The choir, having animated the atmosphere with faith-inspiring songs amid great dancing by the congregation, The SCOAN Sunday service of May 1, 2016 witnessed the outpouring of God’s Spirit in many ways. The testimonies, prophecies and mass prayer were all Spirit-filled. Each, in its own special way, posed a great threat to the kingdom of darkness and led to the destruction of strongholds in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

In his message captioned BELIEVING FIRST AND SEEING, the man of God advised Christians to solidify their relationship with God by believing in Him first without necessarily seeing any proof of His promises. He lamented the state of the world in which so many people build their faith more on the things they see rather than on those things they should believe in their hearts: “The thing that keeps us from despairing is not what we see but what we believe. This is why we have so many rich men today with wealth, just talk about it but yet, they are despairing. They are not happy, they are worried. With the material wealth, properties and money we can see with them, yet, no joy.” According to Prophet T.B. Joshua, in spite of our belief in God, we are not free from the troubles of this world. However, the only difference between us and unbelievers is that while their troubles may consume them, ours, as Christians, would only strengthen us and prepare us for future glory: “As a Christian, believer, born again, friend of Jesus, favourite of the Kingdom of God, lover, that you will enter the Kingdom is very sure, that does not mean you are ‘out of touch’… Sickness will test you. Hardship will test you but they cannot destroy you. Affliction of all kinds may test you, they can only test you. Tribulations may test you but they cannot destroy you.”

Concluding, the man of God left this food for thought to all Christians all over the world: “The only thing that will give you peace of heart is to consider your neighbour while looking for your way out. You neighbour can be someone who does not share the same faith with you, your enemy, friend. You who are a Christian today can be a criminal tomorrow. That is why you have to consider others. Your greatest enemy today who wants to kill you, may be your Saviour tomorrow.”

Earlier, Evangelist Olamide had nourished the minds of congregants with uplifting counsels based on the Word in her message titled THE SEED OF YOUR HEART. She admonished Christians to guard their utterances because the words that proceed from their mouths are capable of building up or pulling down.

Put differently, our words, as products of our thoughts are capable of making or marring our lives and those of others around us: “Your words have the capacity to make and unmake. With your words, you constantly paint a public picture of your inner self… it is the character of a good man that he has good treasure in his heart and from there he brings forth good things…”

TESTIMONIES

END OF THE ROAD FOR THE SPIRIT OF MAN

Mr Patrick was ten years old when he was defiled by a man on his way back from school. The man had enticed him with sweets and had cajoled the lad into the abominable act. Since that day, young Patrick developed the urge for men and lost total affection for women; his life was possessed by the spirit of man. He would rather see himself in dreams as a beautiful woman and sometimes as a queen who had feelings for men. Not all men though but men of substance.

The spirit of man took a destructive toll on the young Tanzanian who eventually dropped out of school and even changed location in order to whet and satiate his obscure appetite. For 15 years, he laboured helplessly with the yoke while his life was tossed around like a ship on an unruly sea. He would make up his face with cosmetics like a woman and bleach his skin – all under the influence of the spirit of man which engineered his descent into transvestism so that people of same sex may take an interest in him and vice- versa. He slept with influential men, including the high and mighty in government as his odyssey across different regions gathered momentum.

 

His ungodly lifestyle however soon caught the attention of a lady he had met. Mary was not comfortable with his same sex fancies and persuaded him to change for good. She urged him to retrace his steps which were already so much astray from God’s plan for his life. She also introduced him to Emmanuel TV, encouraging him to seek God’s intervention even as she gave him the Morning Water and the Faith Bracelet. Immediately he started committing his time to watching Emmanuel TV, ministering the Morning Water and meditating with the Faith Bracelet, his indecent sexual habits started disappearing gradually. Inspired by the little changes he had witnessed in his life, he decided to visit The SCOAN.

Attending a Sunday service, he was spotted by Prophet T.B. Joshua during Prophecy. The man of God said, “A brother there, you have this spirit upon you. Can I help you? I see you sitting down; you are sitting down. Can I help you? You have that spirit of man.” As soon as Mr Patrick rushed out from the congregation to confirm the prophecy, a strange force seized him by the throat; he was no longer able to say anything until the man of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit ordered the evil spirit out of his life. Having commanded the evil spirit out, Mr Patrick fell to the ground and was declared free through Christ Jesus by the man of God.

During his testimony, he told the congregation how he felt so agitated and uncomfortable when the man of God was ministering prayer. According to him, even when his case was being mentioned, he initially refused to come and instead beckoned on another man as he tried to hide from the power of God. The matter was finally settled when the man of God pointed to him directly. By that time, the foul spirit, sensing public disgrace, became jittery and tried to dodge the deliverance by trying in vain to strangulate him. Thanking God for his deliverance, Mr Patrick said his life has changed dramatically after the encounter with Prophet T.B. Joshua. Even his dreams have improved; no nightmares. All feminine attitudes have ceased to exist. He had the following advice to people all over the world: “It is possible to be delivered; we should look unto God for a new life.”

