₦airaland Forum

The online storms that brew this week over the prophecy of Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua about the crash that ended the lives of Governor Yakowa and General Azazi seem to be slowly abating. As the news of the tragic deaths reverberated nationwide, Joshua released a controversial video on YouTube which claimed he had predicted the incident and details relating to it on four different occasions. However, I still feel the need to air my views, furnished by contextual consideration, as the dust settles on the heated debates within social media that were triggered by the prophecy.

Understandably, the video drew its fair share of criticism, the major bone of contention in the minds of viewers and observers being Joshua's continued proficiency in predicting negative events and his seeming inability to change them after such revelations come forth. I can well understand this mindset, having been one of Joshua's most skeptical distant observers for long. However, it was last year when my brother fell mysteriously sick that I was basically 'forced' to look in Joshua's direction for help. Doctors told me he had a treatable kidney infection but what I saw was my brother transform from a healthy, vibrant young man to an almost unrecognisable emaciated figure in literally two months, on the verge of death.

After exhausting medical treatment, a good friend of mine advised me to take him to The SCOAN for prayer. Circumstantially driven, I acceded and financed his wife to take him there. Three weeks later, my brother was back on his feet, eating well and regaining his lost vigour. Thus, my interest in Emmanuel TV was born, and I must confess, it has slowly become my daily spiritual food and a constant source of discussion and wonder within our home.

I don't claim to completely understand T.B. Joshua's ministry at The SCOAN. On the contrary, many of the things I see there on Emmanuel TV (especially the deliverance)baffle me. However, I have seen enough to know that Joshua is a humble servant of God with quite extraordinary powers he is unequivocally using to uplift society. In my view, he is the best pastor to have come from these shores - with an uncompromising message of salvation, an admirable array of charitable projects and real solutions provided to people who come with myriads of diverse problems.

So, on the argument dealing with his tendency to deliver 'negative' predictions, I think this is a case of blaming the messenger for delivering his message. It is sadly indicative of the state of our society and nation and the type of seed we have collectively been planting. As one commenter on the issues arising from Joshua's prophecy opined, “It's the prophecies of prosperity and 'it shall be well with the abominable' that has destroyed any remaining chance for Nigeria's restructuring. The 'prophecy of doom' is to the sharpening of man… Let those who prophesy prosperity tell us what has come of it save the acute and nauseating love for money which, as the Holy Book says, is the root of all evil.”

Everyone wants to hear good tidings but how many are genuinely pursuing a righteous and just course that will amalgamate in a tide-turning shift within Nigeria's political and socio-economic landscape. God cannot break His own Divine statutes, set in stone from the earth's formation, the principle of seed-time and harvest. If we continue to harbour corruption, celebrate decadence and have a compromising conflict of deeds and words, what then do we expect God to reveal to His servants about our future? Indeed, a flick through our national dailies reveals enough about the actions and attitude of our nation, its leaders and inhabitants, especially that of our youth, to know that a bleak future awaits us unless there is a radical change.

On Joshua's revelation without apparent corresponding action and subsequent redemption, I believe the majority of people who heard about the prophecy and quickly drew such abrasive conclusions never actually took the time out to watch the video released on YouTube to the very end. Joshua is very explicit in explaining this issue. He said, “I have been wrestling with certain things. When I say, wrestle, it's an issue that I keep praying and asking God, 'What I'm seeing should be changed.' But God said, 'No, the whole nation should come together and pray'. So, when I'm hearing my country should come also and pray together, that is when I will come out and tell you what I am seeing in the vision. When I see a vision and I know I can handle it myself, I don't need to tell you. I will call the wise men and we'll pray. But when I know that this thing is not possible for me alone and my people to do, I will come out to tell you that this is what I have seen.”

If our eyes were opened spiritually, perhaps we would be privy to see devastating events on the verge of occurring within Nigeria that were forestalled through the prayers of God's people at SCOAN, the news of which will never reach our earthly ears. Aside from this, the prophet prayed and enjoined the nation to join him. Did we?

I believe many of those blindly criticising the prophet are not well versed with his ministry or accustomed to watching Emmanuel TV. This prophecy is not an isolated proclamation. Indeed, every week, Prophet Joshua prophesies to individuals in the church with uncanny speed, accuracy and consistency. Whether its prayer for the terminally ill, reconciliation of a broken family, deliverance of people under demonic oppression or charity to the widow, orphan and reformed militant, Prophet Joshua is settling real problems with real solutions. It seems to me both insolent and incoherent to suggest he is just a 'prophet of doom' who capitalises on misfortunes to project his name. Please, don't base your view on a single news report.

On a related note, Pastor Enoch Adeboye whose global influence on his flock and command on the common Nigerian is almost inestimable prayed for President Jonathan in his Redeemed Camp just a few hours before the ill-fated crash. The question beckons, did he not have any such revelation about the tragic events on the verge of unfolding merely hours after his public prayer with the President knelt before him? If so, were his prayers effective? Respected Nigerian journalist Femi Adesina of The Sun Newspaper, wrote in his column this week, “Didn't Pastor Adeboye see the crash as he prayed with President Jonathan? Didn't the Lord reveal it to him? Couldn't he have interceded, so that the monumental tragedy would be averted… 'The secret of the Lord is with those that fear Him,' says the Good Book. So, why didn't the Lord confide in Adeboye about the Bayelsa crash, which was to happen some hours after Jonathan had come for prayers… I'm sure the pastor himself must have been somewhat embarrassed when he heard the news.”

The reason I write this is not to gloat or in any way suggest Adeboye's spiritual incompetence. I just believe it's time Nigeria recognises who is who in God's vineyard. Baba Adeboye is a fine preacher but, in my own humble opinion, not a prophet. This is evidenced by his yearly prophetic declarations which are almost nonsensical in nature if perceived to be divinely inspired. He declares simple biblical principles and realities of life and packages them with the title 'prophecy' on a yearly basis. It's high time someone like Adeboye can publicly acknowledges God's gift in his brother in the vineyard, instead of the baseless bickering, crude condemnation and pulpit-judgement that have caused division within the Nigerian church fold for far too long.

I believe our nation should recognise God's voice in this trying time and acknowledge the potential pastors, who are genuinely doing God's work, have to bring Divine direction to those in the helm of affairs in this nation, if they are willing to listen. Who knows - if President Jonathan had visited Joshua for prayer on that fateful day, perhaps Kaduna would still be with its Governor and the deaths of six men would have been averted...

Emeka I. - Lagos, Nigeria

SOURCE: Nigeria Voice - http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/104034/1/of-tb-joshuas-negative-predictions-and-adeboyes-no.html

Femi Adesina - CHOPPER CRASH: AND THE LORD HID IT FROM ADEBOYE

Some hours before a naval helicopter crashed in Bayelsa State last weekend, President Goodluck Jonathan had been a guest at the Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, which held at the Redemption Camp, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Of course, it was not the president’s first visit to the camp. In 2010, as part of build-up to the presidential elections of April 2011, he had also visited, and the picture of the president kneeling in prayer before Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of the church, was a common sight.

