On Sunday February 9, 2015, the mighty presence of God was felt at the church service of The SCOAN. Apart from the edifying ministrations of the Emmanuel Singers, the passion and excitement of the congregation to connect with Heaven through prayer added spiritual substance to the day.
The man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua engaged the congregation in an enlightening yet instructive message about MEDITATION. According to the man of God, “Meditation
brings revelation… Meditation in the Word is a visit with God. The Word
becomes a part of us by meditation. If meditation in the Word is a
visit with God, this means, meditation makes the Word a part of us. The
Word becomes a part of us by meditation. Today, we talk of prayer and
fasting but I have never heard where they lay emphasis on meditation”.
In other words, the essence of meditation in the life of a Christian is
phenomenal. Unfortunately, most Christians prefer to jump into fasting
and prayer rather than meditate on the Word which in actual fact hastens
the communion between man and God. It is when we constantly meditate on
the Word of God that we receive heavenly insights for the future.
Speaking further, Prophet T.B. Joshua bemoaned the attitude of
Christians to meditation, stressing that it is the foundation of every
good plan or vision that sets out to prosper: “It is an
issue Christians play down but it is fundamental; it is a foundation.
People play down the word, ‘meditation’. For your plan towards a
business to work smoothly, you must sit down and meditate where you are
going, how much you need to spend, etc. It may be when you are lying on
your bed in the night privately. You may be crying alone or smiling
alone. Meditation means think more. Faith comes when the Word prevails
over the thinking processes.” Describing meditation
further as “more than thinking”, the man of God posited that it can take
a Christian to the level when he or she becomes absorbed. According to
him, that is the level where most Christians begin to speak in tongues: “When
you engage in more than thinking, you may start crying or smiling,
talking alone. You are talking to God and you have forgotten yourself.
This is the level you need to go. This is the realm you can enjoy your
life, not the realm you are. When you are thinking, you are aware of
what is happening around you but when you are more than thinking, you
are not aware of what is happening. This is the realm that can offer you
speaking in tongues”.
Prophet T.B. Joshua concluded that we cannot reach God when our hearts are heavy with burdens: “You
need a free spirit to interact, relate with God, to get on with God but
your spirit is not free. The moment you discover that burden that put
you in bondage, you can remove it by prayer. A free spirit is sensitive
to the Spirit of God. The first thing you need to do is remove the
burden. Faith makes the Word prevail”.
During Mass Prayer, the man of God took authority in the mighty name
of Jesus to release those in whatever kind of bondage, ranging from
career to health issues: “Whatever area of your life that is troubled,
begin to command calmness. My career, business, spiritual life, destiny –
I command calmness!”
In an earlier exhortation, Evangelist Anne, speaking on a message titled, ‘TRUST IN THE LORD BEFORE THE LIONS ARRIVE’ enjoined Christians to always be of good cheer in times of trials. She discouraged the attitude of asking God questions when things go awry, observing that what our Creator requires at all times is total trust in Him as exemplified by many biblical heroes. She also frowned at the faithless outbursts of unbelievers who would quickly blame God for all their failings: “If you ask someone who doesn’t believe in God why he doesn’t believe. The answer you will likely get is this – “If a loving God exists, why does He stand by and do nothing when others are hurting? Where was he when my innocent brother was jailed for a crime he never committed? Where was he when as a graduate, I was denied my right in society and had to join the men of the underworld? Where was he when everyone in my family became so poor that I now cater for them through prostitution?”
Encouraging Christians not to make hasty conclusions about God when
they are faced with temporary challenges, she also reminded them that
the present should not be used to judge the future because, the present
might be gloomy but with God, there will always be a future full of
hope: “Today, many act more like God’s enemies than his
friends because of an inability to see beyond their immediate situation.
They become rebellious in nature and often misinterpret God’s silence
as rejection; they surrender to their fears
while their hearts dream of a miracle and are quick to conclude that
there is no future/hope/God!”