 

DELIVERED FROM THE DESTRUCTIVE CLUTCHES OF INTERNET DATING

Miss Samahar Daniel was addicted to internet dating and ended up marrying a man she had never met physically. Her passion for dating unknown men remained inexplicably strange. She derived some pleasure from it which only she could tell. She was barely fifteen years when that unholy wedlock was consummated. Other unpalatable issues later reared their ugly heads in her life. She developed an insatiable appetite for alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana. She would smoke impulsively, become extremely aggressive and talk to people impolitely. Her parents were at the receiving end of all her misdemeanour. She would quarrel with them and turn down all their entreaties to her to embrace God. Whenever men of God were invited to the house to pray for her, she would just walk away to smoke her cigarettes and would leave them to ponder over their failed evangelical mission. As far as she was concerned, there was no God and she had no intentions of changing her opinion on that.

In her delusory world, life was too sweet to give up on drinking and smoking. She would begin the day on a smoky note to the extent that she could steal lighters for her cigarettes from people. In spite of all her addictions and the transitory pleasures she derived from them, happiness was missing. She knew deep down in her heart that something was not complete about her life. There was a longing which could not be suppressed. That longing was the ultimate solution to her challenges. She needed God in her life. There were moments when she would be sober and cry out to God to change her life, if He truly existed. Her disillusionment with God would soon come to an end after an encounter with Prophet T.B. Joshua.

Even when she arrived at The SCOAN, she still had the urge to smoke and even had a mild clash with ushers who prevented her from leaving the auditorium while service was on. The man of God, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, gave her the shock of her life. Mere mention of her case jolted her to the marrows. Yes, she had issues but had never discussed them with anyone. For the man of God to prophesy about her case, then God must be in existence and is truly present at The SCOAN. “You married through the internet… that is your first attempt. Somebody you are not seeing physically; just like you are on the internet. You chatted and you decided to marry the person”, said the man of God as he laid hands on her. Coming in contact with the raw power of God, the young woman fell to the ground and was declared free in Jesus’ name.

Giving thanks to God for her deliverance, the Ethiopian resident in France said God really changed her life through the prophecy of Prophet T.B. Joshua. According to her, she had given up on God but eventually found Him at The SCOAN. Now she is closer to God than ever. She reads her bible regularly and has renounced her past life. She advised people all over the world to come to Jesus Christ.

 

THE POWER OF GOD FLOORS A LEGION OF DISEASES

For Mr Roman Ariri, it was a multiple onslaught against his health as he was diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, swollen feet and prostate cancer. All these ailments made life very difficult for him as he sought spiritual as well as medical help, all to no avail. The Nigerian resident in the United States had to come down to Nigeria in search of help. But as he enquired about The SCOAN, he was discouraged by a woman whom he described as an elder in a particular church. Bowing to pressure, he visited a popular Nigerian ministry and after receiving prayers there, nothing changed.

On his own volition, he proceeded to The SCOAN where he received the Morning Water. After ministering the Morning Water, the first thing he discovered was that his breathing improved as the asthma disappeared gradually. After a while, a sore that had grown around his scrotum also disappeared. His initial medical reports showed that he had a prostate antigen level of 76.71 and a normal level antigen should be between 0-4. However, after ministering the Morning Water, to the amazement of the medical doctors who had been treating him, his prostate antigen level miraculously went down from 76.71 to 0.91. Within weeks, all other ailments that had ganged up against his well-being also disappeared completely.

Testifying before the congregation, Mr Ariri marvelled at the power of God which demolished the mountains of incurable ailments that had threatened his life. He reckoned that the Morning Water is a potent gift from God to His people for their deliverance. He advised people all over the world not to listen to doubters who would always discourage them from coming to The SCOAN.

 

JESUS HEALS EVERY ADDICTION AND DEPRESSION

Ms Samantha Wilson was hooked on cigarettes to the extent that she would lock herself in a room and smoke for up to three hours. For sure, the Nigerian banker had some emotional scores to settle with herself; she was depressed. Her work life was also affected as she failed to give her best. She was always aggressive and would only be pacified whenever she lit a cigarette. Not even the love she had for her children could stop her from ingesting nicotine into her system. For twenty years, the problem lingered.

As she laboured under the yoke of the unhealthy habit, her sister got concerned and encouraged her to watch Emmanuel TV. As she embraced the anointed channel, she got inspired to let go all her emotional and bottled-up grievances by the sermons of the man of God, urging Christians to stop taking offence and free their minds from hurt. As she gradually imbibed those Christ-like principles, her faith grew stronger.