A lot of people thought it the perfect example of humility for Jonathan to have knelt before Adeboye. I felt otherwise. It was just the proper thing to do. Adeboye is a servant of God, while Jonathan is a servant of men–Nigerians. Who is an earthly king compared with the heavenly king? Kneel, he should.

And that was what he did again in the evening of Friday last week. The president knelt, and Pastor Adeboye, standing, prayed for him. No big deal. It was the right thing, by Christian standards. President Jonathan must have left the Redemption Camp in the wee hours of Saturday, back to Abuja by air. I left Lagos also that morning, travelling to Ishan-Ekiti, to attend the burial ceremony of the father-in-law of my friend and colleague, Shola Oshunkeye, our Editor, Magazines.

I spent exactly two hours, forty minutes in the traffic gridlock around the Redemption Camp, a distance of less than one kilometer. I’m also a Christian of the Pentecostal stock, but I’d probably never felt more frustrated with the excesses of religious congregants.

I wondered how non-Christians would feel in that hell of a traffic jam. But that is a topic for another day. Later same Saturday afternoon, a naval helicopter conveying six people from the funeral of the father of a presidential aide, Oronto Douglas, crashed in Bayelsa State. All on board perished. The dead included Mr Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Governor of Kaduna State, Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi, the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), their aides, Dauda Tsoho and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal, and the pilots, Commander Murtala Mohammed Daba, and Lt Adeyemi Sowole. It was, indeed, a national tragedy, and the reverberations are still being felt round the country. On hearing the news where I was in Ekiti, I got this overwhelming sense of sadness.

Apart from the sheer tragedy of it all, I knew the development held grave consequences for our fragile polity, particularly Kaduna State, which had lost its first minority governor, the first Christian to rule the state. Conspiracy theories would fly around, no doubt. Then I asked myself: the two national figures, Yakowa and Azazi, were loyalists of the Jonathan government. Yakowa became governor because his principal, Namadi Sambo, had been picked by Jonathan as deputy in 2010.

Yakowa ran, and won elections to serve a full term as governor in 2011. On his part, Azazi was NSA till a few months ago, and hailed from Bayelsa, just like the president. And then the poser: Didn’t Pastor Adeboye see the crash as he prayed with President Jonathan? Didn’t the Lord reveal it to him? Couldn’t he have interceded, so that the monumental tragedy would be averted? Alas, the Lord hid it from Pastor Adeboye, and it reminded of the account of Elisha and the Shunammite woman in the Holy Bible. The woman was well-to-do, married, but had no child.

She showed kindness to Elisha and his servant, Gehazi, and the prophet prayed with her, and she bore a son. You can imagine the delirious joy that would fill such household. But did they live happily ever after? No. The child grew, and one day, he went to his father in the farm, and shouted: “My head, my head.” Some hours later, he was dead. What did the mother do? She ran to find Elisha, and as she grabbed his feet, Gehazi moved to push her away. But the prophet said: “Leave her alone. She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why (2 Kings 4:27).” Elisha was a powerful prophet, who did mighty things in the name of the Lord. He even had the amazing gift of knowing what the king planned privately in his bedroom.

But in the case of this Shunammite woman, the Lord hid what was to happen from him, just as He did with Adeboye last weekend. You know Pastor Adeboye, don’t you? He’s the former university don, who holds a Ph.D in Mathematics, but who left the classroom to lead the Redeemed Christian Church of God, which he turned into a global mega church. He hosts the monthly Holy Ghost Service, and the annual Holy Ghost Congress, at the Redemption Camp, attended by hundreds of thousands. (The horrors road users are subjected to when these events hold is not the issue today, maybe another day).

In 2008, the international magazine, Newsweek, named Adeboye as one of the world’s most influential people. It was a big recognition. But before then, heaven had also recognized Adeboye, as his ministry was backed up with signs and wonders. He is regarded as a foremost apostle who has authority with God, and with men. But last weekend, God hid the helicopter crash from him.

Why? “The secret of the Lord is with those that fear Him,” says the Good Book. The New International Version renders it thus in Psalm 25 verse 14: “The Lord confides in those who fear him.” So, why didn’t the Lord confide in Adeboye about the Bayelsa crash, which was to happen some hours after Jonathan had come for prayers? Why? At least, if He did, and Adeboye had interceded, Yakowa, Azazi, and the four others would probably be living today. God, why? “Surely, the Lord God does nothing without revealing it to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).” So, why hide the chopper crash from Adeboye? It baffles me.

I’m sure the pastor himself must have been somewhat embarrassed when he heard the news. Jonathan just left here, and God did not reveal this to me, he must have said. Elisha heard the things the king said in his very bedroom, because God opened his ears. Why didn’t God open Adeboye’s eyes to see the crash as he prayed for President Jonathan?

Mystery, mystery. The inscrutable ways of our God. No wonder the Good Book also says, “the secret things belong to the Lord our God.” Surely, as God, He knew the crash would occur, since He’s omniscient. But why did He keep it to Himself? Why did He not allow Adeboye, and the large army of believers at the Redemption Camp to intercede, by revealing what was to happen later in the day? This God! No wonder the Holy Bible again tells us: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings (Proverbs 25:2).”

But I hear there is a pastor in Lagos who had foreseen the helicopter crash, and had told his congregation to pray fervently against it. Thrice, I learnt, he asked the church members to pray. He reportedly said a serving governor and a retired Army General would be aboard the chopper. Now, I’m talking of a real pastor with prophetic gifts, not those charlatans and impostors who see nothing but tragedy, and play to the gallery in the media, just to make money from gullible people. This is a consecrated, diligent holiness preacher, whose church has been growing in leaps and bounds in recent years. He had led his church members to pray three different times, I was told. Yet, the tragedy still occured. So, what happened to the prayers? Did the Prince of Persia withstand the answer, as he did to the prayer of Daniel in the Holy Bible? Or did God just refuse to answer the prayers?

Why then did He give the revelation to the pastor in the first place? Baffling. Confounding, even perplexing. I sympathize with the families of the dead. I never met Gov Yakowa one to one, but I knew Gen Azazi. Two days after the tragedy, I saw his number on my phone. Should I now delete it? He would never come back to use it. But somehow, I could not get myself to erase the number, at least not yet. I also saw his email address, which he had told me was a better way of communicating with him, if there was anything urgent.

Do emails get to people in the great beyond? Doubtful. For the families of the aides to Yakowa and Azazi, and of the two pilots, 2012 is a year they would inscribe in their Black Book, a year that did them evil, that caused them sorrow, and brought tears in torrents. God, please spare your creation.

Spare humanity of this kind of tragedy. It was reported that some people rejoiced in Kaduna when the news of Yakowa’s death filtered in. Ignorant people. They were happy, saying Kaduna, the headquarters of the old Northern Region, where Muslims are in the clear majority, would once again be ruled by a Muslim. Is religion now greater than human life? A true, good Muslim should rather condole and commiserate with the Yakowas, than rejoice.

See former head of state, Gen Muhammadu Buhari. He turned 70 on Monday, and the day was to have been marked with a special lecture to be given by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah. Former Minister of Defence, Gen Theophilus Danjuma, was to have been chairman of the event. Everything was set. But hours to the appointed time, Buhari announced a postponement. He said he did so to honour the dead. Is this the man they call a religious bigot? They should tell it to the Marines. But those that rejoiced in Kaduna did not do well.