Evangelist Anne made reference to biblical characters like Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego as well as Job and explained in detail how their
trust in God turned their situations around even in the face of grave
dangers: “Many biblical heroes had their faith challenged in
a new way but they never cut off their dependence upon God. They knew
that personal fulfilment and achievement came from learning from both
positive and negative experiences; that there were no short cuts to
spiritual maturity and that in their spiritual walk with God, there
would be good and hard times”.
Concluding, Evangelist Anne admonished Christians about the antics of
satan who would always want them to dwell on things God has not given
them rather than those He has given them, stating that they are all
ploys by the devil to place the world in their hearts so that Christ
would be displaced: “Because satan knows he cannot stop
those with spiritual insight into Christ Jesus, his main aim is to get
you to forget all God has given and focus on what you don’t have. But a
Christian cannot afford to forget God than the Israelites could in
their daily life. You can deny, ridicule, slander, and ignore God but
His love remains constant and unchanging”.
TESTIMONIES
At The SCOAN, testimonies are a daily affair – a confirmation of the
wondrous presence of God! With every testimony, His name is exalted on
high and His mercies shall continue to endure and abide with us all in
Jesus’ name. The following testimonies are proof that you too can be a
partaker of His divine grace. Emmanuel!
MORNING WATER WASHES ADDICTION AWAY
One day Lucy Agada from Benue was taking a stroll in a field; she would never have imagined that this seemingly harmless act would be a turning point for the worse in her life. As she was walking, she smelt the scent of anthill soil and it appealed to her. Taking some from the ground, she began to eat it. That was the beginning of her addiction. Before long, she was totally addicted to the anthill soil, preferring it to ordinary food. To her, it tasted like chocolate and she would eat it four to five times a day. Her friends and family members thought she was mentally ill and she was very embarrassed but the craving continued all the more. Each time she tried to stop it, the desire would increase. The addiction went on for four years. She became desperate and in faith decided to come to The SCOAN for deliverance. At the Prayer Line, the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua prayed for her and ministered the Morning Water on her. She received her deliverance and the desire for the anthill soil vanished as quickly as it came. Free and full of joy, she testified to the great change in her life. She can now eat normally to the glory of God!
AFFLICTION OF ASTHMA ENDED
Miss Dume Rita’s life was brought to a standstill when she was diagnosed with asthma two years ago. This sickness was not just ordinary asthma. It was an affliction that affected every area of her life. She would have attacks three times a week and would be rushed to hospital at times in a critical condition. She did not look for work with any enthusiasm knowing that no company would accept her with such an affliction. She would have to dress warmly all the time in an attempt to guard against the frequent attacks. She was also allergic to perfume and immediately she smelt the scent of strong perfume, an attack would start. Watching Emmanuel TV, she believed that her sickness would be wiped away if she could just get hold of the Morning Water.
A friend came to The SCOAN and received the Morning Water. She gave
it to Rita and after ministering it, the asthma vanished completely. She
began to breathe normally and strength and life returned to her; she is
healed! Now, she can use perfume and is no longer taking regular trips
to the hospital. Not only was she healed physically; her career also
turned around. After two years of unemployment, despite being a Business
Management Graduate, she was blessed with a new job as a Retail Manager
in a bank.
To cap it all, she was also healed of severe menstrual pain after
Ministering the Morning Water. Her setback and sickness has truly been
wiped away, in the name of Jesus Christ!
FULL MOVEMENT RETURNS THROUGH THE MORNING WATER
Imagine having to sleep in a seated position every night. How would it feel not to be able to look back, to the right or to the left? This was the unfortunate position Mrs. Patricia Onwubiko found herself in. Diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, she was given a neck collar which was to be worn at all times. This neck collar did little to ease the severe pain she was passing through.
Not able to move around or even eat, she was truly in a sorry state. That was before she was brought to The SCOAN and received prayer from Prophet T.B. Joshua with the Morning Water. With just one spray, the muscles in her neck became loose and her bones were shifted back to their original position. She began turning her neck freely to the glory of God! Now free from pain, she threw away her neck collar, rejoicing at the healing power of Jesus Christ!
EMMANUEL!
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