this first Revival Meeting.

Stay tuned for live coverage on Emmanuel TV of the remaining two meetings with Wise Man Harry:

On Saturday 3rd March, 2012 from:

1pm USA Pacific Standard Time
4pm USA Eastern Time
10pm West African Time

Sunday 4^th March from:
2:30am India Standard Time
8am Australian Eastern Standard Time

The third meeting will be held on Sunday 4th March, from:

10am USA Pacific Standard Time
1pm USA Eastern Time
7pm West African Time
11:30pm India Standard Time

 

Monday 5^th March from:
5am Australian Eastern Standard Time

Get ready to watch God’s power at work through Wise Man Harry in Washington State, USA. Get connected by faith anywhere you are tuning in around the world. You too, can receive. Distance is not a barrier!

 

Read Full Post »

CALL OF GOD

Addressing the issue that goes through the minds of many, Prophet T.B. Joshua started the message by asking the age old question, ‘How do I know what my calling from God is?’ In answer to the question, the prophet explained that whatever you do through God, whatever He accepts you to do through Him – that is your calling. Raising the Holy Bible, he continued that the first step in knowing your calling is to get to know God better by reading His Word (Psalm 119:105). Referring to Romans 12:2, he said that when you let God transform you by the power of the Holy Spirit, He will literally begin to show you the way. Elaborating on the importance of God’s Word, he said that it is the tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit to nurture us and to furnish us with everything you need to succeed on earth. Giving practical advice on how to use the Word of God in everyday life, the prophet continued, “Talk Scripture in every conversation. You may be on the phone or in a business transaction. Use the Word of God to answer someone. The Word of God becomes your data base for your personal opinion.”
After the message, two women came forward to testify to the goodness of God for setting them free from strange addictions that had plagued their lives. One woman, Ruth Christian from Tanzania, having been freed from the bondage of eating uncooked rice in the name of Jesus, gave her testimony stating that since her deliverance, she no longer relished the taste of the uncooked rice. The second woman, delivered from an addiction to sniffing and drinking kerosene, testified that the smell of kerosene had become a revolting odour. Now, both of them are back to eating regular food and enjoying every bite.

Following the testimonies, Prophet T.B. Joshua introduced a group of people as they were ushered into the church auditorium – the beneficiaries of The SCOAN Scholarship Programme: the orphans, children of widows, physically challenged and others in need. Each term, the students come

The SCOAN Scholarship Scheme

The SCOAN Rice Store

Delivered Now Joined The SCOAN Scholarship Scheme

to collect their school fees so that they will be able to continue their education. The recipients of the scholarship programme were given a total of 5 million naira in scholarships along with bags of top quality rice to assist them while they are busy studying. Part of those receiving scholarship were two young men, Clever & Onitsha, who received deliverance from the spirit of stealing through a prophecy from the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua. It was discovered that due to the lack of parental care and financial means, they had to stop attending school and were living a wayward life to support themselves. To get them back on the right track and prepare them for the bright future ahead, they were given 200,000 naira each to continue their studies at university. This scholarship programme is just one of the ways that T.B. Joshua leads by example by demonstrating this guiding principle – we begin to succeed with our lives when the hurt and problems matter to us. After the recipients of The SCOAN Scholarship Programme received their school fees, they were escorted to The SCOAN Rice Store where tall stacks of rice had been prepared and the Emmanuel TV Team were positioned ready and waiting to give them their bags or rice.
A video of The Emmanuel TV Partners in Lahore, Pakistan was the next item on the agenda showing the beginning stages of a school being built. The Emmanuel TV Partners along with a pastor from Lahore joined together to make the plans for a seven room school on top of his church building. Once the plans were finished, the supplies necessary to complete the task were brought in to begin laying the foundation – brick by brick. They will continue building until every room is completed and then the students will resume classes and be on the path of a bright future, all because The Emmanuel TV Partners let love lead and looked around to see those in need.

The second service began with Wise Man Racine delivering an inspirational and encouraging message: Welcome To A Place Of Significance. Using the example of Peter, Wise Man Racine gave hope to those listening by saying that Peter’s wasted hours were redeemed and he came to a place of significance, a place that was lost for a period of time. Jesus made Peter the center of his own world. What God has designed you to achieve in His master plan determines your divine course and cause in life. Ending the message, Wise Man Racine spoke into their lives, saying, “As it was for Peter, so it shall be for you! There is indeed a promise of radical transformation for you.” To end the second service, T.B. Joshua and the Wise Men prayed for the congregation and viewers all around the world – encouraging them to exercise their faith and step out in boldness to possess their miracles – healing, salvation and all of God’s blessings.

Read Full Post »

WHAT TB JOSHUA ACTUALLY SAID REGARDING AN AFRICAN HEAD OF STATE

There have been numerous reports flying round the internet and various news media in many African countries for the last few days about what Prophet TB Joshua said on Sunday 5th February about an African president. Different time-frames and false dates, including ‘2 months’ ’60 days’ ‘February 16th’ and ‘April 16th’ have been mentioned. This is to certify and clarify once and for all what Prophet TB Joshua actually said on that day.

Prophet TB Joshua DID NOT prophesy that an African president would die in 60 days or two months time. He DID NOT mention any specific date or time-frame.
DO NOT misquote him. DO NOT spread rumours and attribute them to Prophet TB Joshua. Prophet TB Joshua speaks forth only what he hears from God Almighty and it is not to be misquoted, mistreated or misused for one’s own benefit. “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

PROPHECIES revealed by God Almighty through Prophet TB Joshua are broadcast LIVE on Emmanuel TV during the Sunday Live Services At The SCOAN.

IF YOU DIDN’T SEE IT FOR YOURSELF ON EMMANUEL TV, IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!

THIS is what Prophet TB Joshua prophesied regarding an African head of state:
“We should pray for one African head of state, president, against sickness that will likely take life. It is a sickness for a long time – being kept in the body for a long time. God showed me the country and the place but I’m not here to say anything like that. I am still praying to God to deliver the president concerned.”

He did not say more than that. He only said that we should pray for his life to be saved. He did not say that the prophecy was unchangeable. He did not give his name; he did not say when the leader would die; he did not say that the leader must die; he did not give the name of the country the leader was from. He only said that we should pray for him.

Please let people around you, your friends and colleagues and all who care to listen know what TB Joshua actually said. What a prophet says is not meant for speculation; it is rather a sober encouragement for us all to continue to give ourselves to prayer. We may know that we need God but we may not know how much we really need Him. 

