Sunday, March 6, 2022 was just two days away from the 16^th anniversary of Emmanuel TV, the mouthpiece of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations, which has been a source of refuge for the world for over three decades. Following the leading of the Holy Spirit, God’s special servant Prophet T.B. Joshua had founded the gospel station on March 8, 2006 with the vision of ‘Changing Lives, Changing Nations and Changing the World’.

Over the years, Emmanuel TV has grown in leaps and bounds, emerging as one of the most watched gospel channels in the world, with very strong presence on social media platforms, especially YouTube. Through Emmanuel TV millions all over the world have benefitted from the comforting words of Jesus Christ and from the healing, deliverance and prophetic power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, The SCOAN Live Sunday Service of March 6, 2022, being the first day of the week of the first Emmanuel TV anniversary since God’s servant’s departure from the face of the earth, was indeed a sobering reminder of the personal toil and sacrifice that Prophet T.B. Joshua put into service in the Lord’s vineyard.

However, rather than being subdued, the people lifted their voices high up to the heavens as they worshipped and praised God alongside The Emmanuel TV Choir. “With Every Breath That I Am Able/Oh I Will Sing Of The Goodness Of God,” declared the choir, resplendent in their bubbly wine clothing with a generous splash of white and black.

Fittingly, Pastor Evelyn Joshua’s message for the day was titled “Run The Straight Race With God,” a reminder to the church that we must keep running our own Christian race until we reach the finish line in glory. She began by telling congregants that divine wisdom comes to only those who keep seeking God’s mind through the Bible. She took her proof text from 1 Peter 5:5-7. A major point she made in the well-received message was the impossibility of serving two masters with equal love and attention, hence the need for genuine believers to run a straight race with only one Master: Jesus Christ. She also cited Job 1:6 and Matthew 6:27-30, among other passages, as she noted that “all who make God their source shall find Him to be all-sufficient” and that “their peace, joy, happiness shall remain permanent.” She therefore charged the church: “Let us run the straight race with God through His good grace.”

God’s Intervention At The Prayer Line

“Because you came, you have received in the mighty name of Jesus!” That word of prayer was given by Pastor Evelyn Joshua as she joined congregants at The Prayer Line for the Anointing Water Ministration. During the session, the healing power of the Holy Spirit fell upon cases of cancer, difficulty in walking, epilepsy, bleeding and mental illness, among many others.

Thereafter, the evangelists went across the auditorium and other parts of the church to demonstrate God’s unfailing power. As they prayed and cast out demons in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, light replaced darkness in the people’s lives.

Mass Prayer

“We are going to pray with thanksgiving, meaning it is done,” said the woman of God when the Mass Prayer began. It was an opportunity for everyone else to have their cases exposed and settled by the Spirit of God.

Pastor Evelyn Joshua prayed: “Be released from every trouble, pain, disappointment! Be delivered! Be free! Everything that stands between you and God’s promises—be broken right now, in the name of Jesus Christ!”

Evangelist Chisom prayed: “Every spirit from your past that is threatening your present and your future—be cast out! You unclean spirit, anywhere you are hiding—be exposed and cast out by the light of God, in the name of Jesus Christ!”

Evangelist Joseph prayed: “Whatever spirit that is causing you sickness, disease and affliction—out!”

Evangelist James told congregants: “Every department of your life that is crippled—begin to speak life to it.” He also asked them to pray: “My career, destiny, finances, business—arise and shine!”

Pastor Evelyn Joshua continued: “Begin to plead the Blood of Jesus to your life, career, business, family. We command every affliction out of your life. Receive the joy, peace of the Lord. To those who are in the trouble spots of the world, God’s grace is sufficient for you!”

In a prayer clip that knows no barrier of distance or time, Prophet T.B. Joshua declared: “Whatever barrier between your heart and the Spirit of God—be removed, in the name of Jesus! Whatever sickness, disease in your system, organ—begin to command it right now: Go!” The man of God also prayed for the nations—for their freedom from corruption, misrule, misjudgment and idolatry.

Before leading the saying of The Grace, Pastor Evelyn Joshua asked congregants to declare: “I am walking with the Lord. I fear no evil because His light, power, grace is with me.”

Testimonies

Among the many who had stories to tell of God’s goodness were the following testifiers.

For Linda, a Nigerian returnee from the United Kingdom, the service of two weeks ago marked the end of her many bodily problems. Until that service, she hadn’t known that a spirit husband was the real cause of her problems. Since her return to the country last year, Linda had been feeling unwell even though doctors couldn’t identify the issue despite running numerous tests. She was just constantly weak and unable to sleep. “When I come back from Nigeria, I am going to be fine,” she had told her children while coming to Lagos to seek God’s face. To the glory of God, after she received prayer a fortnight ago, Linda stopped having nightmares in which the spirit husband would take her to fancy restaurants. She is also much lighter now and no longer feels the burning sensation she used to feel all over her body. She advised people to exercise faith in God when in crisis. Grateful that she and her sister can now have peaceful nights, Linda’s sister said, “May the name of God be praised forever.” She advised people to put God first when they have problems.