One day, she encountered the man of God in her dream. In that dream, she was delivered from the problem of smoking and even went ahead to vomit some substances out of her system. After that dream, her life changed. Her desire for cigarettes disappeared. She also lost that indecorous spirit of aggression. Coming down to The SCOAN and receiving the Morning Water, she became a better person as the days went by. As she continued to minister the Morning Water, all those problems and habits that held her down vanished completely. As she returned to testify to her remarkable deliverance from smoking, depression and the spirit of aggressiveness, she was full of joy for rediscovering herself on the path of God’s love. According to her, the new-found peace in her life is symbolic of the fact that there is nothing God cannot do. “Smoking is not an easy thing to stop; only Jesus Christ can save you,” she advised.

 

ACADEMIC BREAKTHROUGH AGAINST ALL ODDS

Miss Cudjoe Martha, a Ghanaian studying medicine in China, was doing well academically until she got to her fourth year when things became very tough. Somehow, she could not come to terms with most of the things she had learnt; she would read and assimilate and yet would not remember when it mattered most. For the whole of her fourth and fifth years, it was a huge struggle. According to her, she battled with the spirits of pride and lust. Because of these challenges, she decided to do her sixth year in Ghana, thinking that being close to her family would help her. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

After completing her sixth year in Ghana, albeit with serious prayers, she returned to China to write her final exams. Having graduated, she was advised to return to Ghana for her board exams so that she could be licensed as a qualified medical doctor capable of practising medicine. Knowing that she was struggling with the spirits of pride and lust, she felt reluctant to enrol for the board exams. Caught up in a dilemma of choice, she was introduced to Emmanuel TV and the Morning Water and was greatly moved by Prophet T.B. Joshua’s teachings on humility. She also learnt how to invite the Holy Spirit into her life through a prayer the man of God taught her.

Sensing some changes in her life, she got the form for the board exams and applied after ministering the Morning Water on it, asking God to take control and help her. A day before the exams, she ministered the Morning Water and prayed along with the man of God on Emmanuel TV. On the day of the exams, she ministered the Morning Water and repeated her prayers for God’s favour. After the exams, the results were released in April, 2016. To the glory of God, out of the 151 candidates who sat for the exams, she is among the few who passed. Today, she is a qualified medical doctor with the license to practice. She advised people to focus on God.

 

DIVINE PROMOTION, PROTECTION AND HEALING  

“Before I knew Emmanuel T V, my life was sour in all areas. This led me to divorce my wife before I knew Prophet T.B. Joshua,” said Mbhalati Simon, a South African police officer who came to The SCOAN to testify to the wonderful things God has done for him. According to him, life was not encouraging in many ramifications. As a police officer, he was in the junior cadre and was not satisfied with his take-home pay which could hardly take him home. He was always full of aggression as a sign of his frustrations. A visit to one of his brother in-laws would become the beginning of his breakthrough. There, in his in-law’s house, he was introduced to Emmanuel TV and was flabbergasted with the miracles he saw on the channel. That encounter propelled him to visit The SCOAN in 2013.

At The SCOAN, he was able to meet with the man of God who prayed for him, gave him the Morning Water and told him to go back to his country and come back with a testimony. When he finally returned to South Africa, the uninspiring aspects of his life began to give way to a new dawn of God’s grace and glory. Mr Simon made the Morning Water a daily companion and also installed the Emmanuel TV cable. He never missed ministering it before the day’s job and would rather forget other things instead of the Morning Water and Good Morning Stickers. His faith was rewarded eventually by God. One day, his superiors approached him and informed him of his elevation to the position of a Commander in charge of a cluster, consisting of six police stations. Though he declined this offer because, he felt he was taking over another superior officer’s place, his bosses did not let go of him.

Months later, he was posted to command another cluster, consisting of nine police stations. This cluster consisted of Special Forces called Technical Response Team which handles high risk situations where normal policing fails. As commander of this special cluster, he was highly influential and respected and enjoyed so many privileges. In fact, he had the final-say on matters. In the midst of his breakthrough, he was saved from an accident as he drove in a convoy of police vehicles. Even though his car somersaulted three times, he came out without a single bruise and even joined in rescue efforts. According to him, the prayer CD of Prophet T.B. Joshua which he was listening to ensured that he sustained no injury in that accident.

Mr Simon also testified to the healing he got through Water Therapy. He had injured his knee during a particular training exercise and was battling with the pain for quite some time. The injured knee made it difficult for him to carry out certain operations. Doctors only tried but could not really proffer a solution. After applying the Water Therapy principles in line with the advice of Prophet T.B. Joshua, he discovered that his damaged knee had healed miraculously. Thanking God for his multiple blessings, Mr Simon advised people all over the world not to allow anyone discourage them about coming to The SCOAN or believing in the fact that God is present here.