Read Full Post »

THE PRISON WAS MY HOME – Part 2

The story of the man who loved prison continues…

The First Incident
“I returned to UK for my graduation ceremony after completing my Masters. Immediately after I graduated with a first class in architecture, I tried to settle down in London and get a job. That was when this spirit first manifested. I was in my room when suddenly I lost control of my body. I found myself going into my neighbour’s house, opening the door with a different key and sitting down in the house there until the owner came in. When the man saw me in the house, he began to shout. He had to call the cops who immediately came to arrest me. When I came to my senses, I tried to explain but it wasn’t any good – what was I explaining when he locked his door and came back to find a stranger in the house. They took me to court and I was thrown behind bars, remanded into prison custody in London, UK.

“I spent one year and six months in a London prison. During my time there, they would come to interrogate me to know my ability. They brought psychologists to monitor me to know if what I did was normal or if there was something mentally wrong with me. They saw that my mind was okay and began questioning themselves – what actually made me do such things. I was the best behaved in the prison and the wardens soon made me the head of all the inmates in the prison. Because of that, they began to save some money for me and wrote many letters to the courts to tell them of my good behaviour. Eventually, I was called back and the case was struck out based on the report the wardens gave that I was the best behaved and that they had found nothing wrong with me. My auntie was informed and they handed me over to her. She put me on a plane and forcefully took me back to Nigeria.

The Spirit Strikes In Shell
“When I came back to Nigeria, I returned to my local community in Rivers State. I got engaged with a girl and we were married on the 12^th December 1999. But my marriage didn’t last because this spirit didn’t want anyone to come close to me. I had told her everything that happened to me and she really wanted to help me out. But the law was – if you tried to help me out, you lost your life for my sake. She tried and paid the price. I was working in Shell then in a good job as a supervisor but all of a sudden this thing happened again. One night, I went to the hidden room where they kept all the money to pay the workers at the end of the month and opened the door with an unknown key. It caused a riot as workers came in, stole the money and fled. I remained in the room while everyone ran away with the money. The security met me in the room sitting down with the money gone and began beating me. It was only in that moment that I regained consciousness but already it was too late. I was the only one caught and had to face the penalty because it was over N10 million that was stolen.

“Each time I was caught, I would be found with a bunch of keys that would incriminate me. Because once they show such evidence, there was nothing I would say to convince them. I had no lawyer to stand for me. My people were not there – everybody deserted me because of this, as the case was reported throughout the community. My wife could not do anything. So, I had to go back to prison again in Nigeria. Some months later my wife became very sick because of the trauma and disgrace, everybody talking about me and insulting her, telling her, “Your husband is a criminal, a thief”. I was in prison when she died and was buried. I didn’t know. I never knew what happened. She died of a heart attack – she was so depressed. Heartbreak killed her because she loved me so much and seeing all this shame upon her, she gave up. She was only 26 years old. That was how I lost her, though she bore me one son. My son does not know me because I have never been there for him at all. If he sees me for a day, the next week I will be back in prison. He never showed the love of an offspring for his father – he’s always with other people. Then, he was staying with my mother. The day of my wedding was the first day I knew my biological mother.

A Week On The Streets
“Whenever I came out from prison, I had nowhere to go. I had to go back to the streets – where the devil wanted me to be. You can imagine somebody that was living abroad now mingling with hoodlums and gangsters, sleeping outside in the streets and under the bridges of Lagos. I had to involve myself with some gangs and do what they did just to have something to eat. I took drugs and smoked weed and other stuff just to have shelter and try to continue my life.  But after just a week out of prison the spirit entered me and I was found sitting in someone’s house again, holding a key. When that spirit came upon me, I was not actually able to control myself. The thing controlled me; it overwhelmed me. Its powers were greater and it overwhelmed my body. It took control of my whole being. Whatever it had been sent to do, that’s what I did until I was caught in the act and beaten. Then it would go out of me and I would come back to my normal sense. By then it would be too late for me to explain because already I was caught in the act. So, I would receive a beating and would be sent back to prison innocently. That had been the story of my life for 15 years. I have been to prison eight times, each for a period of one year and six months. Each time the judge released me, within a week or month of being outside, I would find myself back there again.

Uncontrollable
“I could be in the midst of people, even talking and laughing with them when suddenly you would just see me jack up. Something would happen to me. I would be gone; I would not be there again. Even if you called me, I wouldn’t respond. I would go straight to where the spirit led me to. Even if you tapped me and asked, “Where are you going?” I wouldn’t respond. I would keep going until I was caught. I was not conscious of any of my actions in those moments. When that spirit came upon me, I would be totally controlled by it – I had no say of my own or power to resist it. It controlled me and took me to wherever it led me. I would just see myself moving in the particular direction that it led me to. I would see myself opening a door, going in and sitting down. And whenever that spirit took me, it would make sure that the owner of the building was already close so that within two to five minutes of my being in that house, the owner would come in.

“When he would see me and shout on me, I wouldn’t say a word. I would just look at him like a zombie. “What are you doing in my house!?” I would just look at him until he would begin to raise an alarm and people would come and beat me. That was when it would come out and I would regain my senses. Of course, by then he would not listen to whatever I tried to explain. I would start crying, “Please, help me. I don’t know how I came here.” But the more I cried, the more they beat and disgraced me. “You are a criminal. What kind of thug is this? How will you say you don’t know how you came in? Is that not the key you are holding?” And I was always caught with the key in my hand. I would just see myself picking keys and knowing how to open doors. I was very familiar with keys when the spirit came into me. If I was walking and I saw a key on the floor, I would see myself picking it up. So, before I knew it, I would be back at the station and from the station, back to prison again. I could be in the station for like three months – nobody would come to see me. I was just left alone.

Spiritual Attack
“Whenever I was in the police cell, I would become the head and would take care of the inmates there. They liked me because I was good-hearted. I bought disinfectant and made sure the place was clean and I befriended the police officers and asked them to get new blankets for us. When many of them were out on bail, they would come and buy things for me. But everyone refused to bail me out because they were scared. Anyone who tried to take me out would get himself in trouble again. All they wanted to do was buy things for me and encourage me to keep going. When I would be there for a couple of months, they would take me to the court. The court would look at me and say, “You again; the same case”. And the magistrate would ask, “What kind of attack is this?” He said that this thing was beyond human comprehension, that it’s spiritual. Because each time I came to the court, it would be the same case, the same occurrence, the same penalty. It was obvious that this thing was really spiritual. But due to the law, I had to go back to the prison because nobody was there to come and bail me out. So, I had to go back to the prison.

Notoriety In Society
“This thing really made me notorious and any time I was released from prison, people were scared of me. If anything happened where I was living, whether it’s me or not, they pointed fingers at me. Sometimes I would go to prison innocently for something I did not even know about. If a crime occurred some place near me, since I was around, they would say that it was me. And before I knew it, the police had come to take me. And there was no way I could say it was not me because I had other similar cases.

