DO NOT BEAT THE GUN

In line with his wish for the congregation to cultivate a lasting relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Wise Man Harry said the Bible was the greatest book on earth. Your life, as he put it, depends on knowing the Bible. However, many people today, he stated, are in the wrong position. Many people who should be leaders today still find themselves in the position of followers. He explained this is because our minds are so occupied by worldly considerations that we forget that there is time for everything. There is time to labour and time to reap the products of grace.

However, in a situation where we enjoy before labour, we are simply beating the gun. In an attempt to beat God’s appointed time, we destroy the promise of God in our lives. Tactfully entitling his message: Do Not Beat The Gun, the wise man turned to the Bible for a couple of illustrative texts. Reading his proof text, taken from Psalms 37:7-9, 16-17, the wise man reminded the congregation that in a race, anybody who beats the gun will be called back. The same phenomenon, according to him, applies to life. Beating the gun will pull someone back, if not down. Many people who were once rich are now poor and others who were once leaders are now followers because they beat the gun. In an attempt to beat the gun, they destroy, kill, steal and do much other harm.

If you are what God says you are, no matter the situation you are in, you would have no reason to compare yourself with others. Turning to Genesis 16 for illustration, he cited the error of impatience committed by Sarai, Abram’s wife by introducing her husband to polygamy. In the words of the wise man, the greatest mistake in life will happen because of impatience. The error of Sarai is replicated in the lives of many people today, the wise man maintained, because of impatience. This is why we lose purpose and balance when the answer to our prayer does not seem forthcoming. Delay, however is not denial, the wise man exhorted his listeners. When our prayers seem unanswered, God may be saying, ‘My son, be patient, for there is time for everything’. The road to our destiny is not a bed of roses; patience, perseverance and endurance are the tools to actualizing our destiny.

MONTH OF SORROW TURNS TO JOY

After the message, Prophet T.B. Joshua drew the attention of the congregation to the major events of the previous Sunday’s worship. A clip was shown of the prophet as he addressed a woman during the time of prophecy. ‘I call you because the month of April is a month of grumbling for you. Why is it so?’ the prophet asked the woman. ‘I had two miscarriages in April 2008 and 2009 which was the same month my car was smashed’. Combining prayer with prophecy, the prophet said, ‘In the mighty name of Jesus, I see you with a baby girl; you are free.’

After the video clip, a woman who introduced herself as Mrs Ekeh from Akwa Ibom State, took the platform to confirm the prophecy. With her baby girl, Mrs Ekeh explained to the congregation that she came to The SCOAN in March last year to seek the face of the Lord as she was once more on the eve of experiencing  another miscarriage after losing two in the previous years. It was in that plight that God visited her by way of prophecy and revealed to her through the man of God that her past was over and that she would bring forth a baby girl. Going back home in the joy of the prophecy and wondering how the prophet could ascertain the gender of her three month pregnancy, she watched as God unfolded the revelation in her life.

In confirmation of the prophecy, Mrs Ekeh told her listeners, she enjoyed a string of breakthroughs in her family, apart from the delivery of the baby girl as prophesied. It was in recognition of this that she named her baby girl Happiness.

FACED BY A STIFF OPPOSITION

The next video clip revealed Wise Man Harry facing a stiff opposition during the time of prayer and deliverance in last week’s Monday prophetic service. The demon inside the young man attempted to threaten Wise Man Harry and even removed his shoes as if in preparation for a fight. ‘Who are you? How many powers do you have?’ Wise Man Harry asked him without intermission. Insisting that the wise man should equally declare his powers, he arrogantly told Wise Man Harry that he had many ‘holy ghosts’ in his own way. ‘Are you sure you have the Holy Ghost?’ Wise Man Harry replied as he called on the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Jerking and staggering in reaction to the wise man’s prayer, the young man slumped to the ground and received his deliverance.

Apologising to the wise man for his insolence, he disclosed that he had the spirit of python from the desert which had disturbed his life for years. Elaborating, as requested by the wise man for the edification of listeners, he disclosed that spiritually he used to change into an ant or some other animal to bite his victims by which action their lives were destroyed. He added that the spirit had been disturbing his life for 18 years. In his dreams at that time, he would see his prospective helpers telling him of their inability to help him because of the many snakes around him.

Emerging from the congregation to testify, the man whose name was Pius heaved a sigh of relief thanking God for His mercy and said that after the deliverance, he felt light, free and okay at the exit of that negative spirit that had used him as an agent of havoc.

MR DICKSON: A STORY OF TRANSFORMATION

Next, Prophet T. B. Joshua told the congregation another wonderful miracle recorded in The SCOAN sometime in the past. It is the story of Mr Dickson, a man delivered from the spirit of madness who had come to say, ‘Thank You’ to God and The SCOAN for his healing. The video clip gave details of how the prophet asked a few of his evangelists to travel to a faraway village in Edo, Nigeria to bring one Mr Dickson who had been insane for 14 years for deliverance.  Having taught them the word to utter to disarm him of any dangerous weapon, the prophet wished the evangelists a successful journey.

Getting to the village, the evangelists disclosed their mission to some respectable individuals who willingly offered to assist them to locate Dickson as soon as the prophet’s name was mentioned. Relieved that healing was forthcoming for their kinsman, these men implored the evangelists to ask the prophet to pray for them as well. Ransacking every nook and cranny of the village for the whereabouts of Mr Dickson without success, they all decided to drive into the outskirts of the village where they suspected he could be found at that time of day. After passing through all manner of terrain, they sighted Dickson from afar with a bamboo cane on his head and dangerously armed with a machete, as he trudged home. Beholding her father in his rags and insanity as they approached him, one of the daughters gave way to emotions and released tears freely, recounting what her father used to be and what had become of him. A man who was gainfully employed and rose to the rank of commercial manager after obtaining degrees in Economics in far away Yugoslavia had become useless, afflicted with a mental disorder. A man who, as well as having a house in the village, had his personal car and was also chauffeur-driven in his official car.