Yes, I suspect that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in its characteristic manner, fiddled with the Kaduna State gubernatorial polls in 2011, under the security blanket that had been thrown over the state after the violence that attended the result of the presidential election. But should one wish Yakowa dead? Never! It is inhuman, and those who rejoiced at the tragedy need to plead for mercy with God. I was a firm believer in zoning. If shortsighted people had not torpedoed it, there was no way a Christian from the southern part of the state would not have ruled Kaduna eventually. And amicably too!

There would have been no way an Idoma would not rule Benue, an Ebira not rule Kogi, in the name of fairness and justice. With zoning, it would have been inevitable. But they shot down zoning (and it is forever dead), so things are more difficult for the minorities.

Will a minority, a Christian, rule Kaduna anytime soon? The answer lies in the womb of time. The death of Yakowa has surely worsened the complex politics of Kaduna State. Another worry. The spiritual atmosphere over Nigeria is foul. It is odious and sepulchral. How can blood flow like water, and lives be lost so wantonly in a country? Even chickens are not killed with such flippancy, no, not even at Christmas.

This country needs deliverance, needs cleansing. But how will it come, when God has begun to hide things from even people like Pastor Adeboye. It is surely time to fear. Early this year, precisely in January, I wrote a piece with the headline, ‘Before we head for the nearest border,’ and 12 months later, the spiritual fog, the miasma over Nigeria has not lifted. Will one not eventually head for that nearest border? And lest I forget: Merry Christmas to you all, whether you are fully within these borders, or you already have one leg outside.

SOURCE: The Sun News - http://sunnewsonline.com/new/columns/chopper-crash-and-the-lord-hid-it-from-adeboye/

Check out the official YouTube video of his prophecy:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lBxja0O-_A

I am subscribed to TB Joshua's YouTube channel and saw that SCOAN has just uploaded his prophecy about the crash that killed Yakowa and Azazi. I know a lot of people said they heard he said it but I think this is the first official proof:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lBxja0O-_A

Jonathan kneels before Adeboye in prayer again:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsBmugKjFkY/

Read this enlightening message on TB Joshua's Facebook Page...

TAKE BACK YOUR SITUATION!
People of God, it is time to take back your situation from the hands of satan! How? By seeing that situation as a means of drawing you closer to God, not a reason to complain, grumble and fall into self-pity. Today, satan uses our situation to distract us from running the straight race with God. He is very subtle in using any slight opportunity to divert our attention when we are supposed to be focused on our Divine cause and course. Outward wants, afflictions and burdens are the great arguments satan uses to make the people of God question their sonship.

Therefore, don’t be misled by your situation to fear! Don’t be deceived by your situation to question God’s goodness! Don’t be controlled by your circumstances to begin to compare yourself with others! Take it as a life lesson and see it as a reason to pray the more, believe the more and have faith the more. By this attitude, you have already taken back your situation from the hands of satan and it has become an instrument of strengthening your desire and determination to serve Christ. Therefore, you can be happy whereas there is nothing to be happy about on the outside! Rejoice! You are more than an overcomer!

SOURCE: TB Joshua Ministries on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/TB-Joshua-Ministries/103470916440360

Prophet TB Joshua Instructs REFUND Of $100 Registration Fee

Nigerian Prophet T.B. Joshua has released a statement via social network, ‘Facebook’, instructing those co-ordinating the arrangement of visits to his popular church in Lagos, Nigeria, to refund the $100 he learned they had been collecting from people as a registration fee.

Joshua said he was concerned upon learning from emails and online reports that those arranging groups to visit The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) were taking $100 as a registration fee for those desirous of visiting his famous sanctuary, stating that the organisation of such was charitable in nature and not a money-making venture. “I have received many emails and newspaper reports on the internet complaining of registration fees of $100. What then makes us an evangelist? When people go to concerts, they also register with $100,” the statement, which was posted to over 500,000 fans of ‘TB Joshua Ministries’, read.

He maintained that co-ordinating visits to The SCOAN was evangelical and not finance-orientated, warning those involved that collecting undue money from vulnerable people was tantamount to partaking in their troubles. “If we are evangelists, co-ordinating for God’s sake, all our concerns, aspirations and heart desires must be subjected to the Gospel through works of charity by helping the sick, distressed and unsaved instead of collecting registration fees of $100 from them before giving succour, I mean, attending to them. This cannot be justified; it amounts to taking a portion of their situation.”

The popular cleric insisted that money-making should not be the focus or drive of such co-ordinators but rather care for the sick and distressed in society. “If we are focused on making money only, a large slice of life will pass us by. We should spend less on ourselves and more on others,” he exhorted, reminding them of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40-45. “Don’t forget your promise when you were called to be co-ordinators. Your promise, if I may remind you, was to give rest to the sick, distressed and unsaved,” he wrote.

The statement ended with Joshua’s insistence that any money collected for registration should be immediately returned. “Those who have already paid $100 for the registration should be refunded, for God’s sake. I am impressed by the prompt action of the co-ordinators in Tanzania and Zimbabwe who have been refunding the $100 paid by each person as a registration fee. I believe all others will act likewise.” Citing Matthew 10:41, he concluded, “He who honours a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.”

The SCOAN is known to be one of Nigeria’s major tourist attractions, with hundreds of foreign visitors flocking to the cathedral on a weekly basis in search of the miraculous. The ministry is especially popular within Africa, with scores of visitors from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana and a host of other African countries making regular pilgrimages to The SCOAN in Lagos. T.B. Joshua is also renowned for his philanthropy, charitable giving to the less-privileged forming an integral part of his church services broadcast on Emmanuel TV.

TB Joshua Ministries on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/TB-Joshua-Ministries/103470916440360

SOURCE: Tumfweko - http://www.tumfweko.com/2012/12/06/prophet-tb-joshua-instructs-refund-of-100-registration-fee/

Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua, well known for his expansive philanthropic endeavours, shocked congregants at his church, The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) on Sunday 18th November 2012 when it was revealed he has sponsored a Nigerian student to study a PhD in the University of Oxford to the tune of £100,000, approximately N26 million.

Miss Yinka Oduwole, who introduced herself as one of the youth who was brought up in The SCOAN and worked there extensively, testified how she had gained admission to study a PhD in Engineering Science in Oxford University, UK after a successful Master’s Programme in University College London (UCL). Yinka, who was equally sponsored in her Master’s Degree in Broadband Communication in UCL in which she came out with a distinction, said Prophet T.B. Joshua and Emmanuel TV Partners had paid the sum of £100,000 to enable her to study for a PhD in the prestigious Oxford University.

“My advice to youth all over the world is that they should pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on them,” Yinka, also a First-Class graduate from the University of Lagos, told the congregation and viewers worldwide on Emmanuel TV, equally counselling the youth to find a job in the church and actively engage in godly activities.