“Besides, I didn’t argue with them because I loved the prison. Whenever I was released, I would be scared. I didn’t even want to go. Each time the judge acquitted me, I would tell him that I really loved where I was staying, that there was no need for them take me out. I knew that once I was out, I would come back again in another week. The judge knew that there was really something wrong with me because a normal person would be happy to be released from prison but I was sad to be released from prison. I would even cry that I wanted to go back to the prison because I didn’t have a home outside. I was a stranger and outcast in my community.

At Home In Harsh Conditions
“Prison conditions in Nigeria are bad, very bad. The environment is foul and the water is dirty. The food we receive is beans and rice but the beans are half-cooked with a lot of insects and there is a lot of sand in the rice. I wouldn’t call it a meal – I call it disease. But yet, I still loved the prison because each time I would go there, it was the only home I had. Sometimes I could get clean water because I was friendly with the wardens. If you were being remanded in prison custody, you remained in your hall locked up all day; you didn’t do anything. If you were awaiting trial, you didn’t have any rights. Some people there had waited for eight or 10 years without being tried, especially robbers and murderers. Some spend their whole life without being tried. They do nothing – wasting precious time. A small hall contains a lot of people – 180 inmates in a small room in serious heat, stuck together like sardines. You don’t have any space. People will be choking.  We slept on the bare floor with no mattress.

“Whenever I came into prison, within a week I was always made the head of my hall because of my good behaviour and kindness. I was able to go to the prison wardens and ask for blankets to put on the floor because people were dying of infection. Sometimes when rain fell, it came straight to the hall and you would have to sleep in the water. Some sleep stood and had swollen legs because of standing all day and night. Some because of sleeping on the wet ground got pneumonia and died. With that, I had to create awareness to the wardens; that was one thing I did in the prison that everyone remembered me for. I was the one that brought about them bringing blankets into the prison to put on the floor. Because in a day, you could see six to seven people die before your eyes. If the person died in the night, you had to sleep with the dead body until morning. No matter how loudly you banged the door, nobody would come to open because they felt that maybe it was a set-up for you to escape. In the morning, they would come and drag the bodies out and take them to the mortuary. I’ve carried many bodies out of my cell. Sometimes you would be lying down and by the time you woke up, your neighbour would be dead. And many people had skin disease and infections because of the conditions. But in all my years in prison, this never happened to me. I didn’t have a single skin infection because then, it was my home.

Suicidal Tendencies
“Whenever I was released, the wardens knew that I was definitely going to come back. They would tell me, “Mr Brown, I know you are going out there but we will still welcome you back here”. And in one or two weeks, I would be back. I have been to prison eight times in life and wasted all my years – at least half of my life in the prison.  The aim of the spirit was to lead me to suicide. There were times in prison when I nearly took my life because I felt very rejected. I saw that people would visit even the worst criminals but me, nobody came to see me. Nobody even cared; nobody asked of me. It was so painful when you saw people coming to visit somebody that actually committed this crime but you that did not do it intentionally, nobody came to see you. I felt mentally disturbed. But whenever I felt like taking my life, something restrained me and my life would just go on like that.

Divine Arrangement
“The last time I came out of prison, I knew I needed somebody beside me. Because when this thing came on me, if somebody is around me, they could hold me down and bring me back to my senses.  So, I met this girl in my community and told her everything about myself. Most people refused to come close to me because of the shame but after hearing my story, she insisted and said she was going to help me. There was a day she was watching Emmanuel TV and she saw the case of a boy called Emmanuel who was delivered of a similar spirit of stealing. Whenever I was out of prison, I never liked watching Emmanuel TV because the spirit in me would not allow me to. Each time I tried to sit and watch Emmanuel TV, the spirit pushed me out to do something else. But when she saw this case, she literally sat on top of me and forced me to watch.

“As I was watching, I felt a strange sensation within me. I saw hope; I saw a way out. But there were still many problems that tried to stop me from coming. There was a battle going on. The day I finally came here, I knew that God was actually going to change me because the victory had already been won for me to even come in the first place. I knew that was the time God had assigned for me to change. When I came into the church, the first service finished and I said I would not stand up from my seat to even go and drink water or eat. I said that I must stay there until I got my deliverance because I knew here was my final bus-stop. Thank God that the man of God came and actually prophesied about my case. What he said that day astounds me, even up to his moment. He dislodged my problem, right from the root. While other men of God just cut the branches and in a couple of days they grew back, this man of God touched my life tremendously by uprooting my problem from the source. When you uproot something, it is dead finally.

The Name Above All Names
“I stayed in the church for that entire week and in the following service, I shared my experiences with the congregation. Then the man of God Prophet T.B. Joshua asked me to shout the name of Jesus Christ. I’ve never had such an experience in my whole life. It was so awesome! I had never seen such bright light in my life. When I shouted the name of Jesus, I saw this light hitting my face. It was like the light that shone on Paul’s face on the way to Damascus. The light was so awesome and great and mighty that I couldn’t stand it. It overwhelmed my entire being. Before I knew it, I was down on the floor. I knew that God was at work. When this light came into me, that’s when I knew I was free because I felt light. I felt relieved. I felt as if there was a rebirth of a new life. I was being reborn. It’s like my life actually began the day I saw the light. I started seeing the reality of life. I started seeing the sweetness of my future, which the devil would have deprived me of getting.

“Since then, life has been so beautiful to me. It’s the most wonderful thing that has happened to me. I’ve lived my life so freely. My heart is light. I don’t think about my past any more. The burden has gone. I now see my real self, my real potential, my real value. I now know who I am. And I have great peace – peace that nobody could give me. I can now truly say, if the Son of God has set you free, you are free indeed! Since then, people who have rejected me for years have been calling. “When do we come to embrace you?” My family and community that called me a black sheep, who didn’t want to identify or have anything to do with me are now calling me. It’s nothing but God’s hands.

Advice Born Of Experience
“From my experiences in prison, I would say at least 75% of inmates there have similar cases like me. What brought them into the prison, they don’t know about it. If you ask them, they say, “I don’t know what brought me; I don’t know what came into me’. If you begin to interview them and see their life, you see they have a very pure heart; they don’t have criminal tendencies but something really drives them to do such things. So, my advice to the authorities is that they should look at such cases when they are brought to court. Sometimes they bring folks that are innocent – and the devil makes them accept what they are not. They are actually being convicted for what they are not. If the people in higher authorities would look into it and begin to take cognisance of the spiritual element in this, it will help a lot of folks from going into prison innocently. Such people need deliverance from an anointed man of God, not a life wasted behind bars.