During the deliverance session in which Patience was set free a fortnight ago, demonic forces spoke through her and told of the many ways in which they had blocked her progress in business and marriage. During her testimony, Patience said she used to be easily irritated at people and things for no reason. As the woman of God approached her during the Anointing Water Ministration, Patience had become very uncomfortable and fearful. Trying to deceive her, a voice had asked her to pray that her husband would be delivered, even though she was the one that actually needed deliverance. All over her body Patience had felt an electrifying sensation as the ‘Balm of Gilead’ dropped on her body. She described herself as a bully in school and marriage who had been terribly mean to her husband and children, often inflicting grievous bodily injury on the latter. In business, Patience found no success as she always lost her investments. She recalled an experience in September 2021 when a voice asked her to open to Amos 3:3—Can two walk together except they agree? The following day a strong breeze blew her out of the kitchen and she ended up sleeping off. The following morning she saw that the roof of their home had been blown off. Somewhere on the floor, Patience found an expended bullet that could have penetrated her body. It was the Spirit of God that had intervened to save her from premature death! “It has been awesome,” she said while describing her newfound relationship with her husband. Patience’s husband, Francis, corroborated the testimony. “She has been a peaceful wife,” he said. He advised people to pray patiently to God. Patience herself advised people to submit totally to God’s will. “It is only God that can reveal the wicked plans of the devil,” she said.

While boasting about her hold over his life, a spirit wife had spoken angrily about Mfon’s refusal to marry her ‘properly’. She claimed to have been responsible for the problems in his life. During the service of a fortnight ago, Mfon had felt like ‘escaping’ from the auditorium as his stomach started churning. He approached an usher but the usher bluntly refused to let him out, telling him to stay put and vomit in the auditorium. In obedience, he returned to his seat, oblivious of his little daughter. After a while, Mfon tried to exit the auditorium again, so he made for another exit in the auditorium. This time he met an even more resolute usher, who ordered him back to his seat. Eventually, Mfon received ministration of the New Anointing Water and the spirit in him manifested vigorously, telling of all the atrocities that it had caused in his life, such as making him engage in extramarital affairs. The spirit wife also frequently caused Mfon to have serious conflict with his wife. He would send her packing over a quarrel but he would soon start wanting her to return after only a few days. Then he would start reaching out to his wife’s family in the search for reconciliation. In fact, as at the time Mfon came for prayers, his wife was not living with him as he had sent her packing yet again. Anytime Mfon sent his wife away, the spirit wife would appear in his dreams to get intimate with him. The spirit wife also prevented his business from flourishing. “There is God in this place!” asserted Mfon about the transformation in his life and how the church reunited him with his wife last Sunday in the church auditorium. Mfon’s wife, Joy, said she had enjoyed her marriage for only about eight or nine years out of twenty. She told of how, on several occasions, her possessions would be thrown out by her husband and how he would prevent her from coming in despite entreaties from family members and neighbours. However, she said, “My husband is so cool and calm now,” when asked about the noticeable changes in Mfon’s life. Janet, the oldest of the couple’s three daughters, gave her own perspective on her father’s experience and thanked God for restoring peace to her family. Mfon advised people to allow God to lead them. “Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning,” he said. “I have found my own solution through this place,” he concluded. Joy advised people to hold on to God. 

“I am alive today because of this church; God is in this place,” said Chinwe when she began her testimony last week. A fortnight ago, she was delivered from the spirit of anger, depression and suicidal thoughts. Having taken over the family’s upkeep after her father’s passing, Chinwe sank into depression after losing her source of income because of her quick temper. The situation also affected her relationship with men, who kept disappointing her. Even when she got another job, Chinwe’s poor attitude had forced her latest employers to inform her they were dispensing with her services by the end of February 2022. Since her deliverance, however, it has been good news all the way. One, she is a much happier person now and she feels truly free! Two, her vanished suitor has returned even as others have joined the queue! Three, at her workplace she has now been promoted instead of being sacked! Four, she is now no longer fearful or suicidal! “This life is so sweet!” she declared. She advised people to share their problems with others and to follow Jesus Christ. Chinwe’s mother, Lovelyn, thanked God for restoring her daughter and freeing her from suicidal thoughts. One of Chinwe’s six other siblings, Gerald, said: “God has changed her life in ways that I never expected. We are all drawn closer to God now.” Another sibling, Ruth, said the family is now free from worrying about Chinwe’s anxiety issues.

After the service, three people gave testimonies of healing. The first person was Rebecca, a Liberian visitor from the USA, who was healed of muscle and chest pain leading to difficulty in walking.

The second person was Peace, whose menses had ceased for the past seven months. She said her healing had come after she brought her brother, who had mental issues, for prayer at The SCOAN a fortnight ago. During the service, Peace herself had received ministration of the New Anointing Water. As she began the journey back home with her brother, she had suddenly found that her menses had returned! “Hold on to God, the Author and Finisher of our faith,” she advised viewers all over the world. Peace’s husband, Christian, said: “I feel very happy.”

The third testifier after the service was a 49-nine-year-old apostle from Botswana, who testified about his healing from severe COVID-19 symptoms following the ministration of the New Anointing Water on him over the phone by a fellow countryman. Although he had been unable to breathe by himself and was wearing an oxygen mask, he had improved so rapidly that he was discharged only three days after receiving prayer. He advised people to show faith in God’s power.

In further demonstration of the mandate of The SCOAN as a giving ministry, Pastor Evelyn Joshua gave a cash gift of 1.5 million naira to the elderly members of the church in commemoration of Emmanuel TV’s 16^th anniversary.