TB Joshua also revealed in the service how footballer Ogenyi Onazi, the SS Lazio starlet who was recently promoted to the Super Eagles of Nigeria and scored on his debut against Venezuela, was brought up in the church and worked there as well before attaining his current sporting success. Joshua revealed how he had sponsored Onazi and his colleague Sani Emmanuel to trial in clubs around the world including Premier League giants Chelsea and Tottenham, before arriving in SS Lazio, where he is currently playing for the senior team. Joshua revealed that close to $1m was spent in this process, to ensure the duo went to the right club to reach the heights of their potential.

According to Joshua, the reward for raising up such young people to become leaders of tomorrow in every field of expertise is immeasurable in monetary or material terms. “What you make happens for others, God makes happen for you. You are raised to raise others,” Joshua exhorted the crowd, counselling them to consider the future of their own children and what they were doing with their lives.

Forbes estimated that Joshua has spent up to $20m in charitable activities alone in the last three years. Thousands of less privileged students are currently studying in universities across Nigeria and around the world courtesy of SCOAN’s scholarship program.

SOURCE: http://tumfweko.com/2012/11/19/tb-joshua-sponsors-student-for-phd-at-oxford-university-for-100000-k830m/

Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua, well known for his expansive philanthropic endeavours, shocked congregants at his church, The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) on Sunday 18th November 2012 when it was revealed he has sponsored a Nigerian student to study a PhD in the University of Oxford to the tune of £100,000, approximately N26 million.

Miss Yinka Oduwole, who introduced herself as one of the youth who was brought up in The SCOAN and worked there extensively, testified how she had gained admission to study a PhD in Engineering Science in Oxford University, UK after a successful Master’s Programme in University College London (UCL). Yinka, who was equally sponsored in her Master’s Degree in Broadband Communication in UCL in which she came out with a distinction, said Prophet T.B. Joshua and Emmanuel TV Partners had paid the sum of £100,000 to enable her to study for a PhD in the prestigious Oxford University.

“My advice to youth all over the world is that they should pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on them,” Yinka, also a First-Class graduate from the University of Lagos, told the congregation and viewers worldwide on Emmanuel TV, equally counselling the youth to find a job in the church and actively engage in godly activities.

TB Joshua also revealed in the service how footballer Ogenyi Onazi, the SS Lazio starlet who was recently promoted to the Super Eagles of Nigeria and scored on his debut against Venezuela, was brought up in the church and worked there as well before attaining his current sporting success. Joshua revealed how he had sponsored Onazi and his colleague Sani Emmanuel to trial in clubs around the world including Premier League giants Chelsea and Tottenham, before arriving in SS Lazio, where he is currently playing for the senior team. Joshua revealed that close to $1m was spent in this process, to ensure the duo went to the right club to reach the heights of their potential.

According to Joshua, the reward for raising up such young people to become leaders of tomorrow in every field of expertise is immeasurable in monetary or material terms. “What you make happens for others, God makes happen for you. You are raised to raise others,” Joshua exhorted the crowd, counselling them to consider the future of their own children and what they were doing with their lives.

Forbes estimated that Joshua has spent up to $20m in charitable activities alone in the last three years. Thousands of less privileged students are currently studying in universities across Nigeria and around the world courtesy of SCOAN’s scholarship program.

SOURCE: Africa News - http://www.africanews.com/site/TB_JOSHUA_SPONSORS_NIGERIAN_STUDENT_TO_OXFORD_UNIVERSITY/list_messages/42628

Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi of Nigeria has revealed that Prophet T.B.Joshua foretold his goal against Venezuela in an international friendly match played in Miami, USA on Thursday.

Onazi, a product of My People Football Club of the Synagogue, the Church of All Nations in Ikotun area of Lagos State, scored the Eagles’ third goal in the 3-1 victory over Venezuela after receiving a pass from Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi.

“My goal was made in heaven because my father, Prophet T.B.Joshua, told me I would score. He even gave me some tips on how to have a good game,” Onazi told MTNFootball.com.

“I therefore dedicate the goal to God almighty and also to my daddy, the Prophet, who inspired me to score the goal. “This goal will boost my confidence in other games as I believe more goals are coming by his grace.”

Onazi again restated his belief to make the squad to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.“I’m happy at the manner the coach has been giving me opportunities and I can assure Nigerians that I will be part of the team that will bring the Nations Cup to the country next year,” he declared.

Portland Timbers forward Bright Dike, who debuted for Nigeria on Thursday against Venezuela, has equally expressed his happiness to represent Nigeria. “I was very excited to wear the green Jersey of Nigeria, I feel honoured and I had great pride in representing my country,” he said. “The team played for each other and we got a deserved the victory. I did my best and really wanted to make it a scoring debut and I came so close. That just gives me more motivation for the next time we play.”

SOURCE: PM News - http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/11/16/my-goal-was-made-in-heaven-tb-joshua-predicted-it/

TB Joshua just released these astonishing videos on his YouTube channel. Well worth a watch, especially for skeptics:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO6Sv7XGdT8&

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3aLCuAEsCk&

"Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Pastor T. B. Joshua of Synagogue of all Nations, Ikotun, Lagos are probably the two most famous Nigerians known by South Africans. The very moment any of us mentioned the name Nigeria the next question will be about T. B. Joshua whom they adore and believe to be the greatest prophet to come out of black Africa. A young woman wanted me to take her to Lagos just for her to have contact with Pastor T. B. Joshua. Another young man said he has been saving just to pay a pilgrimage to Nigeria and worship in Pastor T. B. Joshua's church. When I told one of them that I am an Anglican, they were shocked as they could not understand why anybody living in Nigeria would worship in any other church than the Synagogue of All Nations! I felt proud and puzzled at the same time. Quite a number of prominent Nigerian pastors see T. B. Joshua as a controversial character. But here he is a household word, almost a saint and a hero. Indeed, a prophet is never known in his native land."

Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor, Vice Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Abuja Chapter, works in the Legal Unit of Federal Judicial Service Commission, Abuja

SOURCE: Daily Trust - http://allafrica.com/stories/201209090176.html

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Pastor T. B. Joshua of Synagogue of all Nations, Ikotun, Lagos are probably the two most famous Nigerians known by South Africans. The very moment any of us mentioned the name Nigeria the next question will be about T. B. Joshua whom they adore and believe to be the greatest prophet to come out of black Africa. A young woman wanted me to take her to Lagos just for her to have contact with Pastor T. B. Joshua. Another young man said he has been saving just to pay a pilgrimage to Nigeria and worship in Pastor T. B. Joshua's church. When I told one of them that I am an Anglican, they were shocked as they could not understand why anybody living in Nigeria would worship in any other church than the Synagogue of All Nations! I felt proud and puzzled at the same time. Quite a number of prominent Nigerian pastors see T. B. Joshua as a controversial character. But here he is a household word, almost a saint and a hero. Indeed, a prophet is never known in his native land.

Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor, Vice Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Abuja Chapter, works in the Legal Unit of Federal Judicial Service Commission, Abuja

SOURCE: http://allafrica.com/stories/201209090176.html

Fact or fiction? Can any Nigerians in SA confirm this?

I just read this intriguing article on All Africa...