“Also, my advice to young people – there is nothing too hard for God to do. If God could change me, a rejected son, how much more them? God is still interested in them. And God can and will change them from their situation. It’s only their determination. Progress and success lies upon the platform of determination. Unless a man is determined to change, change cannot come to light. And that’s the only force that has brought me to this change – determination. I was determined; I was tired of my situation and that’s why I experienced this tremendous change.

Final Words
“One thing I really want to say – I have spent my whole life in the darkness, half of my life in prison. I never knew this tremendous light that has come to me. And now that I have embraced it, I don’t want to stop here. I want to give my whole life to it and serve God. Let the few days I have here on earth here be worthy of Him. And also to my family, to my son and my children, I want them to look unto a good father, a responsible father that they could point to and be proud of tomorrow, one that they will grow up and defend in the future. I want to erase the bad record and begin to allow God’s light to take over and make me what I am. I just thank God. I want to serve Him with all of my heart. That is the only thing that will give me joy and fulfil my destiny – by serving Him with all of my heart.”

Read Full Post »

‘MY INVISIBLE CHAIN’ – TB JOSHUA

Prophet Temitope Joshua of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations, Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, explains the source of his strength and vision, and his care for the aged and needy, to The Week team of Clement Okitikpi (MD), Oluwasegun Abifarin (Editor) and Emeka Ngwei.

 How did the ministry start?

Well, I want to start by saying that no one in the world is born with great knowledge. You become what you are; you discover what you know. But if I begin to tell you the genesis of the ministry, we won’t leave here today. Discovery is for forward lookers. So, no one is born with great knowledge.

TB Joshua

I was in a trance for three consecutive days, then I saw a hand that pointed a Bible to my heart and the Bible entered my heart and my former heart seemed to immerse with the Bible immediately. Then the awareness came and I saw the apostles and prophets of old with someone whose head I could not see because He was tall to the heaven and suspended, which I believe was our Lord Jesus Christ sitting in their midst. I also saw myself in their midst. After a while, I saw a hand of the same tall man, I could not behold His face, which was glittering with an unimaginable light, tall to the high heavens and suspended in the air. But other apostles I could see their faces, particularly Apostles Peter and Paul, Prophets Moses, Elijah and others. Their names were boldly written on their chests.

I heard a voice saying, “I am your God; I am giving you a divine commission to go and carry out the work of the Heavenly Father”. At the same time, the same hand of the tall man gave me a small cross and a big Bible, bigger than the one that entered my heart with a promise that as I keep pressing in His time and name, I would be given a bigger cross but if I fail the opposite would occur. I also heard a voice of the same tall man, I could not see His head, saying, I am the Lord your God who was and who is – Jesus Christ, giving orders to all the apostles and prophets. The same voice said to me, “I would show you the wonderful ways I would reveal myself through you, in teaching, preaching, miracles, signs and wonders for the salvation of souls”.

Since then, I have been receiving in my vision, every year according to my faithfulness to God, a bigger cross that means to me more responsibilities.

What was on your mind when you started the ministry?

That is one important area. For instance, I have been alone here (in the prayer mountain) for the last five hours. I dreamt of a place like this – a swampy area, neglected, where people or government will not dream of coming. I come here, sit here, read and meditate. Above all, I know that I am a product of grace, not the works of righteousness which I have done. I am weak; I am nobody, without formal education. What I want to say is that God has manifested His strength in my weakness. It can also be explained that I am like a dog without teeth. When you have a house and you keep without teeth as a guard, each time the enemy comes, it will bark and then the owner will come out to do the work.

Sometimes, your miracles look like magic…

When it comes to power, God Himself is the power. God often uses foolish things to confound the wise. That is why people like me will ever be grateful to God. In terms of knowledge, education and name, I am nowhere – a neglected stone. I think that is why the persecution was too much. Everything about me is nothing, nothing. But I think no man should boast.

When you were young, did you have any idea that you will one day go into pastoral work?

Then, when I was very young, one thing I knew then and that still happens to me now, is that there is an invisible chain, invisible padlock. What I want to touch, I can’t touch; what I want to say is not what I am saying. Where I want to go is not where I am going. What I want to wear is not what I am wearing. It is like there is a restriction. That has been my experience right form when I was young. That is why you will never find or see me accusing or condemning somebody. I have always restored anyone who has done any wrong in a gentle way, instead of condemning the fellow, because I know it is not by my power that I am doing the right thing.

An invisible padlock

So, I will say the work of righteousness is not my work; it is my faith in His work. The work of healing is not my work, but by faith, healing is done. The work of deliverance, great and mighty deliverance is not my work, but is my faith in Him. It is not the works of righteousness which I have done, but according to His grace. I am a product of His grace.

What’s the difference between Joshua as a person and Joshua as a prophet?

You have two natures in one person – the human and divine nature. Take our Lord Jesus for instance, for his human nature – he was a descendant of David, and for His divine nature – he was raised from the dead by the power of God.

As for TB Joshua, I am a descendant of my family in Arigidi-Akoko in Ondo State, Nigeria – but as for the divine nature, the power of God affects my life to give peace to people, deliverance to people and healing to people. Apart from the power of God, nobody would have noticed me or known where I am. So, it is the power of God that brings the difference, the challenges and an uncommon persecution. Uncommon blessing attracts uncommon persecution. Common blessing attracts common persecution. Uncommon progress attracts uncommon attacks.

Is the Ikotun Headquarters the only branch in Nigeria?

No, we have branches in Akure, Port Harcourt, Jos, Kogi and outside the country also. When you get to the church there, you will see at least 30 different countries represented. There are here to take the ministry back to their countries.

You are on satellite with Emmanuel TV, which is quite expensive. Where is the funding coming from?

Money. Something unbelievers can have should not be a problem to a child of God. Dubious and unrighteous people, they have money. How much more a man of God? So, what are you talking about? Unbelievers, they have money and throw it about. So, let’s talk about something unique. Money is not a unique thing. It is common. You see, everybody talking about money, money, money. Anybody can have money – but let’s talk of what anybody or everybody cannot have. Even the cathedral, anybody can have it. Even satan can build a big mansion; it is a question of money.

It is like you are a prophet without honour at home and among your people.

Even Jesus Christ was not popular among His people. Even till today among some Jews. We thank God for that, because if Jesus had been restricted to only His people in Palestine and Jersualem, how will people like you and me know about Christ and the Kingdom of God today, not to talk of preaching the gospel and becoming a pastor or prophet.

And even here in Nigeria, most of the popular pastors at home anchor their popularity at home on their fame abroad.

Are you also planning to go to the Lagos-Ibadan Express Road to establish a camp ground, as it is the fashion today?

Right from my youth, I have learnt not to go with the crowd. If we are in the same business of selling shoes for instance, if you are selling in Tejuosho (Yaba) market, I won’t go there. I will find another market to sell my own. That way, we are spreading. This swamp, which is our prayer mountain, is our camp.

