But for God, what would have been the essence of human life? So had The SCOAN Choir queried when they began their ministration during the Sunday Service. Because God lives, they said, our lives are worth living and we can face tomorrow because all fear is gone. As many Heaven-inspired songs followed, congregants fell under the anointing in ‘The Arena of Liberty’, a demonstration of God’s abiding power on The SCOAN ministry. “Here I am. Send me, Lord,” the choir asked worshippers to say in submission to God.
Building on his message from last week, “Acknowledge God,” Prophet TB Joshua preached about HOW MUCH WE NEED GOD. The thrust of the sermon was the importance of maintaining our blessings by learning to involve God in our daily activities, even the apparently most mundane ones. He read from Luke 16:10-12, 1 Corinthians 14:15 and John 14:27 as he illustrated what it means to be in a perpetual attitude of grateful prayerfulness. We need Jesus every minute of our lives, he said, so our hearts must constantly make contact with him in meditation and melody, not only in times of crisis. In his words, “If you don’t know how much you need Jesus in small things, you will not know how much you need Him to settle your situation, such as affliction, hardship, career failure, marital challenges, stagnation and joblessness.”
Acceptable prayer, Prophet TB Joshua asserted, does not have to be a noisy show-off but rather an imbibed habit that allows the Holy Spirit to minister directly to our hearts. Christians who pray like that, he explained, would enjoy the privilege of hearing from God even in their waking moments. “Constantly pray in your heart, without ceasing, in hymns, spiritual songs and make melodies in your heart to the Lord. Your heart must be running – melodies to keep your heart busy,” the man of God counselled the church. Stating that “a break in prayer is a break in faith and a break in faith is a break with God,” Prophet TB Joshua concluded by noting that the Spirit of God cannot be resisted once inside a believer.
In the same vein, Prophet Racine read from Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 7:7-12 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 as he urged congregants to STAY IN THE WILL OF GOD. The will of God, he said, should be the only thing true Christians seek in every aspect of life.
He said that God’s will is to deliver and bless us, among other things, hence the need to consult Him always and pray according to His will while pursuing “spiritual union with Jesus” that “establishes a deep sense of intimacy with God.” He therefore advised Christians not to blame God when answers to prayers get delayed but to persist in satisfying “God’s uncompromising demand for faith.” In his closing remarks, Prophet Racine said, “Staying true to your purpose in life is to stay true to Jesus. Jesus is faithful; He will never abandon us.”
TESTIMONIES
“THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD ARE LIKE MOUNT ZION!”
To everyone who watched her testify last Sunday at The SCOAN, it must have been clear that 75-year-old Barrister (Mrs) Theresa Amaifeobu was beside herself with joyous excitement over the healing she had received. Struck with cervical and lumbar spondylosis for seven years, as well as osteoarthritis of both knees, the Abuja-based Anambra indigene had felt no relief from the painkillers and neck collar that had been meant to help ease her stiff neck and lower-back pains.
Seeking a divine solution, she had come to church for prayers. As he laid an anointed hand on Theresa, Prophet Chris prayed, “In the mighty name of Jesus, let the power of God flow through your body right now.” He then told her, “Rise to your feet, mama.” And she did, proclaiming God’s goodness and power as she strolled along the aisle. “I am healed; Jesus has done it!” she proclaimed during her testimony last week. Mrs Catherine Okereke, who accompanied her mother to church, thanked God for setting her mother free. Theresa advised people to trust in the Lord, who never fails. “Hold on to God,” Catherine advised.
AN END TO THREE YEARS OF LOWER-BACK PAIN
Mrs Francisca Lawrence, an Edo State indigene, had gone for a beauty massage but had ended up with a shifted lower-spine bone, leading to severe pains and difficulty in walking.
For three years, her lumbar corset and drugs provided no relief and even her visits to traditional healers were to no avail. Then she asked to be brought to The SCOAN, where, last week, she received prayers in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Speaking of the effects of the prayers, Francisca said that she shed a tear or two as a force descended on her, after which she became perfectly healed. Thanking God for healing her, she said, “I don’t know where else I would have gone.”
A YOUNG WIFE GETS HER VITALITY BACK AS STIFF NECK VANISHES
Tired of being treated by doctors as if she were a guinea pig, 34-year-old Mrs Yewande Olusore came to The SCOAN determined to shame the spirit that had been responsible for her health problems of the past three years. After the birth of her son, she had suddenly come down with several ailments, including stiffness of neck due to cervical spondylosis, as well as hypertension, ulcer and sleeplessness.
At some point, one half of her body became numb. Despite taking an incredible number of drugs every week, as well as using a neck collar and receiving support from her fitness expert husband, Yewande remained in severe pains and her work suffered. As the owner of an NGO that specialises in child sexuality education, for the past year she had been unable to seek donor funding or visit the schools where she does her work. As she sat expectantly before Prophet Christ, she made heart contact with God. Prophet Chris prayed, “Right now everything not of Jesus – out, in Jesus’ name!” Yewande fell under the anointing as she shook out of her seat and vomited the evil deposits in her system. By the time she got back on her feet, she started clapping her hands in gratitude to God and turning her neck in all directions, just as tear drops of joy trickled down her face. “Now no more pains, no more palpitations and I can even run after my son in the house – things I couldn’t do before,” she testified. Yewande advised people to see God as the only Solution.
AND ROSE ROSE TO HER FEET AGAIN!
Owing to chronic waist pain, Mrs Rose John, had been unable to walk for the past one year. The Adamawa indigene had remained stuck to her wheelchair and had to rely on family members for help. When he learned of her condition, Rose’s brother-in-law asked her to start watching Emmanuel TV and praying along with Prophet TB Joshua. After her faith had built up, he took it upon himself to bring her to The SCOAN.