OPINION
Cape Town — The gigantic miracle bird, Airbus 300-600 roared to a halt at one of the parking lots of the magnificent O. R. Tambo International Airport in the city of Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa that chilly Sunday morning at about 6.30 am, South African time on July 28, 2012. And that started my odyssey to this famous country I had for years longed to visit. Although I had never visited South Africa before, from the very moment my foot touched her soil, I felt like a native returning to roost after several years of exile. South Africa was the home country of some of my beloved African writers and favourite musicians: Lucky Dube and Miriam Makeba (both of blessed memories); and the writers: Can Themba, Alex Laguma, Ezekiel Mphalele, Alan Paton, Lewis Nkosi, Doris Lessing, Bessie Head and a whole host of them who used the means of creative writing to draw the attention of the world to the atrocities of the apartheid regime. I longed to meet them. Too bad my longing will have to remain a dream as most of them have since passed on.

Even when we successfully landed at Johannesburg, I could hardly believe I was in Walter Sisulu's country. The particular Programme that provided me the opportunity to visit South Africa had been shifted more than once. If you are a Nigerian visiting South Africa for the first time, the first thing that strikes you is the beauty and orderliness of the Johannesburg airport named after the former leader of the African National Congress, Oliver Tambo (now of blessed memory). The neatness was simply bewitching, a sharp contrast to our less than befitting Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos from where we boarded the South African Airways. It was like coming from chaos to a serene world. It is indeed an irony that our leaders who globe trot round the world have failed to copy edifying monuments such as the O. R. Tambo International Airport. I wished I could transfer the airport to Nigeria.

Our team, all made up of the staff of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, quickly moved to the domestic wing of the airport where another giant metal bird, a Boeing 737 was waiting to take us to Cape Town. Our flight was hitch-free. Again, the airport at Cape Town was modern, clean, orderly and highly captivating.

Outside the airport, we were greeted by a cold, heavy wind that easily reminded me of my visit to London sometimes in 2011. The cold was almost freezing, and although I had been warned ahead of the weather, I could hardly believe that this was happening in Africa.

Thirty minutes drive from the airport saw us to Green Point near the city centre. Cape Town is indeed a city to behold. It is probably Africa's most beautiful city and definitely one of the most beautiful cities of the world. The entire streets were perfectly tarred, giving sufficient spaces for cyclists and pedestrians by the sides. You could see relaxation spots everywhere you go, almost at every corner. Cape Town sparkles! The serenity is ethereal.

Our hotel, 'Sleep Easy' was beside the road, overlooking the sea and the Cape Town Stadium, which perched beautifully at the waterfront. In the evenings, we would stroll down the road along the beach area, admiring nature's miracle and beauty. The roaring sea easily reminded us of our lost paradise of Lagos Bar Beach.

The Transformational Leadership Training Programme organized by the Global Investments Ltd- a consulting group, headed by Mounir Gwarzo, its director, was exceptionally rewarding. It took place at the Protea Hotel President, one of the best hotels in Cape Town and obviously the best hotel in the Protea Hotels chain. The hotel perched beautifully in front of the famous Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, surrounded by other hotels and several relaxation spots. The place was paradise on earth and I wished our beaches back in Nigeria were turned into something equally spectacular. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world visit here for their holidays thereby chanelling millions of dollars to the economy South Africa.

Dr Mounir Gwarzo, our training consultant was apparently an expert in his field. He ensured that we got the best from our visit. To begin with, he engaged the services of Aephoria Partners, ranked easily among the leading trainers in South Africa. Their resource persons include Julia Kukard and Simon Kettleborough, two brilliant individuals who left a positive life changing impact on us all. Apart from those of us from the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission, other participants include the staff of Media Trust and Legacy Pension.

One of the highpoints of our visit to Cape Town was our trip to the famous Robben Island prison, about 7 kilometers from Cape Town where former President Nelson Mandela and other South Africa's political activists were detained for several years. The visit which thoroughly humbled us was a lesson in the resilience of the human spirit to survive against all odds. I had the opportunity of entering cell No 8 where Africa's greatest hero, Nelson Mandela, served his jail term.

The visit was a guided tour and our guide was an ex-political prisoner of Robben Island. He informed us of the high rate of unemployment in South Africa due to multiplicity of factors: globalization, educational problems, world-wide economic recession, etcetera. He thanked us for helping to keep his job and looked forward to seeing us again. For us, it was history revisited. The former monstrous prison was now a museum pulling visitors, great and small from every corner of the globe and spinning money for the ailing South African economy.

The high unemployment rate in South Africa (said to be about 25%) is really worrisome taking into cognizance the resultant escalation of poverty and crime particularly in cities like Johannesburg. Despite the giant strides made by the ANC regime since the dismantling of apartheid, South Africa remains a country grappling with numerous socio-economic problems just like Nigeria. One cannot fail to observe that most of the cars in the streets of Cape Town were driven by whites. Blacks did menial jobs such as security guides, hotel attendants, truck drivers, etcetera. Many were homeless, begging money in the streets. Some were drug addicts in search of rehabilitation. The decades of apartheid ensured that blacks did not get the right kind of education that would ensure gainful employment. The alleged corruption in the ANC regime and the mess up of the country's educational system are still not helping matters.

On a positive note, however, government is working very hard to reverse the trend. Further, South Africa is reputed for an effective police force and an incorruptible judicial system which is effectively keeping a check on crime. For a country fast becoming a byword for crime, this is a welcome development.

On the social plain, the residents of Cape Town are very friendly. The languages spoken there include English, Afrikaans and Xhosa. The population is made of blacks, colored, whites and nationals of Nigeria, Congo, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Large communities of Nigerians are mainly Igbos and Edos, mostly petty traders. A few are into petty crimes or unemployed. We had an interesting encounter with ex-Niger Delta militants who were students in Cape Town.

The women are very honest about their social lives and are heavy drinkers and smokers. They could spend the entire night drinking and dancing. They are not as religious as Nigerians. The churches in Cape Town are very few. It was in the Streets of Green Point, (an area near the city centre) that I encountered male and female prostitutes! In a strange encounter, a young Xhosa woman we ran into late one night on our way to our hotel, told us she was out for 'business' and when I enquired the nature of her business, she responded with an inviting smile, 'sexual healing'!

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Pastor T. B. Joshua of Synagogue of all Nations, Ikotun, Lagos are probably the two most famous Nigerians known by South Africans. The very moment any of us mentioned the name Nigeria the next question will be about T. B. Joshua whom they adore and believe to be the greatest prophet to come out of black Africa. A young woman wanted me to take her to Lagos just for her to have contact with Pastor T. B. Joshua. Another young man said he has been saving just to pay a pilgrimage to Nigeria and worship in Pastor T. B. Joshua's church. When I told one of them that I am an Anglican, they were shocked as they could not understand why anybody living in Nigeria would worship in any other church than the Synagogue of All Nations! I felt proud and puzzled at the same time. Quite a number of prominent Nigerian pastors see T. B. Joshua as a controversial character. But here he is a household word, almost a saint and a hero. Indeed, a prophet is never known in his native land.

Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor, Vice Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Abuja Chapter, works in the Legal Unit of Federal Judicial Service Commission, Abuja

SOURCE: Daily Trust - http://allafrica.com/stories/201209090176.html

Popular Nollywood actress has revealed reasons behind the sudden end to her fourteen year old smoking addiction. She says the prayer of Pastor T.B Joshua through his Christian TV station, Emmanuel TV healed her. It would be recalled that the daring actress had battled with her smoking addiction for years.

Tonto who started chain-smoking at the age of 13 had earlier in the year revealed in an interview that smoking is her life and didn’t care what people thought about it.

“If I want to smoke, I handle a stick of cigarette and I smoke it hard. It is my life I can decide to smoke myself to hell. It’s nobody’s business.”

But as against what many thought, Tonto recently took to social network cite, Twitter, announced to the whole world that she’d stopped smoking.

“I’ve good news for those who wish me well. Its silly good news but ya’ll going to love this. I quit smoking!”

Dazed, many wondered how and who had preached to her against the fourteen year old ‘love of her life’.

As a matter of fact, recently, her heavy smoking habit led to a war of words between her and Ghanian actor, Van Vicker, who complained about her uncontrollable cigarette addiction.

Many thought her new year resolution wouldn’t last. However Tonto, last week in an interview revealed that she was healed by pastor T.B Joshua’s prayer.

“I didn’t quit smoking by myself. I was watching a program on TV with Prophet T.B. Joshua and he was laying hands on people and praying for them. I love to watch his programs on Emmanuel TV. When he was praying, he said, ‘Lay your hands on the TV’ and I just laid my hands that day. I actually needed something else from God, not to quit smoking because I loved smoking!

However, after praying I sat back and I think I slept off. When I woke up, I took a stick of cigarette and I felt crazy. I couldn’t even imagine that I took it up to smoke in the first place. It felt like poison!”

Three months down the line after she made the announcement via Twitter, Dikeh has remained clean from smoking.

SOURCE: Vanguard Nigeria - http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/tb-joshuas-prayers-ended-my14-years-smoking-addiction-tonto-dike/

Popular Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has sensationally revealed that the sudden end to her smoking addiction came through the prayers of Pastor T.B. Joshua via his Christian station Emmanuel TV.

Dikeh, who rose to fame after becoming the runner up in the Nigerian reality show, ‘The Next Movie Star’ in 2006, had garnered a controversial reputation in Nollywood for being a heavy smoker. According to Dikeh, she started chain-smoking at the age of 13 and there seemed no signs of the habit waning. When questioned about her smoking in an interview with Nigeria’s Nation Newspaper early last year, the Rivers State born star said, “If I want to smoke, I handle a stick of cigarette and I smoke it hard. It is my life I can decide to smoke myself to hell. It’s nobody’s business.”

The habit recently led to a serious clash between her and Ghanaian actor Van Vicker when he bitterly complained at her smoking on set, culminating in a heavy exchange of words. When probed in September 2011 about the health implications of her habit, the care-free actress retorted, “My smoking habit doesn’t affect your life in anyway. If I die tomorrow, you’re not going to bury me. My father has the money to bury me. So, why are they talking about it?”

However, there was a sudden twist in the tale in May 2012 when, seemingly out of the blue, Tonto tweeted to her over 80,000 followers on Twitter, ‘I’ve good news for those who wish me well. Its silly good news but ya’ll going to love this. I quit smoking!’ Although the announcement was met with almost unanimous approval from her fans, speculation was rife as to what caused her sudden decision, many doubting whether it would actually last. But in an online article published this week, the sultry actress shed light on the spiritual element to her quitting in an interview with Nigerian entertainment magazine, ‘E24-7’.

“I didn’t quit smoking by myself,” she explained to Biodun Kupoluyi. “I was watching a program on TV with Prophet T.B. Joshua and he was laying hands on people and praying for them. I love to watch his programs on Emmanuel TV. When he was praying, he said, ‘Lay your hands on the TV’ and I just laid my hands that day. I actually needed something else from God, not to quit smoking because I loved smoking! However, after praying I sat back and I think I slept off.”

After a short nap, Tonto awoke and attempted to smoke as usual. However, according to her, something inexplicably supernatural had happened. “When I woke up, I took a stick of cigarette and I felt crazy. I couldn’t even imagine that I took it up to smoke in the first place. It felt like poison!” An addiction of 14 years was ended through a simple prayer on television. Three months down the line, Dikeh has remained clean from smoking.

Judging by online reaction to Tonto’s revelation, it appears her experience is not an isolated one. Many viewers of Joshua’s Emmanuel TV testified to similar experiences, including Lovemore Chibvongodze from United Kingdom who told the official T.B. Joshua Ministries Facebook Page, followed by close to 300,000 people, how his 34 year addiction to smoking and drinking alcohol ended through prayers on Emmanuel TV.

Joshua, who was recently adjudged by Paris-based magazine, ‘The Africa Report’ to be among the 50 most influential Africans, is growing increasingly popular across Africa largely due to the increase in awareness of and intrigue in Emmanuel TV.

Speaking on T.B. Joshua’s positive influence in her life, Tonto said, “I watch him every day, I write to him every time I can, I tweet on him. I think that he is a person that influences my life positively in a lot of ways just through the TV alone… I am following him because I think he is following Jesus. I just love him because he is a man of God and he has specially affected my life and my friends too.”

SOURCE:
Tonto Dikeh Interview With E-24 Magazine On T.B. Joshua - http://e247mag.com/i-want-tb-joshua-to-touch-me-he-stopped-my-smoking-habit-pastor-chris-oyakhilome-is-my-father-says-tonto-dike/

TB Joshua has been forced to come out via Facebook again and deny another prophecy rumour, this time about Ondo State.

This is an official communication from Prophet T.B. Joshua: “My attention has been drawn to some rumours currently circulating around the internet about a prophecy I supposedly made concerning the upcoming governorship elections in Ondo State, Nigeria.

“These rumours are completely FALSE. Do not bring my name into an issue of such political propaganda. I am not cheap; I am a man of God. Any prophetic message will be broadcast officially on Emmanuel TV. If you did not hear it on Emmanuel TV, it did not originate from me.

“This rumour and this propaganda are from the enemies of the gospel. Remember, the Bible says, ‘Touch not my anointed and do him no harm.’ (Psalm 105:15) People of Ondo State - don’t listen to the father of lies, the sons of lies and the daughters of lies.”

SOURCE: TB Joshua Ministries On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/TB-Joshua-Ministries/103470916440360

Following the death of Atta Mills, I was discussing with a friend of mine who showed me a very interesting article he had kept from a couple of years back when 'National Life' Newspapers interviewed TB Joshua. The heading was, 'TB Joshua - How Envious Nigerian Pastors Knifed Me Before Ghanaian President'

In it is the following excerpt:

It is true that your so-called detractors who allegedly manufacture VCDs about you also produced a VCD and went to Ghana, apparently to discredit you before your friend, President Atta Mills?
They went to meet him after he visited the church. They went to meet President Atta Mills after he visited the church here. They visited him under the guise of going to congratulate him only for them to begin to show him a simulated naked picture of what was supposed to me, on VCD.