Running to her husband, the wife attempted to disarm him of the cutlass.  Dickson suddenly became more aggressive until the evangelists were able to disarm him, using the instruction given them by the prophet. Accompanying him to where he kept his degrading clothes, he willingly followed the team of evangelists back to Lagos. The evangelists returned to The SCOAN cheerfully, their mission accomplished.

In The SCOAN, Mr Dickson was prayed for by the man of God to deliver him from the spirit of insanity after which he was treated to all the care and attention befitting a normal human being which Mr Dickson lost in the 14 years of insanity. Totally fit in mind and body to be reintegrated in society after a long period of recuperation and exposure to the Word of God, Mr Dickson was able to go home and live among his people.

It was after three or four months of his sojourn that he decided to come back to The SCOAN to say thank You to God and the entire church for their love and care.  Coming out into the open after the clip and brief remarks by the prophet, Mr Dickson happily expressed his thanks, in which he also advised his listeners to seek Jesus for any member of their family who finds himself in the kind of situation he found himself. While a person who has an ulcer can seek Christ by him/herself, it is not the same case with the one who has a mental disorder. If the mad person was self-conscious, he said, they would not go naked or eat from the dustbin. Answering a few questions after his speech, he denied being the one that had a mental disorder but it was a spirit being in him. To another question, he replied that he had no other challenges after God Almighty had delivered him from the spirit of mental disorder, that the greatest challenge had been overcome. Asked what his challenges at the moment were, he said whatever challenges he had as the head of a family were challenges that he would leave in the hands of God.

FEARLESS IN THE FACE OF ARMED ROBBERS

Elder Nwoye of Anambra, Nigeria but resident in Nasarawa State, also shared his testimony. He has Emmanuel TV both in his house and his office and prays with the Anointing Water every day with his family. The door of his house displays the Anointing Sticker. On the 9^th of last month, according to him, he asked his wife to go and switch off their generator before they would go to bed, unknown to him that armed robbers had surrounded their premises.  As the wife noticed them, she shouted to attract attention. Elder Nwoye came out immediately and before he knew it, he was in direct confrontation with the armed robbers, six in number, who made an attempt to harm him with their weapons.

To God be the glory, he never sustained any injury from the attack. On the contrary, he overcame the six robbers single-handed, in his words, just like David over Goliath, and they fled in a state of confusion.  When the police visited the scene and saw all that transpired, they demanded to know the weapons he used to ward off the robbers. He told them that like the Biblical David, his weapon was trust in God and prayer with the Anointing Water.  To God be the glory! When the Lord is involved in your matter, it doesn’t matter who else is involved!

EMMANUEL – GOD IS WITH US!

Hon. Chike Imoh Ogiji of the Ebonyi House Of Assembly, Ebonyi State and his wife, Josephine took turns to air their testimony of the wonderful work of God in their lives.

After the inauguration of the House on the 7^thof June, Hon. Ogiji left but only to meet a gang of six armed robbers in his house. Pointing their guns menacingly at him, they warned him of the danger of any resistance on his part.

Allowing his wife and another woman with him to come out of the car, the robbers bound him and drove off with him. As they drove away, he overheard one of the robbers on the phone saying that Hon Ogiji was already in their custody. Putting two and two together, Hon Ogiji remembered a threat text that he had received earlier and concluded within himself that they were assassins.

The only weapon of defence at his disposal was the Word of God. As a member of The SCOAN, Hon Ogiji shouted, ‘Emmanuel! In the blood of Jesus Christ! Let the God of T.B. Joshua rescue me!’ As he mentioned these words, confusion set in among the robbers who began violently arguing among themselves thus giving Hon Ogiji an opportunity to escape. As they drove off in his car, he unbound himself and made his way to the police station to report the matter. As he gave his testimony, Hon Ogiji displayed a national newspaper where the incident was reported.  We thank the Lord for always coming to our rescue at the hour of need.

 

 

ANOINTING WATER MINISTERED WORLDWIDE

Another video clip was shown of the miraculous work of the Anointing Water worldwide. The focus this time was New York, USA and Athens, Greece.  Before the arrival of the Anointing Water in New York, people had assembled in full anticipation of the miracles of the day. They were in one accord with Prophet T. B Joshua via Emmanuel TV in prayer to God. As soon as the Anointing Water was ministered, the miracles that followed were as they had anticipated. Men and women were shaking uncontrollably in deliverance.  A woman among them testified that before the Anointing Water was sprayed on her, she could hardly touch her body because of severe pain but all that was gone following the ministration of the Anointing Water.  We join them to thank the Lord for bringing health and relief to many of them through the Anointing Water.

In Athens, Greece a man who had had breathing problems for ten years and depended on a machine for breathing also received his healing from the ministration of the Anointing Water. After receiving the Anointing Water, the man was instantly healed. Visibly shocked, he explained that he had spent a large amount of his money and time going to hospitals without getting any relief.  Surprised at his miraculous healing which automatically restored his ability to breathe freely, he asked himself, ‘Where was I all these years?’  He demonstrated his healing by running up and down some steps within the church, a feat he said was impossible before the prayer. We join him to thank the Lord for manifesting His wonders through the Anointing Water, in Jesus’ name.