As The SCOAN Sunday Broadcast began, viewers were presented with an enthralling bird’s-eye view of a rocky terrain surrounded by pristine greenery. When the camera climbed down from its dizzying heights, there stood Prophet T.B. Joshua praying as the Spirit of God directed him. After spending many days in seclusion seeking God’s face, Prophet T.B. Joshua returned from the Prayer Mountain to share with viewers the special message he had received in a much-anticipated appearance on the Distance Is Not A Barrier Interactive Prayer Sessions, anchored for the first time by Prophet T.B. Joshua himself.
Prophet T.B. Joshua first acknowledged that it had been quite some time since his last appearance. He explained to viewers: “I took a resting time. Resting time is time to receive from God. Working time is time to give what we receive from God.”
The man of God went ahead to start the message with prayer. “Feed us, Lord, from Your Word that we may know You. Your Word is truth. Your Word is light. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” In a message titled, ‘Mistakes Are Correctable’, he began with readings from across the first ten verses of 2 Corinthians 12, with verse 10 being the proof text. He read as follows: “But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you for power is made perfect in weakness. So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (NRSV). He also cited Proverbs 24:16, Numbers 13:31-33, Joshua 1:5-9, Colossians 1:15-21 and Psalm 119:67.
Prophet T.B. Joshua described a mistake as an act or judgment that is wrong, which every person has at one time or another been involved in. He observed that making a mistake is not so much the issue but rather how it is handled. Referring to the pervasive problems of poverty, disease and oppression of the weak, leading to panic and uncertainty everywhere, God’s servant asserted that no one is above mistakes and that one cannot live a proper life without making mistakes. He therefore advised Christians to run to God whenever they make mistakes instead of running away from Him. In his words: “If you must get to your goal, there must be a time to cry, a time to lament, a time to complain and a time to be happy,” even as he added that mistakes make Christian living more interesting and valuable, and draw us closer to God.
Referring to Numbers 13:31-33 and Joshua 1:5-9, Prophet T.B. Joshua cautioned viewers against listening to the negative internal voice that always delights in urging people to go against God’s wish: “Our biggest enemy is not the challenges we are facing but the little voice inside driving us saying, ‘You can do this, you can do that and get away with it.’” Noting that “some of us are in the middle of a high-risk mistake right now,” the man of God advised viewers to build a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who alone has the capacity to see us through: “When we connect with Jesus genuinely by way of a personal relationship, He will walk you through everything you do.”
On the prevalence of challenges in human life, Prophet T.B. Joshua said, “All of us fight similar battles but they are just camouflaged differently.” He therefore concluded by stressing the need to depend on Jesus for coping with mistakes and other issues of life, for “when we rely on the strength that comes from Jesus, He will not allow the enemy of our soul to give us more than what we can take.”
As he prepared to pray for viewers, Prophet T.B. Joshua sang about prayer being the master key, with which Jesus started and ended His earthly ministry. He then prayed: “Lord Jesus, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, enable us to be made whole, in Jesus Christ’s name.” He continued: “We come with our emptiness that we may be filled. We come with our weakness to receive Your strength. We come with darkness, seeking Your light. Never a sickness, never a disease Jesus cannot heal. Never a burden Jesus cannot bear. Every garment of sickness, every garment of affliction – be removed, in the name of Jesus!” He thereafter prayed against all other forms of affliction in the lives of God’s children, including COVID-19, even as he interspersed the prayers with songs asserting God’s omnipotence. He concluded: “Let the garment of favour envelop your life, in Jesus Christ’s name!”
Subsequently, Prophet T.B. Joshua moved over to the screens where six wards filled with COVID-19 patients in an isolation centre in the Central American nation, Honduras, could be seen. Coordinating from the isolation centre was Ariel, who was dressed in protective equipment. One of the centre’s patients, Kevin, explained that he had been suffering from pneumonia as a result of COVID-19. “I ask God for my healing,” said Kevin. Another patient was Aracely, who lay on her back and was managing to breathe with the aid of an oxygen mask, her lungs having been badly affected. “My expectation is to receive my healing,” she said.
“There is power in the Blood,” Prophet T.B. Joshua sang, as he prepared to activate God’s power from a distance of thousands of kilometres. He then offered prayers of forgiveness with the patients, urging them to make their heart the contact point for the Holy Spirit. “Father, forgive them, in Jesus’ name!” he prayed. The man of God continued: “By the power of the Holy Ghost, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that affliction, that COVID-19 – be flushed out!” As the prayer intensified, the patients began to react physically, with some of them vomiting and urinating the poisonous substances in their systems. He further prayed: “I purge your organs. I purge your system, in the name of Jesus!” He then declared to the patients: “You are free!”
Immediately, the patients regained strength and began to do things they had been unable to do before. Now seated on her bed and no longer using her oxygen mask, Aracely said: “I sensed the healing and delivering power of God. I felt my lungs fill up with air. I’m happy and I give all the glory to Jesus Christ.” She then advised people to believe in God’s power. One elderly man was so thrilled by his assurance of wellness that he exercised his body with stretches. His breathing had returned to normal. “Thank You, Jesus Christ! I worship You today! Yours are Heaven and earth,” even as he made his way to the toilet to empty his bowels after several days of being unable to do so: “I passed out a lot of foul substances – that was the power of the prayer!” he said.
Still visibly reeling from the supernatural effects of the prayers, one woman panted out her experience: “I saw a white light that illuminated me and asked me to remove my oxygen mask. I’m not choking any longer. Now I’m feeling fine.” She stood up and glorified God’s name, raising her hands upwards. Another elderly man, Francisco, said: “When I was praying, I felt nauseous and vomited. Now I’m healed.” He continued: “During the prayer, I felt so much heat all over my body that even the doctor had to bring me a fan. Thank You, God! I’m delivered!”
Still on the experiences from the prayers, another elderly male patient recalled: “Before the prayer, I was feeling pressure in my chest. I was having pain and tightness in my chest. But after the prayer, I’m so happy and fulfilled.” Stating that he was now filled with peace, the man urged people to trust in God. Also speaking of his own experience was Hermelindo, who said he fell under the power of the Holy Ghost and no longer felt the pain and sore throat he had earlier. Similar testimonies were given by three other elderly male patients who experienced God’s healing and deliverance power. “Our bodies have been cleansed,” Angel summed up on behalf of all the patients.
The trio of isolation centre coordinators – Ariel, David and Francisco – thanked God for using Prophet T.B. Joshua to minister healing, deliverance and salvation to Hondurans. In closing, it is worth quoting the words of Prophet T.B. Joshua on faith and medicine: “The tablet, the medicine the doctor has given you – if you don’t believe in God with medicine, you cannot believe in God without medicine.”
As Prophet T.B. Joshua initially mentioned, “This is a difficult time where every day is filled with uncertainty – the twists and turns of life.” As the world struggles to contend with COVID-19, the seemingly incurable deadly virus, the events witnessed weekly on Emmanuel TV demonstrate that there is cure in the Blood of Jesus Christ.
What good, refreshing and great news this is to nations worldwide. Let us not harden our hearts but rather open them and humbly submit ourselves under God’s mighty hand and pray, since God promises in His Word that He will restore our lands (2 Chronicles 7:14). May the Lord bless His Word in the midst of our hearts. Amen.