After His Excellency watched, he said, ‘This is my pastor. But why are you doing all this to him? You claimed to come on a congratulatory visit, but why all this? Was this your motive?’ They went to show Atta Mills another version of ‘Okija Shrine’, this time, about me. They were all influential people from Nigeria.

SOURCE: National Life, Cover Story - SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER 2009

Why on earth do Nigerian pastors hate Joshua to that extent? Envy and jealousy?

TB JOSHUA JUST DENIED EVER SPEAKING TO LEADERSHIP:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TB-Joshua-Ministries/103470916440360

Emmanuel. We were shocked to discover an article currently circulating around the internet in which a media house claimed to interview Prophet T.B. Joshua concerning the death of our late President of Ghana.

In response to this false interview, this is an official communication from The SCOAN & Prophet T.B. Joshua:

"The interview in LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of Thursday 26/7/2012 titled “I Did Not Foresee Atta Mills’ Death – T.B. Joshua” does not represent me, T.B. Joshua, because I was not around and I never spoke with anyone.

"People say all sorts of things against me but God says “Touch not my anointed and do him no harm”. Why should anybody write this -as if you will not die one day?

"Remove this interview! The interview was not from me. Your staff never spoke with me. I was not around. Once again, Leadership Newspaper Editorial Staff should please remove this interview for God’s sake!

"Don’t fight a prophet; don’t fight God!

"Once again, readers, this is the first time I am talking to the public after the demise of our late president.

"I will talk as God instructs me on Sunday Live service on Emmanuel TV.

"Don’t let anyone or organisation in any medium deceive you.

"I have not granted any interview and I will not because God has not permitted me until Sunday Service.

"I will not grant any interview until Sunday Live Broadcast.

"Those that may have copied the false story from LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER should remove it from their sites because this does not represent me. It is not from me."

TB Joshua just announced on Facebook that the interview he supposedly did with LEADERSHIP about Atta Mills death is fake!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TB-Joshua-Ministries/103470916440360

Emmanuel. We were shocked to discover an article currently circulating around the internet in which a media house claimed to interview Prophet T.B. Joshua concerning the death of our late President of Ghana.

In response to this false interview, this is an official communication from The SCOAN & Prophet T.B. Joshua:

"The interview in LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of Thursday 26/7/2012 titled “I Did Not Foresee Atta Mills’ Death – T.B. Joshua” does not represent me, T.B. Joshua, because I was not around and I never spoke with anyone.

"People say all sorts of things against me but God says “Touch not my anointed and do him no harm”. Why should anybody write this -as if you will not die one day?

"Remove this interview! The interview was not from me. Your staff never spoke with me. I was not around. Once again, Leadership Newspaper Editorial Staff should please remove this interview for God’s sake!

"Don’t fight a prophet; don’t fight God!

"Once again, readers, this is the first time I am talking to the public after the demise of our late president.

"I will talk as God instructs me on Sunday Live service on Emmanuel TV.

"Don’t let anyone or organisation in any medium deceive you.

"I have not granted any interview and I will not because God has not permitted me until Sunday Service.

"I will not grant any interview until Sunday Live Broadcast.

"Those that may have copied the false story from LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER should remove it from their sites because this does not represent me. It is not from me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52GCEyTcnqw

This is crazy -


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFUbNVVL5tw

I'm going to watch Emmanuel TV this Sunday to hear his confession...

Another video has been released from Prophet T.B. Joshua's Official YouTube Channel 'scoanTV' showing him warning Nigerians traveling on local airlines before the DANA crash...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaAItuH7NqY

Interestingly, here is another prophecy in which he said the prayers of God's people averted what would have been a serious crash in Enugu.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs6boQXZvRc

Perhaps it's time Nigerians and the world at large started taking more notice of T.B. Joshua's prophecies...

Check out this reconciliation followed by a crazy deliverance in T.B. Joshua's church. Practical Christianity at work!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLMu-KMn0I&l

I read with sorrow but not particular surprise a report in Newswatch this week which centred on a clearly political contention within a supposedly Christian body.

The report, titled ‘CAN’s Divided House’ unearthed the conflict between Christian Association of Nigeria President Ayo Oritsejafor and Pastor Samuel Kujiyat, the head of CAN’s Kaduna State Chapter, stemming from supposed irregularities of the latter’s election to his post some three years ago. The tension culminated in Kujiyat’s boycotting of CAN’s annual presidential breakfast last month on the premise that his secretary’s name had been substituted at the last moment.

If truth be told, such news does not really astonish me. The attitude and characteristics of many prominent Nigerian pastors today bear increasingly alarming semblance to that of politicians, with selfish interests playing a greater role than the message of salvation. Playing to the whims of the populace in a bid for fame and finance, the lust for materialism has sent the moral compass of many pastors uncannily askew, resulting in a hypocritical divergence of words and deeds. In their striving to be rich at all costs so as to appear as the specially-favoured of a material-minded God, the society remains ethically bankrupt and unscriptural tensions arise between fellow workers in the vineyard.

Just yesterday, I heard Oritsejafor speak on AIT at a meeting in Akwa-Ibom, harping on the importance of unity within the church, a stark contrast to the report I just mentioned! “The time has come for the church to begin to understand that in Heaven, God does not see us as Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Pentecostals or whatever group you belong to – God sees the church as the church,” he said. “The church can be one; the church should be one; the church must be one. I want to encourage us to be our brother’s keeper. The God whom we serve is a God that releases blessing where there is unity. We believe this nation can change; we believe corruption can end. The church united is a catalyst for the end of evil in Nigeria.”

Although a message commendable in nature, the actions of its bearer seem to contravene the principles of which he so passionately preaches. Perhaps Ayo is right. God has not released blessing within Nigeria because the church is not one! The church is not a catalyst for change because division still reigns! The church does not stand as one because we are not our brothers’ keepers!

When the pulpit becomes a podium for condescension and condemnation of other ministries, and political playmakers sit in church pews placing fat offerings while consulting spiritualists and perpetrating corruption, can such be qualified as unity of purpose? When pastors today are embroiled in controversies of financial mismanagement, marital unfaithfulness and attract a reputation for politically-charged statements and sentiments, can they really stand as one body? Ayo has deviated from the Scriptural paths and is only paying lip service to the true essence of Christianity.

Take for instance his open and active condemnation of Pastor T.B. Joshua, a rare gem in the murky waters of Nigerian Christianity. Aside from Oritsejafor’s declaration that Joshua is not even a Christian and mentorship is a prerequisite for apostleship, Pastor Okotie revealed that, as PFN President, Ayo petitioned the Christian bodies within Nigeria to write to TBN to solicit the suspension of his television broadcasts. Perhaps because these broadcasts show outstanding charitable acts to the less privileged which make Oritsejafor and his cohorts shift uneasily in their pulpits as their congregations begin to recognise their fallacies and abuse of position! While Joshua is reconciling broken homes, housing the homeless and reaching out to the deprived and neglected, Ayo is playing politics in the church while parading himself in opulence as his members struggle for their daily bread!