There, Rose received prayers in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Prophet Chris began, “Look unto Jesus. Jesus will raise you up today.” Then he commanded, “Every spirit of affliction and infirmity – come out right now!” Laying an anointed hand on Rose’s knee, he declared: “Whatever chain satan has used to connect this lady to himself – I say be broken, in the name of Jesus!” Seconds later, Rose rose to her feet again! Rose’s brother-in-law advised people to believe, even as her older sister advised congregants to trust in God always.
“I AM NO LONGER THE WOMAN CARRYING RAGS!”
As Prophet TB Joshua ministered during the Mass prayer session of The SCOAN Sunday Service, the Holy Spirit nudged him to mention the case of a woman who had been afflicted with fluid and blood discharges since the birth of a child.
Coming out for the prophecy was Mrs Hope Chiadika, who told the church that she had been using rags to contain the messy flow. Last Sunday, Hope returned to church with her husband, Ken, to testify about the healing that followed the prophecy. “Since that day, I have not been carrying rags anywhere I go,” Hope told the church. On his part, Ken said he knew the hour had come for his wife’s healing once her case was mentioned. He advised people to wait on God patiently.
AFTER PROPHECY, WEN CONG PARTS WAYS WITH THE SPIRIT OF DEPRESSION
“There is a spirit of depression,” Prophet TB Joshua had prophesied on May 5, 2019 to Chinese national Mr Wen Zuo Cong. He also spoke about a rich uncle of Wen’s who had committed suicide because of depression. Months later, last Sunday (November 17), Wen returned to church to testify about how God had transformed his life since the prophecy.
He began by stating that he had sunken into the abyss of worry and depression, leading to suicidal thoughts, especially following the death of his rich but young uncle. He also said he used to have nosebleeds and irregular heartbeats. After the prophecy and prayer, he continued, his life took a turn for the better, as the spirit of depression left him, together with the heart palpitations and nosebleeds. Wen said he had been surprised to hear Prophet TB Joshua mention his inner struggle with depression, since it was a secret he had kept strictly to himself. “Everything is OK; I am very hopeful about tomorrow,” Wen told the church. He advised people to love another and to display forgiveness based on the living power of Jesus Christ.
SEVERE BLEEDING AND BEDWETTING STOPPED
“There’s a woman from Botswana. You found yourself bed-wetting. This thing started at a very early age and you are still bed-wetting and it has destroyed your marriage. You are bleeding…. It’s an attack. Please come out.” Coming out immediately to confirm the prophecy was Ms Bilepo Tyty, a Congolese national resident in Botswana. Last Sunday, she asked the church to thank God with her, as she has now been delivered from the spirit responsible for her bed-wetting and bleeding.
She disclosed that the problem had begun after a dream in which another woman instructed her to urinate in a toilet. When she woke up, she found that she had wet her bed. She also said that she had started bleeding after having her second baby. “I could bleed for months,” she told the church, adding that doctors later diagnosed her with multiple fibroids. As a believer in God’s power at The SCOAN, she had come to church for a divine appointment. And to the glory of God, her case came up. Now, she is perfectly healed and delivered. “Emmanuel!” she screamed as she ended her testimony on Sunday. “Don’t hide your problems from God,” she advised congregants.
A MEDICAL DOCTOR GETS DIVINE HEALING FOR A BROKEN KNEE
During a gym session, Dr Blossom Gwavu, a South African, had injured her leg. She had thought it was just a minor sprain and the pain would soon vanish.
To her dismay, however, the injury had refused to heal nine months after. MRI scans later showed that Blossom had sustained more serious injuries than had been thought, so doctors recommended surgery. Blossom now needed help with chores at home, even as her husband became her driver. For personal mobility, she used a wheelchair.
Refusing to resign to this new reality, Blossom’s husband advised that they attend The SCOAN UK Revival, which was held earlier in 2019. There, she received prayers in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. “You spirit of affliction and infirmity – come out of her right now!” Prophet Chris had commanded as he prayed for Blossom. When Blossom stood up and began walking, she burst into tears of joy while waving in gratitude to God. Last Sunday, she came to testify at The SCOAN. On how she had felt after the prayer, she said, “I just felt a wave of peace over my body.” Blossom said that her leg, which had been operated upon and which had been withering, later came to life. Today, she can run and do all physical activities she had been unable to do. She advised people to rely on God, as miracles are still occurring. Her eye surgeon husband thanked God for taking his wife’s wheelchair away forever.
A NEW LIFE FOR PATRICIA, A DIVINE DESTINY FOR HER THREE FATHERLESS CHILDREN
At The SCOAN 32-year-old Patricia Davis, a Liberian woman received her deliverance from the spirit of prostitution during the prayer session.
Her grandfather had been an eminent wizard who had in the past feasted on the many ‘human donations’ by fellow wizards. When it was time to sacrifice his own daughter, however, he balked at the idea of giving her life but agreed that a curse be placed on her womb. Consequently, all her children turned out very badly in life. Among them were robbers and prostitutes. When Patricia turned 14 years old, she took to prostitution after she joined her aunty in Cote d’Ivoire, where she soon had a fatherless baby at the age of 16. She took the child to Liberia and left her with another aunt. Then she moved to Ghana and quit prostitution for a while to practise cybercrime. Along the line, she met another man by whom she got pregnant again. The she returned to Liberia for further education. After dropping out of school, she returned to Ghana and prostitution. And her third child came, all three of them fatherless. Along the line, she ran into a friend who introduced her to Emmanuel TV. Eventually, she made her way to The SCOAN, where she received her deliverance. Her eldest child thanked God for delivering her mother and asserted that “God knows the reason why He brought me on earth.” Patricia advised people to humble themselves before God.