When you also look at the missionary works outside the country, you will see all the men of God going to Europe and America. I have decided to face the Asian continent. That way, we are fulfilling the mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ to take the gospel to the end of the earth and make disciples of all nations.

What is the motivation for your help to the old and the aged?

My help is not only to the old people, but to the lonely, the weak and the poor in society. The Bible says charity and faith in Jesus Christ go together. When you say you have Jesus by faith, without the work of charity, it is nothing. This does not mean however that charity alone is enough to bring us to salvation, but it forms the basis for judging our level of kindness – because looking the other way when your brother is in trouble is equal to rejecting Christ Himself.

Supporting the aged ones

Then, going to the issue of aged people, in this part of our world, it seems it has become a crime to be old and aged. Even many of those who are well to do in our society, the will build a house and put their old and aged in the backyard, as if they are no more useful. But we want to tell the world that it is not a crime to be old and aged. It is time to show appreciation to God for using them to bring us into this world.

The time they cannot work again is the time we should take it upon ourselves to take care for them, like babies. The life they gave us when we were newly born, it is time to give them back now they are old. It is not the time we should isolate them, put them in isolation.

Rejection and isolation are also deadly and incurable diseases like AIDs. We are even praying for God to give us the grace to build a beautiful resort where we can bring them together and properly take care of them, give them medical attention and those who have not travelled before, we fly them outside the country for them to enjoy the best of pleasure, before they die.

For how long have you been planning this?

We have been on this for the past 10 years. It is not just now. These people have been lonely and isolated for a long time, and that has killed many of them. It is not just now that we jump into it, we have been showing that love that Christ gave to us.

I want to tell you that our position in Christ Jesus is enhanced each time we help our fellow brothers.

What has been the reaction of these people and their relations to the program?

Some of them – in fact, many of them, don’t even know me. They only see me on the television screen.

Apart from the aged, do you have programmes for other categories of the needy?

Yes, not only the aged – the Lord is also using us to cater for other categories of people. We have a program for the dwarfs and the destitute. We have also given scholarships to many university students. I don’t know any of these people, and we are not doing it to receive ‘thank-you’ from them.

How did you locate these people?

I believe many of them are not in Lagos. You people live in Lagos, and put your old people in the village.

People say you appear to them in their dream. Can you clarify this?

When I am not God… God can also use you. Don’t be surprised that people can dream and see you.  If God can use the pool of Bethesda, He can use anyone. He uses horses and camels. God can use anything. And I want to tell you that everyone is created with a gift, and each gift is meant to meet a need. It is your gift that God will use to bless others through you. So tomorrow, God can use you to appear to other people, and to pray for them.

How much is the church investing in this care of the aged project?

For the past nine years, we started the whole thing with about 1.5million but it has gradually gone up to N6million per month. But I must tell you, my brothers, that I don’t have enough to live a flamboyant life because of all these.  I even have some students that I gave scholarship to in Ghana, and many other universities in Nigeria.

A privilege to give

It is a rare privilege to do this. We may think we are helping them. No, we are not helping them. Our position in Christ Jesus is enhanced each time we help our fellow brothers. It is a real privilege to be in a position to give. This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 25:45, that whatsoever you do or fail to do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me. In other words, Jesus has no farm where He expects you to help Him or an office where he expects you to carry files. He said my farm and office are your fellow brothers.

A lot of churches are getting into the business of establishing universities. Are you thinking along that line?

What God has commissioned me to do here is to care for these people – the destitute, the needy and the poor. So that church here can have a theology school. That is all. I should not dabble into the issue of university. Theology, from primary school to university – that is my calling. I should not dabble into science or law. Anyone that wants to study law or science should go to University of Lagos!

SOURCE: The Week Magazine – Vol. 26 No. 26

Read Full Post »

Should Nigeria’s President Appoint TB Joshua As An Official Advisor?

Check out this incredible article giving insight into the state of affairs in the nation Nigeria. The writer listened to what TB Joshua said in yesterday’s service and watched as the events unfolded accordingly. 

By Nosa Osazuwa

The nation of Nigeria was in a state of limbo, a standstill going into Sunday 15th January 2012, as talks between the Federal Government and labour unions in an attempt to come to a consensus on the issue of fuel subsidies and protests, ended in an unsatisfactory deadlock.

The discussions on Saturday evening which lasted for hours in order to resolve the petrol price crisis which had caused a nationwide strike for five days was inconclusive as both sides acknowledged that they had been unable to come to a place of compromise. Talks were postponed again ‘till Sunday night, leaving Nigerians unsure of what the coming week might hold – whether continued protests nationwide or a compromise from the president and the government, or something else.

TB Joshua

On Sunday morning, while Nigerians were worrying about what the outcome of the crisis might be, many still afraid to venture out of the safety of their homes, Pastor TB Joshua, of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations, Ikotun Egbe, Lagos, addressed the issue directly during his sermon, broadcast live via his TV station, Emmanuel TV.

He said that Nigeria had prayed and hoped. But that one thing that was yet to be done was to apply love. He quoted, 1 Corinthians 13:13 – There are only 3 things – faith, hope and love. The greatest is love. “Since the greatest thing is love, we need to make the greatest sacrifice. Our president is the person who should make the greatest sacrifice. The other participants will follow”, TB Joshua asserted.

Addressing the nation, he said: “My message to the nation, to you Nigeria – is compromise. Love is compromise – to give chance for peace in the interests of the nation. To compromise means we must shift ground.”

He further said: “We should not give the impression of embarrassing the president and the other participants in the crisis. To achieve this easily, our president must rely more on politicians than on technocrats”.

Towards the end of his sermon, TB Joshua once again reassured his nation of Nigeria, saying:

“The nation Nigeria and people of Nigeria – the issue of the crisis, put it behind you. You say that you are not going on Monday, that you think you’ll be restricted. No. I think God is on top. God is in control.”

Later on Sunday night, the Nigerian government sent mixed messages. Many Nigerians sat glued to their television sets, awaiting a message from the president yet none came. Talks were postponed again and Nigerians went to bed unsure of what the morrow might bring forth.

The tables turned on Monday 16th January 2012, when early in the morning, the news was released nationwide that a consensus had been reached and an agreement had finally been made.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said in an address to the nation that petrol prices would be reduced to 97 naira a litre. That is a reduction of about 35 percent but it still remains higher than the 65 naira per litre Nigerians paid before the government ended the fuel subsidy at the beginning of the year. That is, he had come to a place of compromise.

“The Government will continue to pursue full deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector. However, given the hardships being suffered by Nigerians, and after due consideration and consultations … the government has approved the reduction of the pump price of petrol,” said Goodluck Jonathan in a televised address Monday morning.

