“Stand in silence with

One thought in mind

I am loved by God

Thank You Jesus for loving me

I’m loved by God…”

The SCOAN Choir echoed the real essence of Easter with the above lyrics from one of the many soul-lifting songs they delivered during the Sunday Broadcast live from the Emmanuel TV studios in Lagos, Nigeria. They enjoined believers all over the world to declare, with great thanksgiving, God’s love upon their lives, for blessing them with the most precious gift – the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who ‘went to the Cross of Calvary to purchase pardon for our sins’. The powerful worship session reminded us at this crucial time that Jesus Christ died for us, reigns in power for us and is still praying for us.

Prophet T.B. Joshua explained that the resurrection of Jesus is a source of joy to Christians, his friends. Reading from the Book of Titus 3:3-6, the man of God pointed out that the redemption of mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ did not happen because of any righteous deeds on the part of man but rather because of God’s mercy. He observed that many people call themselves Christians for different reasons, forgetting the only reason that actually qualifies them as such. “You can attend church and not be a Christian. You can read the Bible and not be a Christian. You can eliminate bad habits and try to be a moral person and still not be a Christian. All these habits are good but the actions alone do not make a person a Christian”, he said.

Continuing, he gave the definition of a Christian: “A Christian is a person whom God has forgiven through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross”. Referring to Apostle Paul’s encounter with a law enforcement officer in the Book of Acts 16:30-31, the man of God also declared that Christianity is all about the things Jesus Christ has done for us: “Being a Christian is not about what you do; it is about what Christ Jesus has done”.

Prophet T.B. Joshua went further to shed more light on the knotty issue of sin and its effect on the life of a Christian. Against all holier-than-thou assumptions that a Christian who commits sin is condemned, he offered a different but Biblical perspective: “When a Christian sins, he does not lose his place as a son but loses his fellowship”. In other words, a Christian is temporarily disconnected from God when he sins. However, he can be reconnected to God, if and when he repents and seeks forgiveness from his sins. “When we make a mistake, we run to God; we do not run from God. When a tree is cut down, the root will still be there. Our faith may fail but not utterly… We always come to repentance each time we miss the mark; that is a true Christian”, he said.

The man of God preached love and forgiveness, adding that they are the real essence of Easter. “Your neighbour can be someone who does not share the same faith with you – love them all. Love your neighbour as yourself. In this way, you will continue to win and win big!”, he added. He stated that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to bring back to life peace, comfort, joy and good health which COVID-19 has stolen!

In conclusion, he prayed for viewers, calling on God to restore whatever they had lost. “Whatever that has been taken from you – be restored, in Jesus’ name!”, he declared. He also shared some of his health-boosting habits with them. “We were created to do everything as an exercise”, he said. The man of God discouraged a sedentary lifestyle and urged people to engage in physical activity or exercise.

He explained that inactivity breeds many sicknesses and diseases. “Without moving around, without stretching our bodies, we are giving room to a terminal disease”, he said. He encouraged people to develop the habit of doing house chores rather than leaving them for their maids to do. He also encouraged caring for the weak, the disabled, the vulnerable and the less-privileged, stressing that this is more rewarding than financial assistance in this period when the world needs love.

Earlier, Prophets Racine and Chris as well as Prophetesses Yinka and Angela had called on Christians all over the world not to be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused a global lockdown.

They observed that even though the world is on a lockdown, our faith as Christians cannot be locked down. They enjoined viewers to see Easter as a time to forgive and let go of all forms of grudges, no matter how painful they are. They also called on Emmanuel TV Partners all over the world to use this Easter period to show love and care to the needy, the poor and less-privileged just as God showed love and mercy to us by allowing His son to die for the remission of our sins.