While Ayo is praying for God to kill corrupt politicians in order for Nigeria to progress, what signal is he sending by his own governance within CAN? Hypocrisy, no matter how cleverly managed, will ultimately be exposed, resulting in the declarations of the individual’s concerned losing gravity and value in the eyes and minds of the people. As for me, I have lost whatever regard I had for Ayo and his ilk. Only a genuine alignment of lips and life will make me take their message seriously again.

SOURCE: http://www.nigerianmuse.com/20120530114143zg/sections/general-articles/of-oritsejafor-hypocrisy-and-politics-in-the-church/

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As Zambians revel in the joy of their first African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) triumph, a video is circulating the internet with claims that Nigerian Prophet T.B. Joshua accurately predicted their victory and Didier Drogba’s shocking penalty miss mere hours before the match began.

Video footage posted by The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, Nigeria on YouTube shows T.B. Joshua talking on Sunday 12th February 2012, several hours before the match between Zambia and Ivory Coast was due to start.

“I know you have a game now which you want to watch,” Joshua began, speaking in a church service televised live on Emmanuel TV, a station very popular across Africa, especially in Zambia. “Today is the final and you want me to talk about it.” Joshua, who similarly predicted Ghana’s historic victory in the 2009 U-20 World Cup, said victory would be for the underdogs.

“Yes, this blessing is for a country you are not expecting; this victory is for a country you are not expecting.” With Ivory Coast going into the match as overwhelming favorites, replete with many Premier League and European stars, it is clear who Joshua was referring to.

Although known for speaking in parables when prophesying, the fact that Joshua was talking about Zambia became even more apparent as he proceeded to explain that God wanted the nation in question to rejoice because of a past tragedy.

“God wants to make them happy because of the victims of what happened to them in the past. Yes, this is joy; everybody will celebrate. That will make them forget about the past record of what happened to the same country,  This is a day of forgetting, and dancing!”

The last time Zambia reached the AFCON final in 1994, it was just a year after 18 members of Zambia’s national football team died tragically in a plane crash in Libreville, Gabon. It was an event that shocked the entire nation and wiped out several of their brightest football stars. En route to the final, the current team had spoken of the strength and inspiration they had gained in remembering the tragedy.

Joshua went on to mention a specific incident vital to the outcome of the game, remarkably even stating the precise time it was to occur. “God showed me the first and second halves. In the second half at 25 minutes there is a mistake… Even if you have the opportunity to enter the television where they are playing, you would enter and flog the player, ‘Why didn’t you score this thing?’ ” You will face the goalkeeper and play it out, over the bar. Face to face with the goalkeeper and you now play it outside. Is that not a big mistake? That is the goal that would have given you the Cup. Now, it is taken to the other side.”

The ensuing events seemed to follow in the footprints of the prophet’s declaration, specifically the penalty miss of Ivorian striker Didier Drogba in the 70th minute, the 25th minute of the second half. The Chelsea FC striker ballooned the ball high over the bar, a miss uncharacteristic of the prolific goal-scorer and one that almost certainly cost Ivory Coast victory.

With the game ending goalless, a dramatic penalty shoot-out was to decide the victor. As Zambia’s Stophira Sunzu emphatically scored his team’s match-winning penalty, scenes of chaotic joy rippled across Zambia. The tragic events of 1993 were forgotten as victory against the tournament favorite’s sparked nationwide rejoicing and celebrations that continued far into the night.

Prophet T.B. Joshua is well known in Zambia for his accurate prophetic messages and extensive charitable endeavors. Hundreds of Zambians take a pilgrimage to his church in Lagos, Nigeria on a weekly basis, seeking a miracle from God. Online videos from The SCOAN website show over 100 prophecies Joshua has given relating to worldwide events such as the death of iconic pop star Michael Jackson and the recent fuel protests in his native Nigeria.

SOURCE: http://tumfweko.com/2012/02/14/tb-joshua-prophesied-zambias-historic-afcon-victory-video-included/

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqiywhrGjWI[/flash]

Is this acting??

NB - the confession is pretty disturbing.

Statement from SCOAN London - http://scoanlondon./

Recently, Sky News came uninvited to SCOAN London. Their approach was not polite. Their actions were recorded by The Synagogue and by their own camera man.

Below is our response to their queries. This is what we believe:

“We are not the Healer; God is the Healer. Never a sickness God cannot heal. Never a disease God cannot cure. Never a burden God cannot bear. Never a problem God cannot solve. To His power, nothing is impossible. We have not done anything to bring about healing, deliverance or prosperity. If somebody is healed, it is God who heals.

“We must have a genuine desire if we come to God. We are not in position to question anybody’s genuine desire. Only God knows if one comes with true desire. Only God can determine this. That is why, if anybody comes in the name of God, we pray for them. The outcome of the prayer will determine if they come genuinely or not.

“When we are healed, we are healed for a relationship with Jesus forever. Christianity is a relationship. When the relationship is broken, the blessing is lost.

“We don’t ask people to stop taking medication. Doctors treat; God heals. Medical doctors do their work, just as ministers of God do. We sent a team of doctors, nurses and counsellors to help after the earthquake in Haiti, as well as to many other troubled nations, as you can see from our full documentary on Emmanuel TV (www.emmanuel.tv). You will see the regard we have for medical doctors; I mean, the power of nature. There is nothing bad in using medication. It was the same medication that sustained these people before they came to the church. However, they believed that God is the God of nature.”

Here is their response:

SCOAN London Website - http://scoanlondon./2011/11/18/doctors-treat-god-heals-a-response-to-sky-news/

Recently, Sky News came uninvited to SCOAN London. Their approach was not polite. Their actions were recorded by The Synagogue and by their own camera man.

Below is our response to their queries. This is what we believe:

“We are not the Healer; God is the Healer. Never a sickness God cannot heal. Never a disease God cannot cure. Never a burden God cannot bear. Never a problem God cannot solve. To His power, nothing is impossible. We have not done anything to bring about healing, deliverance or prosperity. If somebody is healed, it is God who heals.

“We must have a genuine desire if we come to God. We are not in position to question anybody’s genuine desire. Only God knows if one comes with true desire. Only God can determine this. That is why, if anybody comes in the name of God, we pray for them. The outcome of the prayer will determine if they come genuinely or not.

“When we are healed, we are healed for a relationship with Jesus forever. Christianity is a relationship. When the relationship is broken, the blessing is lost.

“We don’t ask people to stop taking medication. Doctors treat; God heals. Medical doctors do their work, just as ministers of God do. We sent a team of doctors, nurses and counsellors to help after the earthquake in Haiti, as well as to many other troubled nations, as you can see from our full documentary on Emmanuel TV (www.emmanuel.tv). You will see the regard we have for medical doctors; I mean, the power of nature. There is nothing bad in using medication. It was the same medication that sustained these people before they came to the church. However, they believed that God is the God of nature.”

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Just saw that Emmanuel TV with T.B. Joshua is coming to Sky in UK every weekend from 3pm on Channel 201 - http://scoanlondon./2011/11/21/emmanuel-tv-on-sky/

Praise God!

Check out the new SCOAN website (T.B. Joshua).

Really nice design with plenty of good quality videos with Vimeo - http://www.scoan.org/