In response, labour unions promptly agreed to suspend mass protests to allow further negotiations with the government.

The questions that might spring to many minds are, was it all just a co-incidence or did the president listen to the counsel from TB Joshua and act according to it? Did TB Joshua send a message to the president, giving him God’s opinion on the crises at hand?

It doesn’t take Albert Einstein to see the connection between TB Joshua’s words and the action taken later that day by the President and the Federal Government.

TB Joshua is a renowned minister known world over, particularly for his prophetic ministry and his humanitarian services. Most recently, it was said that he had accurately predicted the street protests in Nigeria, stating in October 2011 that he could see people protesting from street to street, from state to state. He mentioned that the people that really make this economy work, the grassroots would soon be on the street and that the nation would come to a standstill as the big men would wonder how they could do the job by themselves.

One might ask, if the president and Nigerians had listened to this prophecy at the time it was given and sought advice on how to handle the crisis, we might not have lost the billions of naira that the catastrophe cost our nation. Perhaps our president should learn from the leaders and kings of old, who always sought God’s opinion from a prophet regarding the matters of the nation.

SOURCE http://www.zimeye.org/?p=44244

Read Full Post »

TB JOSHUA – THE PROTESTS ARE OVER

On Sunday 15^th January 2012, at around 12pm, TB Joshua addressed the nation of Nigeria in his sermon, saying that the crisis and the restrictions are over. He said, “People of Nigeria – the issue of crisis, put it behind you. Some of you are worrying that you will not go out on Monday and that you will be restricted. No. God is on top of it. He is in control”. He said that there would be free movement on Monday and that the protests would be over as from Monday. He added that there would be a consensus between the government, labour leaders and civil society groups; they would agree to shift the ground.

He emphasised that the lesson we can learn from this is that in this world, anything can happen. He said: “What we have experienced last week, we have never experienced in this country. Therefore, in everything remember God. When you are eating, when you are sitting, remember God”.

Read Full Post »

2012 – THE YEAR OF COMEBACK

The special New Year’s Eve Candlelight Service that ushered in the New Year 2012 left all those who attended and viewers worldwide happy, grateful to God and full of hope for the coming year.

The service started with healing and deliverance in the name of Jesus as the wise men prayed for International Visitors at The SCOAN at the prayer line. Immediately, people began testifying to the healing and delivering power of God as this power located them and rescued them from the oppression of sickness, disease and affliction.

The SCOAN Sunday School Children

The SCOAN Sunday School Children then presented a beautiful programme including preaching, singing and dancing to the joy of the congregation which stretched far beyond the four walls of the auditorium to an overflow section. Thousands had come from far and near to begin their New Year by committing themselves wholeheartedly to God in prayer.

The SCOAN Choir

Then the choir led the congregation in a powerful time praise and worship to God, directing people’s focus to God, their Creator and Him alone.

Members of the Emmanuel TV Team then presented a dance/ drama titled, “Jesus Meets The Samaritan Woman”. It told the tale of the sinful Samaritan woman taken from the book of John 4 and how she met Jesus who redeemed her.

Drama - Jesus Meets The Samaritan Woman

The message that came with the drama was encouraging and inspiring. Jesus did not reject the sinful Samaritan woman but rather showed her acceptance by offering her living water. Jesus does not reject anyone who comes to Him to be cleansed from sin.

The Boakye Family

A MARRIAGE TRANSFORMED
Then it was time for testimonies. Pastor Nicholas Boakye and his wife, Alberta testified to what God had done in their marriage as a couple. The Boakye family who had remained in the church since deliverance three weeks before, thanked God for their lives as a family and the change which their union had enjoyed since the deliverance.
Alberta was happy that her life had experienced such a radical transformation. She no longer sees a man coming to make love with her in her dreams, something she had been tormented with since the age of 16. All unnecessary anger is gone and she smiles broadly now. She advised her listeners that whatever the problem is, they should go to God who has a solution to all human problems. In his own testimony, the husband disclosed how the night after the deliverance at 1:42 am, his wife woke him and told him, ‘I love you’. She also went down on her knees and apologised to him. According to him, she has been humble and gentle since the deliverance, a stark contrast to her behaviour before she was delivered in Jesus’ name. He testified how his ministry in Holland is fast reviving; those who left are already coming back. In his advice to couples, he told them to look beyond whatever happens to them and be focused on God alone.

INCREDIBLE HEALING OF A HAND ULCER

Before the healing

Antonia told the congregation her experience some years ago when her house girl who confessed witchcraft later, tormented her marriage and caused a divorce. The house girl in question caused hatred between the couple leading to Antonia leaving the marriage and renting a place for herself, children and the house girl. Soon after however, the house girl confessed witchcraft and shockingly gave birth to an egg in the house. Immediately Antonia saw this, she grabbed the egg and burnt it. The mistake she made was to touch the egg with her hand. This mistake almost cost Antonia her hand as an ulcer formed and her whole hand started to rot. After exhausting her resources seeking for a cure, she came to The SCOAN for healing from Jesus.

After the healing

She was arranged at the prayer line and TB Joshua prayed for her. In no time after the prayer, the swollen and decaying palm showed signs of healing. The ulcer which was to cause the amputation of the hand was on the path of healing. To the glory of God, Antonia’s palm was completely healed and she came to The SCOAN for testimony. She advised her listeners to trust God as there is nothing He cannot do for those in desperate need of help.

A HORRIFIC LEG ULCER HEALED

Before the healing

After the healing

The footage of a man, Mr Onyeka Nnaji being helped to the prayer line with a horrific leg ulcer, was also shown. The muscle of the calf was eaten away by the ravaging ulcer. Mr Nnaji was prayed for in Jesus’ name and declared free by the man of God and free indeed he was as the leg soon showed signs of healing. As he gave the final testimony, he tapped the leg which showed scars of the old mess and he confessed his total healing. According to him, he was in pain for three years and at the climax of the attack, he lost the power to walk or talk. To the glory of God, Mr Nnaji has been healed and enabled to do all those things which were beyond his power to do before. He advised his listeners to pray and worship God.

JESUS STOPS UTERUS BLEEDING THROUGH THE ANOINTING WATER

Miss Zulu from South Africa

Miss Zulu from South Africa suffered from uterus bleeding for ten years. After all efforts to obtain a cure elsewhere had failed, Zulu’s mother came to The SCOAN and received the Anointing Water. At home in South Africa, Miss Zulu prayed and ministered the Anointing Water. To the glory of God, the bleeding stopped immediately. Overjoyed, she thanked God for her incredible healing and deliverance.

PRAYER SAVES PREGNANCY
Pastor and Evangelist Mrs Mbog of Cameroon came to The SCOAN to thank the Lord for the restoration of her pregnancy which was threatened by miscarriage. After all hospital’s efforts had failed, she phoned one of the Emmanuel TV prayer lines and one of the evangelists prayed for her. She immediately sensed security and restoration of the pregnancy in the course of prayer.

