THIS IS GOD IN HIS EXCELLENT GLORY

The early morning clouds opened with joy as usual on this Sunday morning. As early as one could imagine, thousands of people began thronging into the Synagogue, Church Of All Nations. Some eager to get a seat in the front row with hope and expectation that Prophet T.B. Joshua would tell them God’s opinion about themselves.
Not long after that, the choristers began ministering melodious songs in the realm of praise and worship as the atmosphere was charged with high expectations of what the Lord would do through their praises as the bible says in Psalm 22:3 that the Lord inhabits the praises of his people. The voices of the congregation rang out in unison, glorifying the awesomeness and magnificence of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Soon Prophet T.B. Joshua clad in a smart wine suit arrived in the congregation to join them in the praise and worship. He promptly began his message which was titled IS IT FROM GOD? He began with his proof text from the Book of Matthew. 17:1-5. He said from the proof text, God himself applied this to our Lord Jesus Christ. He reminded the congregation that Jesus is the word by whom God speaks to us. He said this is why God powerfully excites and effectually engages us to speak and write what He has put in our mouth so that we are moved by the Holy Ghost in what we deliver, preach and teach. As the will and mind of God, we are moved by the Holy Ghost who inspires and dictates to us what we are to deliver.
He further went on to say that the Holy Ghost is the supreme agent, and we, as people of God, are mere instruments. The Holy Ghost so wisely and carefully assists and directs us in delivering what we have received from Him. He quoted the book of John 15:3 and John 8:12. He enjoined the congregation to always have a look of faith to Jesus saying ‘what a means of blessing is the look of faith to Jesus – there is light, life, perfect health in fact everything’. He then asked by what mark may we discover a cheat, a fake or a fraud in the church? He answered by saying that if Jesus is the word by whom God speaks to us and promises to guide us, then if a person gives us any sign or foretells something to come and the event is not according to his prophecy or prediction, we may come to the conclusion that he (such a person) is not sent of God; because Jesus wisely and carefully assists and directs us in the delivery of what we have received from Him so that we would not make a mistake. So the very words of the scripture are to be accounted as the word of the Holy Ghost and that all the plainness and simplicity; all the power and virtues of the very word of God. He brought down his message saying that not only must they have God’s word to be a Pastor, they need God’s spirit as well, for man has the ability to preach but the Holy Ghost preaches as He wills. God’s word refreshes the mind and His spirit renews strength. As Men of God, if we have God’s word without God’s spirit, we become philosophers.

Scholarship Scheme
After this message, appeared the students for the scholarship scheme who came from various parts of the world to collect their school fees for another session. You would see kids and students of all ages, some orphaned, some physically challenged and their parents, some who are widows and their children are inculcated into the scholarship scheme which is funded by Prophet T.B. Joshua and the Emmanuel T.V. Partners.
Among them was Mrs Philomena Sunday Abumere, a widow with nine children who had been blessed with a huge sum of N500,000. This is a woman who before the help was picking food from waste bins and rubbish dump sites to feed her nine children. She was so full of joy for what God had done for her and you could see the glory of God shining in a family that was once desolate and poverty stricken. Her children were also among those who are benefiting from the scholarship scheme. Other beneficiaries were Blessing Okiru, a 100 level Accounting student, Patience Okenyi, a 200 level university student. Among them also were Abosede , a high school orphan living with her old grandmother and 2 brothers, Paul Okoye, a student from Anambra State and Mr kassim Ogunsanwo, a dwarf married with 4 children also came out to testify to the goodness of God in his life and in his family. Not only were they blessed with their school fees but each family also went home with gifts of bags of rice.

Broken home and reconciliation
It was reconciliation time for the family of Mr Opuuh, Mrs Mariam Bakori, Pere Johnson, Mrs Ijeoma, Mrs Blessing and Pastor Paul Okoto and a host of others. Pastor Paul Okoto’s story was outstanding as the man of God always says that Christians should not allow their situation to mislead them. Pastor Paul Okoto narrated his story saying that it all began when he started experiencing problems in his family, such as financial setback, two brothers sick with mental disorder and series of deaths in the family. This prompted him to pray and fast to find out the cause of his problem. It was then God revealed to him that his mother was the root cause of the whole problem and so he began his fact finding mission. He said he was cleaning his mother’s kitchen one day when he discovered a charm. He took it to his church where it was revealed that it was a witch’s charm. They informed him that the mother’s powers also included a hawk’s head. In anger and frustration he seized his mother and inquired about the hawk’s head from her. He said his mother denied it and so he locked the door and beat her mercilessly until she produced the so called hawk’s head. There and then the mother cursed him. The man of God then admonished him not to wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in high places. Prophet T.B. Joshua instructed him to go and bring his mother for reconciliation. Mrs Mariam Bakori and others like her were delivered through the anointing water for healing and deliverance which they administered themselves.
Prayerline
At the Synagogue Church of All Nations prayerline, were people with various sicknesses and diseases from various parts of the world. There were teams from Korea, Botswana, Malawi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Holland, Ghana and a host of other countries who thronged to the church expecting Jesus Christ to do what he has promised in their lives by using the Man of God T.B. Joshua to set them free from their ailments. Among those who were set free was Nixon Oliobi, a 35year old young man from Germany stricken with the problems Osteonecrosis and using a knee brace, he also had the problem of a foot plant pain. All this had crippled him for 5 years. When it came to his turn to be healed, the man of God T.B. Joshua, stretched his hand in the name of Jesus and touched the weak ankles and lo and behold he rose up shouting ‘Thanking you Jesus, I am healed’. His knee braces were removed and he walked briskly again as if nothing had ever happened to him. Our God is indeed a wonderful God, mighty to save! Also healed from the difficulty in walking was Mr Henry Jirgi, who came from Kaduna with the problem of difficulty in walking due to lumbar spondylosis. Another spectacular healing was that of Mrs Esther Edevor who came from Delta State, crippled with the problem of inability to walk for 2 years due to Kidney problems. Her young daughter, sister and son came to the Synagogue Church of All Nations believing that God would meet them at the point of need. How elated they were when the man of God T.B. Joshua came and prayed for their mother and sister and immediately she rose up and began to walk. This was what she could not do for 2 years. Glory be to God!
Mass prayer
The man of God started his prayers by asking the congregation to put themselves in the position of the father of the demon possessed who cried “I believe, help my unbelief”. This meant though they were in a position but not the right position to attract God’s attention and commitment.
Also, the mass prayer was a powerful prayer session as those who were demon possessed came out wailing because they could not resist the fire of the Holy Spirit. They were then delivered and set free. Then began the healing prayer session where different people from various ends of the auditorium healed of various ailments.
This service was indeed Holy Spirit filled more than ever before. Lest I forget, that the SCOAN is never short of dignitaries from various parts of the world coming to fellowship with God’s people in Nigeria. Commenting on the service, Mr Teofilo Lourenco De Almedia from Angola said that Emmanuel T.V has always been his favourite Christian station because of it’s life changing messages and the day’s message was non the less refreshing and invigorating. He emphasised the need for Christians to be closer to Jesus Christ and encouraged all to keep watching ETV.
All in all, I believe I spent my day well as I joined the prayer sessions and discovered that God is not far from me and that His power is unchanging, He is the same yesterday, today and for ever. Distance is indeed not a barrier. Just tune in and see God in action. Spend your time with the right source, the right channel and your time will be well spent. He is faithful and powerful to those who are faithful to him.