Mrs Mbog from Cameroon

To the glory of God, the turbulence in her womb which had threatened the pregnancy was over with the prayer. Evangelist Mbog thanked the man of God Prophet T.B. Joshua for using using this means to serve humanity as instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ. A beautiful baby girl was the result of the pregnancy.

FROM SETBACK TO SUCCESS
Emmanuel , a student of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri gave a testimony of his first class honours degree after he nearly crashed out of university because of poor performance. He related how he had been sick and this had caused him to lose concentration and began to have carryover in his studies. Emmanuel complained to his father who in turn visited The SCOAN and received the Anointing Water.

From setback to 1st class

Emmanuel prayed and sprayed the Anointing Water on himself as he revised and prepared for the exams. The result was extraordinary as he scored A in each of the 15 papers he wrote in the first and second semesters of the session and had a grade point average of 4.51 to make him clinch a first class degree in the final result. Emmanuel displayed his brilliant result as he gave his testimony which was the gift of our Lord, Jesus Christ, through the Anointing Water. He advised all youth to get closer to God. Confirming the testimony, his father, Thomas Egbado thanked T.B. Joshua whom the Lord had used to rewrite the history of his son’s educational performance. He cried for joy as he thanked the Lord and prayed for TB Joshua and the wise men recognizing them as tools in the hands of Almighty God.

A YEAR OF COMEBACK
TB Joshua declared this year, 2012 as a year of COMEBACK- –a comeback to worship the Lord in Spirit and truth. In 2011, he explained, people worshipped their possessions rather than the Giver of those possessions. In 2011, he went on, we never put God where He belonged; we saw Him as one of those things amid our businesses and social issues. God is the only thing.

TB Joshua - 31.12.11

We often said the Spirit said this or that whereas the Spirit never talked to us. Such worship and worshippers will face challenges in the New Year. In his words, a comeback is a return to a place of significance; a return to a place lost for a period of time. He explained how people need to hear others’ setbacks and comebacks so that they could hold on to their hope. A video clip was shown on the screen of T.B. Joshua’s journey with all its setbacks and comebacks as the church building was destroyed many times before the 5th church was built. In the midst of setbacks, people need hope. Even the great men and women in the Bible, like everyone else, messed up. Why did he go through storms and trials? The prophet asked the congregation. It was so, he answered, because Somebody wanted to turn his difficulty into a testimony. Somebody wanted to turn his sickness into a miracle and his mess into a message. If you do not have a degree in poverty, your degree in blessing is questionable. If you did not have sickness, you would not appreciate good health.

Overflow Congregation

It was then time for prayer and all those present and those watching lit their candles and began to pray their way into the New Year. TB Joshua explained that as the candles were burning away, so whatever unfavourable situations they were in were burning away. Poverty, he said, was ending as the year 2011 was ending.

A prayer for mercy and favour

The candle represents unfavourable situations in our lives and as the candle is burning, we are sailing over obstacles in our lives; poverty is ending with the year 2011 in the name of Jesus Christ. We will overcome adversaries and adversity without hurt to our person.

Addressing Nigeria as a nation, the prophet said:
There is no war between Christians and Muslims. I mean, there is no war between you and your neighbor. There is no war among neighbors. The idea of bombing and burning churches is to cause disagreement and conflict between you and your neighbor, to break the commandment and rule which says, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. If we are not armed for battle, we will fight the wrong battle. Strikes against your neighbor/ people – this is the wrong battle. God at all times is assembling for Himself a generation of spiritual worshipers. Because God is a Spirit, Christ came to declare God to us.”
He remarked that some people live within four feet ceiling whereas the sky is their limit. God has positioned you to accomplish your destiny in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, he declared.

The prophet also spoke of the grave economic realities of the coming year. The burning and bombing In Nigeria shall fizzle out and in its place there will be economic depression which will affect the whole world as well. He advised Nigerians to go into concentrate more on farming and agriculture and the well-placed to help the less- privileged in society.

During the time when the candles were lit, some extraordinary deliverances also took place. These included that of Jane from Zimbabwe afflicted with the spirit of eating soil, a daughter of a lawyer from Botswana who had the spirit of eating soap and anthill sand for two years, Mandela from Mozambique addicted to eating ice cubes and mint sweets and the case of Mr and Mrs Kolan from Ghana. Mrs Kolan was addicted to eating ice cubes and she was also delivered.

Leading the congregation in prayer

T.B. Joshua concluded the message by reminding the congregation and the viewers watching from around the world of the importance of having a special place to pray in their houses and rooms. He emphasised that there is a great need for us to go on our knees and cry out to God every day for He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and the Owner of our souls.

Read Full Post »

THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE

 

Wise Man Christopher

Wise Man Christopher, with his usual fervour, issued his message which he titled, ‘The Weapons Of Our Warfare’ to the congregation and cited many portions of the Bible to make his case clear. In his words, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual through God in pulling down every demonic stronghold. The Word, he clarified, is not on the written page of the Bible but in the lips of the believers.  As Christians, you need to fill your mind and heart with the Word to speak it.  In Matthew 4 : 1-11, Jesus gave Christians  the battle plan when He spoke directly to the devil in the wilderness. You need to learn the value of God’s Word on your lips to confront the devil victoriously. In Ephesians 6:17, the Bible tells us that those who overcome satan will be required to use the power of the spoken Word. David, in 1 Samuel 17:45 – 50 used the Word of God in his heart as a weapon to defeat Goliath. David’s first victory was therefore in the choice of the right weapon, which was the Word of God on his lips. As Christians, Jesus has given us the Word of God as a special weapon that no power of satan can withstand. Whatever your giant or mountain, you, as a Christian, can address it with the Word of God and achieve total victory. Prayer in the power of the Holy Spirit is the most formidable weapon, the wise man concluded his message.

WOMAN EFFECTUALLY DELIVERED FROM EATING HER HAIR

A week after her deliverance, Mrs Josephine Eseme Jimmy, standing beside her husband, happily gave thanks to God for her deliverance as, according to her, the urge to eat her hair had completely disappeared.  Josephine came to The SCOAN the previous Sunday for deliverance from addiction to eating her hair, including those on her head, armpits and private parts.  She said the addiction took form after she heard a voice ordering her to eat her hair. The unusual behaviour was cultivated before her marriage and had continued since then for a length of 23 years. After her confession, Josephine was delivered in the mighty name of Jesus by Prophet T.B. Joshua who told her that she was free and would not eat her hair anymore. She said that in her dream two days after the deliverance, the demon appeared to her to lure her to the old act but immediately, the man of God also appeared and the demon ran in fear. The man of God then held her and she woke from sleep. That was the end of her addiction to eating her hair.  The couple thanked the prophet one more time for being used by Jesus to bring about her deliverance. In reaction, the prophet once more established the difference between authority and power. In his words, knowing facts about Jesus does not change your relationship with Him. He however added that your reward for a relationship with Jesus is power.

SPIRITUAL HUSBAND’S HOLD RELEASED IN JESUS’ NAME

A video clip on the events of the previous Sunday service showed Wise Man Daniel as he laid hands on the congregants. A woman among them,Mrs Alberta Boakye from Ghana reacted by manifesting the spiritual husband in her.

The spirit, speaking through her, said Alberta was his wife who disobeyed her to marry an earthly husband. The spirit added that it had destroyed the husband’s ministry for that reason. The spirit also said their second child could not learn because of the punishment by the spiritual husband. She was then delivered after prayer from Wise Man Daniel. Standing by her pastor husband as she gave her testimony, Alberta revealed that she sensed the spiritual husband in her life at the age of 16 when it used to have sex with her in her dreams. The spirit had been a thorn in their marriage of ten years, causing her to inflict emotional pain on her husband all the time. Under the influence of the spirit, she became the husband and took delight in issuing orders to her husband and beating him. She was however relieved to be free after her deliverance.

In response to the prophet, Pastor Nicholas the husband chronicled all the shameful treatment his wife inflicted on him under the influence of the spiritual husband. She would wake up and ask her husband in the dead of night to clean the house and wash the dishes. When she knew it was fasting time for her husband, she would deliberately set food before him to break the fast unjustifiably. Either she would meet the husband in the church to fight and embarrass him or prevent him by force from going to church after he was ready. On such occasions, the pastor whose church had branches in other countries, would call his fellow pastors in the church to ask them to carry on as he was still ‘waiting on God’. He lost his congregation to other churches and the branches closed because of the wife’s abnormal behaviour.  A king of the community who attended his church withdrew his membership because of the wife’s behaviour. After praying for the deliverance of the pastor, Prophet T.B. Joshua assured him that he would assist him to reactivate his ministry and re-open the branches. Asked to comment on her husband’s confession, Alberta, in unmistakable remorse said, ‘I feel bad and sad’ and bemoaned satan for all that her husband had suffered in her hands. Prophet T.B. Joshua ended the episode by explaining that it was the evil spirit inside the wife that was responsible and now that she was delivered, her husband should not remind her of the past.

MAN DELIVERED FROM THE SPIRIT OF MASTURBATION

Mr Solomon Ogheneovo

A man from Delta, Nigeria, Solomon Ogheneovo by name, told the congregation of himself as a victim of the spirit of masturbation for 24 years. He thought that getting married would stop the embarrassing act but in fact, it continued. Even after marriage, he masturbated at least every day. After unsuccessful efforts, which included fasting and prayer, on his part to stop it, he finally decided to seek the face of the Lord in The SCOAN. After receiving the Anointing Water, he gathered his family and they prayed with it. That prayer, according to him, marked the end of his masturbation. He thanked God for using the prophet to bring an end to this torment in his life.

ANOINTING WATER RESTORES MENSTRUATION

Mrs Mercy Anthony

Mrs Mercy Anthony told listeners how she regained her menstruation which ceased for seven years, completely unresponsive to her efforts to reactivate it.  She said a good Samaritan gave her a virtually empty bottle of the Anointing Water which she topped with water, prayed with and ministered on herself. Following that, her menstruation miraculously reappeared. She ended her testimony by advising all her listeners to trust God who has an answer to whatever problems they might have.

ANOINTING WATER RESTORES MEMORY AND FETCHES PROMOTION

Rahamat Yusuf Suleiman had an accident in April which, among other injuries, affected her memory. This affected her reading and preparation for her promotion examination in her workplace. The result was that she failed the examination and was denied promotion. After efforts elsewhere to find a cure had failed, she sent a friend to The SCOAN for the Anointing Water.

  On receiving the Anointing Water, she prayed with it and sprayed it on herself, particularly her forehead. Soon after, to her amazement, she vomited an earthworm. The Anointing Water gave her total healing and following her prayer with it before going for another promotion examination in her workplace, she found the questions the same as the ones she had read, making her pass the examination with ease. As she gave her testimony, Rahamat displayed her promotion letter which was the outcome of her success in the examination.  Rahamat advised her listeners to go to the Lord always for a solution to their problems.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE AGED, DISABLED AND CHILDREN WORLDWIDE

The Emmanuel TV Team and Partners as usual filled trailers with gifts of rice, flour and other food items and transported them to the elderly and physically challenged both within Nigeria and internationally.

Yobe rice trailer 2

Yobe rice trailer 1

Borno rice trailer 1

Two of the many states in Nigeria that were visited by The Emmanuel TV Team were Yobe and Borno in the far north of the country. The team set off with two trailers each filled to capacity with rice and flour, in addition to cash gifts. The venue for the meeting with the Emmanuel TV  Team was General Hospital Leprosy Centre, Maiduguri. People gathered from all around Borno State to attend the meeting.

Borno rice trailer 2

The team sent by T.B. Joshua presented the community leaders with cash gifts and the bags of rice were distributed among everyone, regardless of race, faith or background. The Bible teaches us that we should love our neighbours as ourselves. In the same vein, various gifts were also dispatched to the needy and elderly people in Kremenchuk, Ukraine. In the Asian continent, Lahore, Pakistan was also visited with bags of rice, flour and other gift items.

FINANCIAL AID TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS

In the course of the service, five visually impaired students from the University of Jos were led to the platform where they narrated their financial problems as students, one after another.

Yakubu, a student of Special Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, was the first to bare his mind about his financial needs as a student and concluded that he needed the sum of N92,000.00 to pay his school fees and solve other problems as a student.  The rest, in turn, also spoke, explaining that as students, even the money to release their results was hard to come by. Upon listening to their complaint, the prophet directed that their needs be met. Consequently, a total sum of N284,300.00 and bags of rice were disbursed among them.

MASS PRAYER FREES ALL

T.B Joshua

Praying in the power of the Holy Spirit, Prophet T.B. Joshua led the congregation and viewers worldwide in a powerful time of mass prayer. Many vomited the poisons long buried in their systems, thus receiving their freedom. The prophet prayed for the total release of his listeners in many areas of their lives, including their finances, businesses, marital lives among others. He also prayed for the restoration of their destinies and health. In the course of the mass prayer, the prophet issued prophecies to some people who, in reaction came forward to confirm the prophecies. Confirming that the entire congregation had been delivered and was free, the prophet proceeded to say the grace and bring the service to a close.

Read Full Post »